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Project country: Ecuador

Sector: Low-carbon policy

Expert Partners: The Carbon Trust, DESNZ

This skill-share was designed to support the Ministry for the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition as they develop a long-term policy for the transition to decarbonisation. Through capacity building and knowledge sharing, the skill-share’s main objectives were to equip partners with the tools and know-how to manage the Economic Analysis associated with the process of decarbonisation and embed considerations for a Just and Inclusive Transition.  

Requested by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition, the initiative to support the development of Ecuador’s first long-term policy for the transition to decarbonisation is part of national efforts to comply with the UNFCCC. The policy seeks to establish models and simulations of how Ecuador should move to reduce its emissions in five sectors: energy (incl. transport), agriculture, land use, waste management and industrial processes. 

As this was the first time a policy of this kind was being developed, Ecuadorian partners viewed it as an opportunity to build the technical capacities of the civil servants involved in the process and more generally upgrade their knowledge of current climate change concepts and challenges. Through the skill-share, key exchanges in learning could be achieved between the UK government and their Ecuadorian counterparts. The skill-share would build on the ongoing efforts of government officials to develop a National Decarbonisation Model. 

The key focus of activities was the delivery of technical workshops covering a variety of important topics including: 

• Economic analysis for decarbonisation policy making  
• How to embed considerations for a Just and Inclusive Transition into climate and decarbonisation policies 

The UK Government also presented an overview of the Net Zero Strategy, Climate Legislation and broader Climate Governance Frameworks to provide broader context before the technical workshops. 

Key Actions: 

• The expert team worked together with the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecologic Transition to define a tailored approach to content and delivery of capacity building
• Local context was taken into account when considering relevant material and a variety of examples across countries and regions with similar experiences and challenges incorporated into materials
• An in-person element was built into the skill-share, with the experts delivering workshops  in Quito. This encouraged engagement, built relationships and allowed for an exchange of knowledge between experts and counterparts

Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) was incorporated into the content of capacity sharing sessions and highlighted as a fundamental aspect of just transitions and therefore net zero planning and climate policy. Experts sought to include case studies and examples of best practise in developing climate strategies and governance mechanisms for achieving just transitions.  

 

 

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• As an outcome of this skill-share, the skills and capacity of civil servants in the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecologic Transition have been built to: 
  
  • Use prospective models in mitigation policy and understand climate mitigation concepts 
  • Better understand Just Transitions definitions, principles, frameworks and approaches, including of governance structures and strategies, with a strengthened ability to analyse pros and cons of different approaches 
    
• In the longer term, technical teams will be able to use their knowledge to develop climate policies and use decarbonisation models. This will lead to a more sustainable country and the fulfilment of climate change goals