Diffusion Of Clean Technologies Research Articles

Green industrial policy can strengthen carbon pricing but not replace it

Carbon pricing has received prominent support as the key policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, in the context of heightened geopolitical tensions and risks of supply chain disruptions, policy makers are increasingly resorting to green industrial policies to support the deployment of clean energy technologies. This Perspective discusses whether this development represents a paradigm shift in the design of climate policies and assesses arguments for and against carbon pricing and green industrial policies. Our analysis addresses implications for economic efficiency, security of supply, distributional concerns and political economy issues. We find that green industrial policies can support carbon pricing by lowering market barriers for clean technology diffusion and strengthening political support for climate policy. Yet, we also emphasize that a carbon price should be an essential element in any effective climate mitigation policy mix and the key is to find the optimal policy mix for carbon pricing and green industrial policies for the unique context of each location. In the EU, green industrial policy should mainly be employed to complement carbon pricing and deal with additional market barriers. In the US, by contrast, green industrial policy could be used strategically to try to build political support for and reduce resistance to a carbon price.

An evolutionary game for analysis of implementation strategies in inter-regional diffusion of clean technology

Green transition driven by clean technology diffusion attaches importance to sustainable development. Therefore, choosing the optimal strategy in the inter-regional diffusion of clean technology has attracted the attention of local governments. In this regard, developed regions leading the R&D activities of clean technology can choose to fund or not fund diffusion, and developing regions can adopt absorption strategy or substitution strategy as well. An evolutionary game model was developed in this paper to analyze the stable strategies of local governments in the inter-regional diffusion of clean technology. In general, there are four possible stable equilibrium points. The result indicates that a collaboration relationship aiming at technology transfer among regions is likely to be established when developed regions and developing regions gain more from funding diffusion and subsidizing absorption, respectively. Especially, an increase of incentives from the central government, as well as an increase of cost performing independent clean R&D activities, improves the inter-regional diffusion network. This paper, therefore, provides a mathematical approach to examine the interaction of clean technology diffusion, and sheds light on actor behavior in games of inter-regional coordination.

Planning for clean technology diffusion: Identifying innovation system functions in country technology action plans

Researchers and policymakers have been emphasizing on the importance of accelerating clean energy technology diffusion across developing world facing low technology penetration rates and other innovation system barriers. Over the years, development cooperation has pivoted towards recipient country capacity building under broadly defined climate-related aid. In the energy sector of aid recipient countries, aid projects are influential in financing deployment of low-carbon technologies as well as policy advice and reforms, mobilizing private investments, network strengthening, and rural electrification support. Future projects and programs in this sector need to be cognizant of recipient country expectations. This study explores the outlook for future projects managing energy transition through targeted interventions. Employing content analysis of Technology Action Plan documents for twenty-five countries, activities under prioritized technologies were matched with indicators corresponding to seven functions of a technological innovation system. Resource mobilization and creation of legitimacy were the functions prioritized by the countries, while the function of entrepreneurial activity received less priority. The innovation system indicators identified in the literature and used in the study are useful measures that can complement design of donor interventions aimed at accelerating adoption & diffusion of energy technologies. These findings could be used to support further development of Nationally Determined Contributions and accelerated deployment of climate mitigation technologies in national strategies and programs for sustainable development.

Intellectual Property and International Clean Technology Diffusion: Pathways and Prospects

AbstractInternational clean technology diffusion is essential to mitigate and adapt to climate change, while fast and optimal diffusion can be prevented by the paywall of patents. This article explores the deficiency in clean technology diffusion caused by the legal fragmentation and rule complex of international environmental law and intellectual property law. It systematically examines three pathways to foster international clean technology diffusion through: restriction of intellectual property, including imposing external restraints in environmental law; striking internal balancing in maximizing TRIPS flexibilities; and keeping the status quo. It argues that treaty pathways may not work, and an operable pathway to promote clean technology diffusion is to maximize and consolidate TRIPS flexibilities in national laws. This option challenges the popular proposal of a “Doha-like” declaration on TRIPS and climate change due to the paralyzed multilateral trade mechanism, asymmetrical negotiation power of developing countries, prolonged negotiation process, and categorization problem in treaty negotiations.

Close the carbon loophole

Close the carbon loophole

Technology Transfer Oriented to Sustainable Development: Barriers and Opportunities

The process of technology transfer is complex and involves a series of factors and variables. Within this process, it is common that transferor and transferee might face several barriers. Furthermore, processes involving innovation and technology transfer must consider the impacts for the sustainable development. Taking these aspects into account, this paper aims to identify the barriers and opportunities in technology transfer oriented to sustainable development. To reach this goal, a systematic review of literature was carried out using the methodology Methodi Ordinatio. A portfolio composed of 107 scientific articles was built. The results demonstrate the main barriers, among which we can mention unavailability of financial resources or subsidies to obtain or implement a certain technology, and bureaucracy to obtain these resources. On the other hand, some opportunities can also be found, like Clean Development Mechanism and policies and regulations that favour the adoption and diffusion of clean technologies. Thus, this paper contributes to the academy by exploring the interconnections of Technology Transfer and Sustainable Development in the literature. This paper also contributes to the presentation of knowledge resources — information regarding barriers and opportunities to technology transfer oriented to sustainable development — so that governments and decision makers could define policies and strategies for a more effective process.

ANALYSIS OF GREEN TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN KAZAKHSTAN

Although Kazakhstan is a fossil fuel rich country, there is a strong desire by policymakers to develop a green and sustainable economy and contribute to the global energy transition. To understand the overall situation in green technology development in industrial sector, we conducted the first countrywide study in Kazakhstan. In this paper, we present the results of the large survey on the use of ‘green technologies’ by industrial companies in every region of the country. We aggregate the 380 reported cases of the use of green technologies by sectors, like energy production, waste management, and some others. We found that the largest number of cases is accumulated in the waste management sector, the smallest, in green building construction. Our work shows that only 266 out of 877 (~30%) industrial organizations in Kazakhstan utilize some form of green technologies. Based on detailed analysis of 141 organizations, Karagandy, East Kazakhstan, Aktobe, and Atyrau regions reported the largest number applications of green technologies among the 17 administrative-territorial units of Kazakhstan. We also discuss barriers to the diffusion of clean technologies. We believe that this work will be of interest to politicians, environmentalists, and practitioners who are concerned about the impacts of global warming.

Supporting Policy Design for the Diffusion of Cleaner Technologies: A Spatial Empirical Agent-Based Model

Renewable energy resources and energy-efficient technologies, as well as building retrofitting, are only some of the possible strategies that can achieve more sustainable cities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Subsidies and incentives are often provided by governments to increase the number of people adopting these sustainable energy efficiency actions. However, actual sales of green products are currently not as high as would be desired. The present paper applies a hybrid agent-based model (ABM) integrated with a Geographic Information System (GIS) to simulate a complex socio-economic-architectural adaptive system to study the temporal diffusion and the willingness of inhabitants to adopt photovoltaic (PV) systems. The San Salvario neighborhood in Turin (Italy) is used as an exemplary case study for testing consumer behavior associated with this technology, integrating social network theories, opinion formation dynamics and an adaptation of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Data/characteristics for both buildings and people are explicitly spatialized with the level of detail at the block scale. Particular attention is given to the comparison of the policy mix for supporting decision-makers and policymakers in the definition of the most efficient strategies for achieving a long-term vision of sustainable development. Both variables and outcomes accuracy of the model are validated with historical real-world data.

The value creation of diffusion intermediaries: Brokering mechanisms and trade-offs in solar and wind power in Sweden

This paper focuses on diffusion-oriented innovation intermediaries (“diffusion intermediaries”), i.e. actors that function as brokers between technology adopters and the providers of resources needed to implement a new technology that is available more or less “off-the-shelf”. It investigates how such actors create value for adopters of new technologies as well as the trade-offs they face. An interview-based, qualitative survey of 14 Swedish consultants and project developers involved in solar PV and wind power reveals that diffusion intermediaries create value mainly through technology transfer and coordination of various actors throughout the planning and implementation of turnkey projects. There is evidence of trade-offs related to value capture as well as between different value dimensions (e.g. between quality control and legitimacy). These findings have important implications for the design of strategies and policies to leverage value creation and handle trade-offs to avoid negative effects on projects, companies, and the overall diffusion of cleaner technologies.

Heterogeneous firms, exports and pigouvian pollution tax: Does the abatement technology matter?

Environmental regulations aim at influencing individual behaviour toward more efficient use of resources and adoption of greener technologies for a sustainable development of globalized economies. This work investigates how and to what extent firms are influenced by an environmental Pigouvian tax on their technology and trade decisions. By using an international trade model with monopolistic competition that accounts for the heterogeneity of firms in terms of productivity, it is theoretically examined the decision of introducing a green technology or keeping a pollutant less advanced technology. If all firms adopt a pollutant technology, the eco-tax lowers emissions through a selection mechanism because the least productive firms are forced to leave the market. By imposing higher compliance costs to active firms, export propensity is negatively influenced as well. When abatement technologies can be adopted, an additional source of pollution reduction is obtained. The environmental tax will positively affect eco-innovation propensity and, indirectly, export propensity. However, since the positive effect will strictly depend on the amount of firm productivity, environmental tax and costs of clean technology, the Pigouvian tax can foster eco-innovation across the largest and most productive firms only. Productivity enhancing policies tailored to firm characteristics, especially size, may be more successful in the diffusion of cleaner technologies across all firms.

Beyond the Paris Agreement: Intellectual Property, Innovation Policy, and Climate Justice

The multidisciplinary field of climate law and justice needs to address the topic of intellectual property, climate finance, and technology transfer to ensure effective global action on climate change. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 1992 (UNFCCC) established a foundation for the development, application and diffusion of low-carbon technologies. Against this background, it is useful to analyse how the Paris Agreement 2015 deals with the subject of intellectual property, technology transfer, and climate change. While there was discussion of a number of options for intellectual property and climate change, the final Paris Agreement 2015 contains no text on intellectual property. There is text, though, on technology transfer. The Paris Agreement 2015 relies upon technology networks and alliances in order to promote the diffusion and dissemination of green technologies. In order to achieve technology transfer, there has been an effort to rely on a number of formal technology networks, alliances, and public–private partnerships—including the UNFCCC Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN); the World Intellectual Property Organization’s WIPO GREEN; Mission Innovation; the Breakthrough Energy Coalition; and the International Solar Alliance. There have been grand hopes and ambitions in respect of these collaborative and co-operative ventures. However, there have also been significant challenges in terms of funding, support, and operation. In a case of innovation policy pluralism, there also seems to be a significant level of overlap and duplication between the diverse international initiatives. There have been concerns about whether such technology networks are effective, efficient, adaptable, and accountable. There is a need to better align intellectual property, innovation policy, and technology transfer in order to achieve access to clean energy and climate justice under the framework of the Paris Agreement 2015. At a conceptual level, philosophical discussions about climate justice should be grounded in pragmatic considerations about intellectual property and technology transfer. An intellectual property mechanism is necessary to provide for research, development, and deployment of clean technologies. There is a need to ensure that the technology mechanism of the Paris Agreement 2015 can enable the research, development, and diffusion of clean technologies at a scale to address the global challenges of climate change.

The light at the end of the tunnel: Impact of policy on the global diffusion of fluorescent lamps

What are the determinants of policy choice, and how effective are policies in facilitating the diffusion of clean technologies to developing countries? To answer this question, I create a novel dataset on the adoption of policies to incentivise the diffusion of compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) in 72 low and middle-income countries spanning 1993–2013. The empirical model uses the instrumental variable two-stage least squares (IV-2SLS) methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of policies such as information provision, CFL subsidies and banning the use of incandescent bulbs (IB), and analyses the factors that increase the likelihood of adopting these policies. Results suggest that information provision has had a positive effect on CFL diffusion, while subsidies have had an insignificant effect on diffusion across many countries, and a negative effect in some. The ban on IB is found to not affect CFL diffusion, which attests to the importance of effectiveness in policy implementation. In addition, more effective governments are more likely to provide information, and less likely to subsidise CFL. The results of this paper have important policy implications, given that little is known about how policies work in developing countries, where the greatest potential for cheap emissions abatement lies.

A clean energy assessment of early adopters in electric vehicle and solar photovoltaic technology: Geospatial, political and socio-demographic trends in New York

We studied electric vehicles and solar photovoltaic technology diffusion in the State of New York to shed light on the attributes of early adopters of clean energy. Using geospatial, regression, and cluster analyses of zip code level and county indicators, we analyzed trends with locational, political and socio-demographic profiles to identify areas of convergence and divergence in adoption patterns. In line with elements of the literature, we confirmed the importance of income and median home value for a relatively under-studied region in early-staged, electric vehicle and solar photovoltaic technology adoption. We also found that political orientation and age tendencies are more nuanced and less predictive. However, we noted key, adoptive tendencies among those aged 30-44 and above 59 for solar photovoltaics. Moreover, southeastern counties near New York City, particularly on Long Island, are identified as critical niches in the early-staged diffusion of clean energy. This study highlights observed tendencies from diverse methodological approaches in clean technology diffusion, providing a basis for a fuller set of technology and policy studies for New York or similarly-focused regions.

Where Diffusion of Clean Technologies and Barriers to Innovation Clash: Application to the Global Diffusion of the Electrical Arc Furnace

This paper analyses the role of barriers preventing the worldwide take-up of a clean technology: the electrical arc furnace. It also identifies which barriers affect a parameter that summarises the combined effect of all of them. The first step, determination of the combined effect of the barriers, is carried out using a novel approach to model the diffusion of innovations. This new approach is composed only by terms that account for the driver of innovations and the parameter that summarises the effect of barriers. The objective quantification of the effect of barriers in the diffusion of innovations opens up new opportunities for designing policies to overcome the barriers identified as the most relevant, for identifying the effect of existing policies, for relating innovation indicators with those barriers or for better incorporating the effect of barriers in bottom-up models that forecast the technological evolution of the economy.

Climate change and intellectual property rights in Africa: Environmental necessity-economic opportunity

Promoting the development of clean technologies is critical in achieving a low-carbon economy in Africa. The objective of this paper is to shed more light on the role of IPRs in the efforts to mitigate climate change in Africa. This paper argues that the existing IP regime, specifically the patent system, does not necessarily preclude African countries from developing clean technologies that meet world standards. However, African countries lack capacities to adapt, develop, deploy and operate high low-carbon technologies which can give them competitive advantage in the global market. This article proposes that African countries should create an institutional set-up by which innovative strategies can easily be shared to accelerate and facilitate the development and diffusion of clean technologies. The paper concludes that unless African countries adopt appropriate policy mix to stimulate technological catch-up with rest of world in the area of clean technology development and diffusion, they will continue to lag behind and face deepening marginalization in the global economy, irrespective of the IP system regime.

Understanding international trade network complexity of platinum: The case of Japan

In recent decades, platinum-group metals have become increasingly important to the development and diffusion of cleaner technologies being developed to achieve a “low carbon” society. Countries engaged in the development and diffusion of new energy technologies are concerned about steadily importing scarce rare metals. Nevertheless, the question of what kind of competitive relationships exist among demand countries is not well addressed. This study focused on platinum primary product used to produce greener products like next-generation vehicles and analyzed the international trade network complexity of the platinum primary product using the clustering method. From the results, we found that (1) there exit well-separated nine trade clusters (i.e., trade networks with higher exchanges) in the international trade network of 2005, (2) the group including South Africa and the group consisting of Western countries together account for approximately half the total international trade flow in platinum primary products, and (3) international coordination of purchases and sales of platinum among relevant trade partners in the identified largest cluster: South Africa, Russia, Japan, China, Hong Kong, and Switzerland is crucial in securing the stable supply and demand for platinum.

Assessing emissions–mitigation energy policy under integrated supply and demand analysis: the Colombian case

The effects of greenhouse gases on climate variation set policy challenges for the energy industry – the largest greenhouse gas contributor globally. In this context, the energy industry is being subjected to reforms focussing on the environment, internalisation of emission costs and the promotion of cleaner technologies. To overcome the challenges posed by the emission of greenhouse gases, governments have implemented mitigation policies in the power supply industries. Most policy instruments include either financial incentives or goals and standards; and these generate impacts on electricity prices and consumer behaviour. This paper models policies' effects on prices and demand, through an integrated demand and supply analysis for the Colombian case. While simulation of carbon taxes shows important reductions of fossil-fuelled power capacity, a feed-in tariff policy promotes clean technologies, though not significantly reducing use of fossil technologies. When applied simultaneously, policy has a greater impact on both emission reductions and the diffusion of clean technologies, while only increasing electricity prices slightly. Even when price-elasticity of demand is low, such policies may have a significant effect on the penetration of renewables and emissions. Furthermore, this structured modelling of policy helps explain how the ultimate intended goal – sustainable emissions reduction – might be achieved.

Re-exploring the Trade and Environment Nexus Through the Diffusion of Pollution

Some scholars argue that trade liberalization results in the ‘outsourcing’ of pollution to pollution havens, and this may explain the existence of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) in industrialized countries. Others claim that trade liberalization effectively lessens pollution by allowing a more efficient use of resources and the diffusion of clean technologies. In part because these theories generate similar predictions for industrialized countries, empirical studies have not provided conclusive evidence for either argument. To identify the role of trade, I draw on the insights of the diffusion literature and estimate a spatial regression model where trade operates as the mechanism through which pollution shifts from country to country. Using the case of per-capita carbon dioxide \((\hbox {CO}_2)\) emissions, I find that once spatial correlation is accounted for, the EKC disappears. The effect is even stronger when looking at trade from developing countries only, providing support for the pollution haven hypothesis. I also show that the \(\hbox {CO}_2\) trajectory of developing countries goes above the one previously followed by industrialized countries. This suggests that developing countries carry on an additional carbon burden above the one that would be obtained in the absence of trade. These findings contribute to the literature on the non-economic effects of trade and the constraints of domestic policies when the costs of trade are low.

Significant steps in ship recycling vis-a-vis wastes generated in a cluster of yards in Alang: a case study

Abstract Dismantling and recycling of end-of-life vessels in the so-called environmentally friendly manner has been a major challenge faced by ship owners, ship dismantling yard owners as well as government agencies worldwide today. On one-hand, this paper intends to provide the knowledge-base needed by individual yard owners for planning their short term and long term activities. On the other hand it is hoped that this paper will serve as an essential part of the management information system which will help in governance of cluster of ship dismantling yards. The emission factors estimated in this study using field sample survey of 241 ships dismantled during 2011–2013 in the cluster at Alang Port could be put to use while predicting the quantities of wastes generated from dismantling of six types of ships (bulk carrier, general cargo, container, refrigerator and passenger) which further can be used in preparing environmental management plan to handle the same. The % ships and % cumulative LDT of ships in a given category could also be predicted for the cluster using the validated results reported in this study. Finally, on the basis of primary data collected from over 100 yards in Alang Port and with the help of face-to-face interactions with several field personnel; a “typical ship dismantling and recycling procedure” was articulated. It is argued that the in-depth understanding of the prevailing “know-how” alone can help in development and diffusion of cleaner technologies for benefit of this sector and facilitate in instituting the integrated waste management system that will eventually ensure safe and environmentally friendly ship recycling - especially in the context of “Ship Recycling Regulation” recently passed by the European Parliament as well as the draft of “Hong Kong Convention”, being negotiated at the International Maritime Organization.

On Licensing and Diffusion of Clean Technologies in Oligopoly

Clean technologies implemented by polluters subject to environmental regulation are often developed and patented by specialized technology suppliers. This paper investigates the impact of the environmental regulation stringency on the diffusion of patented clean technologies when the polluters (i.e. the potential licensees) compete in imperfectly competitive markets. We show that the polluters' willingness to pay for clean technology and the diffusion of such technology (i.e. the extent to which it is privately disseminated through licensing) depend not only on the regulatory stringency and the technological efficiency, but also on the polluters' competitive environments. More stringent regulations (e.g., higher carbon taxes) or increased technological efficiency (e.g., supported by more R&D subsidies) do not necessarily induce more diffusion of efficient clean technologies. Indeed, as the returns to implementing a clean technology increase, so do the technology supplier's incentives to sell fewer licenses so as to extract more rent from each of its licensees.