The Dual SAC Effect

The SCO is a project accelerator implemented by local or national SCO offices so as to work as closely as possible with the regions, at the right level and with the right number of project participants. Creating a local SCO therefore requires a positive convergence of the local political agenda and the presence of corporate, scientific and economic stakeholders involved in climate change impact issues.

While the first international call for projects received nearly 40 responses, most of them lacked maturity and/or did not sufficiently include the SCO criteria (specifically meet a need, develop into an operational tool in 18 to 24 months, allow duplication in other regions, etc.). At the 5th International Steering Committee meeting, a proposal was made to kill two birds with one stone: create acceleration committees (SACs) to advance certain projects to certification while starting to structure local/national SCOs, led by the corresponding signatory countries.

These SACs are intended to welcome some SCO International representatives, including those with a special relationship with the country in question (e.g. the France SCO with the Gabon SAC), to provide advice, or specialists for certain issues, all under the responsibility of the coordinating country. Stand-alone projects may receive specific support from the certification committee, but when they are close to the geographical area of an SCO member, they may join the corresponding pool of SAC projects. This is the case for one Guatemalan project that should be taken over by the Mexico SAC.

The day after the 5th Steering Committee meeting, five SACs are already in the starting blocks, in: Morocco, Mexico, India, Gabon and China.