The role of innovation systems in negotiating and implementing climate change decisions in Africa is increasingly receiving attention among researchers and policy makers. For the first time in climate change negotiation history, the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) to the UNFCCC recently launched a work stream on “strengthening innovation systems (IS) for climate technology transfer (TT) and development”. This represents a significant opportunity for African countries to leverage support via the UNFCCC and other development agencies to strengthen their capabilities around climate technologies in ways that will underpin effective design, lobby for and implement technological decisions that resonate with Africa’s circumstances, long term economic growth and overall resilience of the African people.
In March 2016, the Africa Sustainability Hub (ASH) convened a training workshop, on building innovation systems for climate change response. The workshop brought together key government policy makers on climate change drawn from the East African region – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Rwanda – to learn and discuss about prospects, opportunities and challenges for establishing effective innovation systems. Participants also included researchers, development partners, civil society, private sector and the media. Drawn from different backgrounds and understanding, participants provided insights on the importance of building innovation systems to enhance climate change technology transfer. In the context of these debates, a critical perspective on the ways different people, especially policy makers and development partners, view and think about innovation systems emerged.