1 / 18

Enabling environments for technology transfer: ‘some food for thought’

Enabling environments for technology transfer: ‘some food for thought’. Bernard MAZIJN President/Visiting Professor Centre for Sustainable Development (Ghent University). Contents … in relation to technology transfer. Short overview of the history Decade of sustainable development

samson
Download Presentation

Enabling environments for technology transfer: ‘some food for thought’

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Enabling environmentsfor technology transfer:‘some food for thought’ Bernard MAZIJN President/Visiting Professor Centre for Sustainable Development (Ghent University)

  2. Contents … in relation to technology transfer • Short overview of the history • Decade of sustainable development • Recent initiative within the European Union • Different points for further discussion

  3. But at first …let there be no misunderstanding • There is a full appreciation for the work of IPCC on technology transfer • There should be a broad participation of all the stakeholders • There is a big support for the work of UNFCCC on technology transfer

  4. Short overview of the history of technology transfer

  5. Three different periods • Phase IDuring the ’70 the Declaration on the establishment of the NIEO launched the debate about the transfer of technology. • Phase IIDuring the ’80 UNCTAD played an important role in heading for an international code of conduct for the transfer of technology. • Phase IIIDuring the ’90 transfer of technology was regarded as being essential for development as well as in general terms as well as in specific multilateral agreements.

  6. Technology transfer in the decade of sustainable development

  7. UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992) “… there is a need for favourable access to and transfer of environmentally sound technologies, in particular to developing countries …” • Agenda 21 - Chapter 34 and other chapters • Climate Change - Biological Diversity - Desertification

  8. WSSD (Johannesburg, 2002) “… As a result of globalisation, external factors have become critical in determining the success or failure of developing countries in their national efforts. … the continuous need for a dynamic and enabling international economic environment supportive of international co-operation, particularly in the areas of … technology transfer.”

  9. Plan of Implementation (Johannesburg, 2002) • ‘transfer of EST’s’ is mentioned 30 times, • only once in relation to climate change; • several times in relation to ‘Changing unsustainable patterns of consumption and production’; • explicitly in relation to Chapter 34; • ‘enabling environments’ is mentioned once …in the part on ‘poverty reduction’

  10. Recent initiative within the European Union on EST’s

  11. Context • EU Strategy of … • Lisbon for a competitive, dynamic and inclusive Europe; • Göteborg for a sustainable Europe. • EU 6th Environment Action Programme • From the Commission … • Report on ‘Environmental technology for Sustainable Development’ – COM(2002) 122 final; • Communication on ‘Developing an action plan for environmental technology’ - COM(2003) 131 final

  12. Content • Focus on 4 environmental issues: • climate change • sustainable production and consumption • water • soil protection • cross-cutting enabling technologies (ICT, GPS, …) • Identification of 4 categories of barriers: • technical barriers • regulatory barriers • economic barriers • social barriers

  13. Improving the Diffusion of New Solutions Despite the main focus is on technology transfer within the EU and with the Candidate Countries, there is a vast part on “Global technology transfer”, “Identifying ways of improving the diffusion of cost- effective environmental technologies outside the EU, and in particular water and renewable technologies in line with the agreement at Johannesburg. Ways to improve partnerships with developing countries including with the support of existing public funds and mechanisms …”

  14. Different points for further discussion

  15. A common ground for the removal of barriers Not only from the environmental point of view, one can conclude that there is a common ground for Annex I and Non-Annex I Parties to eliminate barriers and stimulate opportunities in enabling environments.

  16. A push for a follow-up on a meta-level Enabling environments for technology transfer is a cross-cutting issue. The political, institutional, technological, economical, social, … barriers doesn’t hinder only the technology transfer in the UNFCCC process. There is a need for synergy - not only with the other conventions - but also with other processes at a meta-level.

  17. A need for selectivity in further action EGTT (and UNFCCC) will need to be selective in further action. On the one hand we should stimulate in an active way the initiatives looking for synergies, on the other hand we should focus on specific climate change related issues.

  18. Centre for Sustainable Development Ghent University Poel 16 B-9000 Ghent Tel. 32 9 264 82 10 Fax 32 9 264 83 90 Email: cdo@rug.ac.be Website : http://cdonet.rug.ac.be

More Related