IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v156y2021ics0301421521003402.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

International collaborations in green energy technologies: What is the role of distance in environmental policy stringency?

Author

Listed:
  • Corrocher, Nicoletta
  • Mancusi, Maria Luisa

Abstract

This paper investigates the intensity of international collaborations in energy-related technologies across OECD and BRIICS countries, by disentangling the role of the distance in environmental policy stringency between countries, controlling for the more traditional measures of technological, social, institutional and geographical distance. In doing so, it distinguishes between the stringency in demand-pull and the stringency in technology-push policy instruments. The analysis relies upon an original dataset, with data on patents and co-patents in climate change and mitigation technologies over the period 1995–2014, with a focus on technologies related to energy generation, transmission or distribution. The results show that the distance in the stringency of environmental policy between countries hinders the intensity of technological collaborations in energy-related technologies and this occurs specifically with reference to demand-pull policy instruments. We also find that while the availability of local technological capabilities positively affects the intensity of international collaborations, if two countries are distant in terms of technological development, the co-patenting activity is hindered. Finally, BRIICS countries display a lower ability to participate in international co-patenting activity, particularly so in collaboration with other BRIICS countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Corrocher, Nicoletta & Mancusi, Maria Luisa, 2021. "International collaborations in green energy technologies: What is the role of distance in environmental policy stringency?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:156:y:2021:i:c:s0301421521003402
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112470
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421521003402
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2021.112470?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mariana Mazzucato, 2018. "Mission-oriented innovation policies: challenges and opportunities," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 27(5), pages 803-815.
    2. Stefan Ambec & Mark A. Cohen & Stewart Elgie & Paul Lanoie, 2013. "The Porter Hypothesis at 20: Can Environmental Regulation Enhance Innovation and Competitiveness?," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 7(1), pages 2-22, January.
    3. Ghisetti, Claudia, 2017. "Demand-pull and environmental innovations: Estimating the effects of innovative public procurement," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 178-187.
    4. Grazia Cecere & Nicoletta Corrocher, 2015. "The Intensity of Interregional Cooperation in Information and Communication Technology Projects: An Empirical Analysis of the Framework Programme," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(2), pages 204-218, February.
    5. Arik Levinson & M. Scott Taylor, 2008. "Unmasking The Pollution Haven Effect," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 49(1), pages 223-254, February.
    6. Arik Levinson, 2010. "Offshoring Pollution: Is the United States Increasingly Importing Polluting Goods?," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 4(1), pages 63-83, Winter.
    7. Brian Chi-ang Lin & Siqi Zheng & Nicolò Barbieri & Claudia Ghisetti & Marianna Gilli & Giovanni Marin & Francesco Nicolli, 2016. "A Survey Of The Literature On Environmental Innovation Based On Main Path Analysis," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 596-623, July.
    8. Beise, Marian & Rennings, Klaus, 2005. "Lead markets and regulation: a framework for analyzing the international diffusion of environmental innovations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 5-17, January.
    9. Antoine Dechezleprêtre & Misato Sato, 2017. "The Impacts of Environmental Regulations on Competitiveness," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 11(2), pages 183-206.
    10. Guellec, Dominique & Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, Bruno v., 2001. "The internationalisation of technology analysed with patent data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 30(8), pages 1253-1266, October.
    11. Josh Ederington & Jenny Minier, 2003. "Is environmental policy a secondary trade barrier? An empirical analysis," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 36(1), pages 137-154, February.
    12. Montobbio, Fabio & Sterzi, Valerio, 2013. "The Globalization of Technology in Emerging Markets: A Gravity Model on the Determinants of International Patent Collaborations," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 281-299.
    13. Nick Johnstone & Ivan Haščič & David Popp, 2010. "Renewable Energy Policies and Technological Innovation: Evidence Based on Patent Counts," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 45(1), pages 133-155, January.
    14. Cecere, Grazia & Corrocher, Nicoletta & Gossart, Cédric & Ozman, Muge, 2014. "Technological pervasiveness and variety of innovators in Green ICT: A patent-based analysis," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(10), pages 1827-1839.
    15. Kesidou, Effie & Wu, Lichao, 2020. "Stringency of environmental regulation and eco-innovation: Evidence from the eleventh Five-Year Plan and green patents," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    16. Riccardo Cappelli & Fabio Montobbio, 2020. "Geographical distance puzzle in patent citations: intensive versus extensive margins," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(10), pages 771-777, June.
    17. Popp, David & Newell, Richard, 2012. "Where does energy R&D come from? Examining crowding out from energy R&D," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 980-991.
    18. Rennings, Klaus, 2000. "Redefining innovation -- eco-innovation research and the contribution from ecological economics," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 319-332, February.
    19. Ulrich Wagner & Christopher Timmins, 2009. "Agglomeration Effects in Foreign Direct Investment and the Pollution Haven Hypothesis," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 43(2), pages 231-256, June.
    20. Claudia Ghisetti & Susanna Mancinelli & Massimiliano Mazzanti & Mariangela Zoli, 2017. "Financial barriers and environmental innovations: evidence from EU manufacturing firms," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(0), pages 131-147, June.
    21. Giovanni Marin & Antonello Zanfei, 2019. "Does host market regulation induce cross‐border environmental innovation?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(7), pages 2089-2119, July.
    22. Conti, C. & Mancusi, M.L. & Sanna-Randaccio, F. & Sestini, R. & Verdolini, E., 2018. "Transition towards a green economy in Europe: Innovation and knowledge integration in the renewable energy sector," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(10), pages 1996-2009.
    23. repec:clg:wpaper:2008-02 is not listed on IDEAS
    24. David Popp, 2003. "Pollution control innovations and the Clean Air Act of 1990," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(4), pages 641-660.
    25. Campi, Mercedes & Dueñas, Marco, 2019. "Intellectual property rights, trade agreements, and international trade," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 531-545.
    26. Yuquing Xing & Charles Kolstad, 2002. "Do Lax Environmental Regulations Attract Foreign Investment?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 21(1), pages 1-22, January.
    27. Ivan Haščič & Mauro Migotto, 2015. "Measuring environmental innovation using patent data," OECD Environment Working Papers 89, OECD Publishing.
    28. Ivan Haščič & Nick Johnstone & Nadja Kahrobaie, 2012. "International Technology Agreements for Climate Change: Analysis Based on Co-Invention Data," OECD Environment Working Papers 42, OECD Publishing.
    29. Picci, Lucio, 2010. "The internationalization of inventive activity: A gravity model using patent data," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(8), pages 1070-1081, October.
    30. Tatoglu, Ekrem & Bayraktar, Erkan & Sahadev, Sunil & Demirbag, Mehmet & Glaister, Keith W., 2014. "Determinants of voluntary environmental management practices by MNE subsidiaries," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 536-548.
    31. Rainer Walz & Matthias Pfaff & Frank Marscheider-Weidemann & Simon Glöser-Chahoud, 2017. "Innovations for reaching the green sustainable development goals –where will they come from?," International Economics and Economic Policy, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 449-480, July.
    32. Hofmann,Claudia & Osnago,Alberto & Ruta,Michele, 2017. "Horizontal depth : a new database on the content of preferential trade agreements," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7981, The World Bank.
    33. Dechezleprêtre, Antoine & Neumayer, Eric & Perkins, Richard, 2015. "Environmental regulation and the cross-border diffusion of new technology: Evidence from automobile patents," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 244-257.
    34. Peters, Michael & Schneider, Malte & Griesshaber, Tobias & Hoffmann, Volker H., 2012. "The impact of technology-push and demand-pull policies on technical change – Does the locus of policies matter?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(8), pages 1296-1308.
    35. Ghisetti, Claudia & Pontoni, Federico, 2015. "Investigating policy and R&D effects on environmental innovation: A meta-analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 57-66.
    36. Veugelers, Reinhilde, 2012. "Which policy instruments to induce clean innovating?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(10), pages 1770-1778.
    37. Fabio Montobbio & Valerio Sterzi, 2013. "The globalization of technology in emerging markets: a gravity model on the determinants of international technological collaborations," Post-Print hal-00779894, HAL.
    38. Fabrizi, Andrea & Guarini, Giulio & Meliciani, Valentina, 2018. "Green patents, regulatory policies and research network policies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(6), pages 1018-1031.
    39. Elena Verdolini & Valentina Bosetti, 2017. "Environmental Policy and the International Diffusion of Cleaner Energy Technologies," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 66(3), pages 497-536, March.
    40. Adam Jaffe & Richard Newell & Robert Stavins, 2002. "Environmental Policy and Technological Change," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 22(1), pages 41-70, June.
    41. Thomas Scherngell & Michael Barber, 2011. "Distinct spatial characteristics of industrial and public research collaborations: evidence from the fifth EU Framework Programme," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 46(2), pages 247-266, April.
    42. Michael E. Porter & Claas van der Linde, 1995. "Toward a New Conception of the Environment-Competitiveness Relationship," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 9(4), pages 97-118, Fall.
    43. Requate, Till & Unold, Wolfram, 2003. "Environmental policy incentives to adopt advanced abatement technology:: Will the true ranking please stand up?," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 125-146, February.
    44. Requate, Till, 2005. "Dynamic incentives by environmental policy instruments--a survey," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(2-3), pages 175-195, August.
    45. Kellenberg, Derek K., 2009. "An empirical investigation of the pollution haven effect with strategic environment and trade policy," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(2), pages 242-255, July.
    46. Rafael Lata & Sidonia Proff & Thomas Brenner, 2018. "The influence of distance types on co-patenting and co-publishing in the USA and Europe over time," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 61(1), pages 49-71, July.
    47. Noailly, Joëlle & Ryfisch, David, 2015. "Multinational firms and the internationalization of green R&D: A review of the evidence and policy implications," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 218-228.
    48. Olmos, Luis & Ruester, Sophia & Liong, Siok-Jen, 2012. "On the selection of financing instruments to push the development of new technologies: Application to clean energy technologies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 252-266.
    49. Kawai, Norifumi & Strange, Roger & Zucchella, Antonella, 2018. "Stakeholder pressures, EMS implementation, and green innovation in MNC overseas subsidiaries," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(5), pages 933-946.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Corrocher, Nicoletta & Grabner, Simone Maria & Morrison, Andrea, 2024. "Green technological diversification: The role of international linkages in leaders, followers and catching-up countries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(4).
    2. Caragliu, Andrea & Graziano, Marcello, 2022. "The spatial dimension of energy transition policies, practices and technologies," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    3. Xiaoyi Shi & Xiaoxia Huang & Huifang Liu, 2022. "Research on the Structural Features and Influence Mechanism of the Low-Carbon Technology Cooperation Network Based on Temporal Exponential Random Graph Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-24, September.
    4. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Ho, Shan-Ju, 2022. "Impacts of export diversification on energy intensity, renewable energy, and waste energy in 121 countries: Do environmental regulations matter?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 1510-1522.
    5. Weko, Silvia & Goldthau, Andreas, 2022. "Bridging the low-carbon technology gap? Assessing energy initiatives for the Global South," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    6. Sun, Chuanwang & Wu, Boyu, 2024. "Closer economic distance makes positive carbon-related attitude: Evidence from the mechanism of sentiment tendency in worldwide news coverage of India," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 185(C).
    7. Denisa Szabo & Mihai Dragomir & Mihail Țîțu & Diana Dragomir & Sorin Popescu & Silvia Tofană, 2023. "Sustainable Low-Carbon Production: From Strategy to Reality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-16, May.
    8. Usman, Ahmed & Ullah, Sana & Ozturk, Ilhan & Sohail, Sidra & Sohail, Muhammad Tayyab, 2024. "Does environmental policy stringency reduce trade in energy resources? Insights from coal, petroleum, and gas," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    9. Caragliu, Andrea, 2021. "Energy efficiency-enhancing policies and firm performance: Evidence from the paper and glass industries in Italy," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    10. Fernández, Ana María & Ferrándiz, Esther & Medina, Jennifer, 2022. "The diffusion of energy technologies. Evidence from renewable, fossil, and nuclear energy patents," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    11. Hoicka, Christina E. & Conroy, Jessica & Berka, Anna L., 2021. "Reconfiguring actors and infrastructure in city renewable energy transitions: A regional perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    12. Persoon, P.G.J. & Bekkers, R.N.A. & Alkemade, F., 2022. "The knowledge mobility of Renewable Energy Technology," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Patricia Laurens & Christian Le Bas & Stéphane Lhuillery & Antoine Schoen, 2017. "The determinants of cleaner energy innovations of the world’s largest firms: the impact of firm learning and knowledge capital," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(4), pages 311-333, May.
    2. Giovanni Marin & Antonello Zanfei, 2019. "Does host market regulation induce cross‐border environmental innovation?," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(7), pages 2089-2119, July.
    3. Hille, Erik & Althammer, Wilhelm & Diederich, Henning, 2020. "Environmental regulation and innovation in renewable energy technologies: Does the policy instrument matter?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    4. Brian Chi-ang Lin & Siqi Zheng & Nicolò Barbieri & Claudia Ghisetti & Marianna Gilli & Giovanni Marin & Francesco Nicolli, 2016. "A Survey Of The Literature On Environmental Innovation Based On Main Path Analysis," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 596-623, July.
    5. Quatraro, Francesco & Scandura, Alessandra, 2019. "Academic Inventors and the Antecedents of Green Technologies. A Regional Analysis of Italian Patent Data," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 247-263.
    6. Barbieri, Nicolò & Marzucchi, Alberto & Rizzo, Ugo, 2023. "Green technologies, interdependencies, and policy," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    7. Tilmann Rave & Ursula Triebswetter & Johann Wackerbauer, 2013. "Koordination von Innovations-, Energie- und Umweltpolitik," ifo Forschungsberichte, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, number 61.
    8. Herman, Kyle S. & Xiang, Jun, 2019. "Induced innovation in clean energy technologies from foreign environmental policy stringency?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 198-207.
    9. Tomasz Kijek & Arkadiusz Kijek & Piotr Bolibok & Anna Matras-Bolibok, 2021. "The Patterns of Energy Innovation Convergence across European Countries," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-17, May.
    10. Antoine Dechezleprêtre & Misato Sato, 2017. "The Impacts of Environmental Regulations on Competitiveness," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 11(2), pages 183-206.
    11. Fabrizi, Andrea & Guarini, Giulio & Meliciani, Valentina, 2018. "Green patents, regulatory policies and research network policies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(6), pages 1018-1031.
    12. Ren, Shenggang & Hu, Yucai & Zheng, Jingjing & Wang, Yangjie, 2020. "Emissions trading and firm innovation: Evidence from a natural experiment in China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    13. Davide Castellani & Giovanni Marin & Sandro Montresor & Antonello Zanfei, 2020. "Foreign Direct Investments and Regional Specialization in Environmental Technologies," SEEDS Working Papers 0620, SEEDS, Sustainability Environmental Economics and Dynamics Studies, revised Apr 2020.
    14. Francesco Crespi & Claudia Ghisetti & Francesco Quatraro, 2015. "Environmental and innovation policies for the evolution of green technologies: a survey and a test," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 5(2), pages 343-370, December.
    15. Davide Antonioli & Grazia Cecere & Massimiliano Mazzanti, 2018. "Information communication technologies and environmental innovations in firms: joint adoptions and productivity effects," Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 61(11), pages 1905-1933, September.
    16. Sanni, Maruf, 2018. "Drivers of eco-innovation in the manufacturing sector of Nigeria," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 303-314.
    17. Corrocher, Nicoletta & Grabner, Simone Maria & Morrison, Andrea, 2024. "Green technological diversification: The role of international linkages in leaders, followers and catching-up countries," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(4).
    18. Castellani, Davide & Marin, Giovanni & Montresor, Sandro & Zanfei, Antonello, 2022. "Greenfield foreign direct investments and regional environmental technologies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(1).
    19. Konara, Palitha & Lopez, Carmen & Shirodkar, Vikrant, 2021. "Environmental innovation in foreign subsidiaries: The role of home-ecological institutions, subsidiary establishment mode and post-establishment experience," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(6).
    20. Bellelli, Francesco S. & Xu, Ankai, 2022. "How do environmental policies affect green innovation and trade? Evidence from the WTO Environmental Database (EDB)," WTO Staff Working Papers ERSD-2022-3, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Technological collaborations; Co-patenting; Energy-related technologies; Stringency of environmental regulation; EPS;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • Q55 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Technological Innovation
    • Q48 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Government Policy
    • Q42 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Energy - - - Alternative Energy Sources

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:156:y:2021:i:c:s0301421521003402. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.