E3G

“Space Race” level of investment needed in low carbon technology within the next decade

By Shane Tomlinson, Pelin Zorlu and Claire Langley

Negotiators in Poznań need to set a clear agenda that enables a broader and more urgent focus on innovation to:

strengthen the capacity of developing countries to innovate themselves in response the unique challenges they will face;

create mechanisms to properly discuss and further Intellectual Property Rights debates on low carbon technology development and sharing;

agree what role the UNFCCC or other international bodies will play to enable faster technology development and deployment and what funding mechanisms can be used to encourage these developments.

We need a Technology Development Objective at the heart of the Copenhagen Deal to ensure we deliver the right scale and speed of action,” Tomlinson said.

The report also highlights the need for rapid deployment of innovation climate solutions in both developed and developing countries and calls for a shift in the emphasis on technology transfer discussions.

Tomlinson explained: The current debate has a very narrow focus in terms of the transfer of technologies from the developed to the developing world. Developing countries don’t just need technological ‘hand outs’ they need scope and support to develop their own innovative capacity to adapt existing technologies to their specific market and climatic needs, cover orphan areas of research and enable the uptake of new disruptive innovations.”

The E3G-Chatham House report argues that:
1. Faster and broader innovation is critical for delivering climate security while preserving energy security;

2. Current innovation programmes are not adequate to manage the risk of potential policy and technology failures and higher ranges of climate sensitivity;

3. Developed countries need to shift their national strategic innovation priorities if international co-operation is to be effective;

4. Developing countries require support to build effective innovation systems and not just narrow technology transfer;

5. Delivering innovation faster and to scale requires the creation of strong new markets for innovative low carbon products and a diversity of cooperation initiatives;

6. A failure to constructively tackle IPR and competitiveness issues will limit the pace of innovation and diffusion and potentially poison the international climate negotiations.

Ends

Editor’s Notes:

1. E3G is an independent, non-profit European organisation operating in the public interest to accelerate the global transition to sustainable development. E3G builds cross-sectoral coalitions to achieve carefully defined outcomes, chosen for their capacity to leverage change. E3G works closely with like-minded partners in government, politics, business, civil society, science, the media, public interest foundations and elsewhere. More information is available at http://www.e3g.org

2. Chatham House, Chatham House has been the home of the Royal Institute of International Affairs for over eight decades. Our mission is to be a world-leading source of independent analysis, informed debate and influential ideas on how to build a prosperous and secure world for all. http://www.chathamhouse.org.uk

3. Innovation and Technology Transfer is a new report from E3G, in conjunction with Chatham House, as part of their programme of work on Climate Change and Energy. The Executive Summary and full report can be downloaded as a pdf from the E3G website: http://www.e3g.org

Further information and to secure interviews with the report authors, contact E3G’s media relations team: Anita Neville, m: +44 (0) 7795 157 811.