The concept of Climate Innovation Centres can greatly help developing countries meet the development, climate and energy challenges they face, researchers from the UK's Carbon Trust and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) argue.
A joint paper - which builds on earlier work and will appear in the November issue of Natural Resources Forum: A United Nations Sustainable Development Journal - calls for a shift of focus from the 'transfer' of technologies from rich to developing nations.
Instead it makes the case for a global network of Climate Innovation Centres located in developing countries to accelerate the deployment of new technologies through research, product development, adaptation, testing and demonstration.
This proposal has been introduced in the UNFCCC climate negotiations by the Indian government and has received the support of the UK and other governments.
One of the authors of the paper - Ambuj Sagar - has worked closely with the Indian government on the Climate Innovation Centre concept and the Carbon Trust has been working with the UK Government to test the idea and contribute its experience of low carbon innovation in the UK.
The centres could be funded by public-private partnership between the international community, host governments and the private sector and would focus on technologies that meet the specific needs of developing countries. They would offer opportunities and mechanisms for global businesses and local entrepreneurs to help address both climate and development challenges and participate in potentially significant markets.
While further research is needed, the paper's authors suggest that an initial investment of $2.5bn over five years could fund five regional centres and leverage up to $25bn in private sector assets.
The concept of "transferring" low-carbon technologies from rich countries to developing nations, which has been the standard approach in the climate discussions, has not proved to be productive. Climate Innovation Centres are expected to be more successful in leveraging technologies and overcoming barriers.
Cath Bremner, Head of International Development at the Carbon Trust and co-author of the paper, said a new answer is needed that builds local expertise and capacity in the developing world.
"The intellectual property landscape in climate change is complex but even if licenses are granted by companies through technology transfer, many developing countries lack the skills and capital to reproduce them effectively.
“These centres need to do more than just R&D, they need to help create enterprise at a local level. They will also encourage both private and public sector partnerships to accelerate the development and deployment of climate friendly technologies,' she said.
"Through Climate Innovation Centres we would create collaborations between countries so that companies with new climate change solutions receive support to develop and test their technologies to meet the local needs."
Regional control would ensure the centres focus on technologies targeted at local climate change needs such as the development of cleaner cooking stoves in India or the advancement of solar technology in Saharan Africa.
Programmes could also include interest free loans to deploy energy efficient light bulbs rapidly, the demonstration of potential for electric cars or the creation of drought-resistant crops.
Collaboration between centres would accelerate the development of technologies with global applications. For example, scientists in Cambridge researching algae-based biofuels might work with counterparts in Brazil where the science can be tested in more suitable weather conditions.
Lead author Ambuj Sagar, of the Indian Institute of Technology, said: "Finding ways to tackle the climate problem is clearly a shared, global mission, but we must also help developing countries meet their sustainable development challenges at the same time.
“Climate Innovation Centres would emphasize co-operation in innovation, driven by local needs and based on a textured understanding of how technology is developed and deployed.
“They could go a long way towards enabling and accelerating the use of new technologies in developing countries to meet both climate and development goals.”
Gareth Thomas, UK International Development Minister, added:"Developing countries have the potential to be at the forefront of the green technology revolution which will be vital in cutting global carbon emissions.
“The business opportunities these technologies create could also provide a route out of poverty for some of the world's poorest people. By working together we stand a far greater chance of developing the technologies that can usher in a low carbon future quickly and effectively.
“That's why the UK Government is working with the Carbon Trust and InfoDev to explore the concept of climate innovation centres in developing countries."
ramesh Moliya, mumbai around 8 months, 1 week ago