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Low emissions technology under threat
IPA REVIEW ARTICLE
At the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting hosted in Bali last December, NGOs were falling over themselves to have their favourite causes included in the proceedings. NGOs have successfully ticketed climate change as the cause celebre of ‘social justice' activism; and are using it to advance many of their traditional unpopular agendas.
The agenda that stood out the least, but may have one of the biggest effects on reducing global carbon dioxide emissions, was a campaign against intellectual property (IP) for mitigation technologies. The campaign is being run by developing country bureaucrats influenced by NGOs that want to undermine patents.
The push is principally being driven by the head of the Malaysian-based NGO Third World Network. This NGO has a long history of working with developing country officials to influence their policy positions and get their agendas onto the negotiating table. They appear to be succeeding.
In a side event at Bali the Nigerian environment minister spoke out against IP as a ‘barrier' for developing countries to access the technology to reduce carbon emissions.
But the minister was scant on detail. When asked what action should be taken to address this barrier, the minister couldn't articulate how IP was a barrier or what action the international community be taking.
Despite the inadequacy of their case, even the United Nations is pursuing this anti IP message.
At the same side event the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs released a paper arguing for ‘tiered pricing' of emission technologies. Tiered pricing currently exists in pharmaceuticals where companies sell medicines at substantially lower prices in developing countries to ensure accessibility.
The debate is taking on a familiar tone. The anti-IP debate on pharmaceuticals started similarly and ultimately resulted in compulsory licensing and parallel importation of medicines. Investors in low emissions technology should be wary.