Climate technology transfer at the local, national and global levels : analyzing the relationships between multi-level structures

Abstract

This thesis examines the relationships between multi-leveled decision structures for climate technology transfer through an analysis of top-down macro-policy and bottom-up micro-implementation. It examines how international climate technology transfer policy under the UNFCCC filters down to the national policies that govern the micro entities, such as firms and companies. Similarly, the thesis examines how climate technology transfer practices at the firm level are reflected in national strategies and molded by international climate policies. Specifically, the thesis addresses the research question: what is the relationship between firm practices, national policies, and internatinoal discourses for climate technology transfer, and if there is a disjunction, then why? In order to analyze these relationships, the thesis locates technology transfer as a response to climate change at the interface between three factors: (1) technology transfer issues that have always been at the forefront of the global climate change debate (2) the objective of technology transfer for achieving low-carbon climate resilient national socio-economic development aspirations and (3) the effectiveness of technology transfer at the firm level in decreasing GHG emissions. The thesis concludes by addressing the research question of whether the three levels (international, national and local) are more weakly coupled than is needed for effective climate technology transfer. The loose interconnections between the three levels in the intense interplay of top-down and bottom-up processes have resulted in a mixture of coherent and incoherent relationships between the three levels. Results from combining top-down macro-policy analysis (mainly in Chapters 4 and 5) with bottom-up micro-implementation analysis (mainly in Chapter 6) reveal the existence of the different level of coherence between the multi-leveled decision structures for climate technology transfer. The research shows that there is a relatively sound accord between international climate technology transfer discourses under the UNFCCC and national technology transfer policy. There is also good congruity between national policy and firm-level climate technology transfer practices. However, there is a clear disjunction between the international and local level.