Bénin - Institutional strengthening support

Street view in Comè, Benin in December 2017 by Kulttuurinavigaattori. CC BY 2.0

Workstream:

Institutional strengthening support and training

Ongoing

started:

2017

Bénin has worked extensively with the Supporting National Planning (SNAP) Initiative to build integrated emission inventories and increase technical and human capacity within government to mitigate short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), such as black carbon emissions from transportation. This work is paving the way for informed policy making and emission reduction strategies that will ultimately direct in-country benefits for health and economic growth.

Objectives

The SNAP Initiative is providing technical assistance and funding for Benin to increase and enhance capacity to plan and act to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants. The objectives of the work are to:

Strengthen institutional capacities for SLCP mitigation and engage key national stakeholders  
Raise awareness of SLCP issues and actions 
Encourage participation in CCAC activities 
Enable the inclusion of SLCPs in relevant national planning processes
Leverage financial resources dedicated to SLCP mitigation at the national level

What we're doing

Phase I – Institutional Strengthening and Black Carbon Inventory Support – Complete

In 2017, a cooperation agreement was signed between UNEP and the Ministry of Living Environment and Sustainable Development (MLESD) of Benin following a call for proposals by the CCAC Secretariat. This agreement launched institutional strengthening activities through the Supporting National Action Planning (SNAP) Initiative aiming to sustainably increase human and technical capacity for SLCP and climate change mitigation, to improve planning and coordination on mitigation activities, and to increase commitment among national stakeholders.

A National SLCP Unit was established within the Climate and Environment division of MLESD, including a dedicated project coordinator, technical and financial assistants, and a national coordinator. A series of consultative and awareness-raising meetings were also organized with NGOs, civil society, and relevant ministries, departments and agencies on the impact of black carbon and other SLCPs, as well as possible pathways for mitigation. Sectoral data was also gathered from relevant government institutions and NGOs to be able to begin the development of a national emission inventory.

In January of 2018, a workshop was held by MLESD in Cotonou for the purpose of engaging stakeholders, gathering additional information and data required for black carbon inventory development, solidifying the roles of stakeholders for project implementation, and receiving recommendations for improving the institutional frameworks necessary for SLCP mitigation actions proposed. As a result of these efforts, the National Report on Short-Lived Climate Pollutants was published in 2019, outlining the results of emission inventory assessments for the year 2015, identifying the main sources of emissions, as well as priority sectors for the mitigation of SLCPs. The main emission sources identified were black carbon and methane, derived primarily from the agriculture, forestry and land-use, and household energy sectors.

Phase II – NDC Update Support – Ongoing

Benin continues to work with the CCAC based on previous findings to develop priority mitigation measures that can be included in the country’s revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). This work is being done in collaboration with the World Bank, IRENA, UNEP, and GIZ, seeking to develop greenhouse gas and SLCP mitigation measures that will have co-benefits for health, collect greenhouse gas inventory data more broadly, and finalize a black carbon inventory. A workplan has been developed, and a consultant will be recruited by the CCAC's SNAP initiative to support the following activities:

Set up the project and define linkages to other climate change planning processes
Build capacity of national experts to conduct and sustain greenhouse gas mitigation analysis
Develop greenhouse gas and SLCP emission inventory and mitigation assessment covering all economic sectors
Finalise the greenhouse gas and SLCP analysis with the help of SEI through consultations with national stakeholders and the finalization of the selection for mitigation options to be included in Benin’s NDC.

Why we're doing this work

The West African nation of Benin is increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, from rising temperatures, to changing rainfall patterns, and rising sea levels. At the same time, levels of atmospheric air pollution are on the rise, especially in x;urban centers and rural populations that rely on solid biomass such as wood for cooking. Posing a threat to the health and livelihoods of a population of over 11.5 million people, this pollution is largely derived from rapidly increasing commercial and industrial development, poor urban transportation infrastructure, a significant increase in unregulated motorbikes, and the use of low-quality oil products. These impacts are likely to increase with projected rapid population growth.