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Intellectual property rights protection and the international transfer of low-carbon technologies

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  • Damien Dussaux

    (CERNA i3 - Centre d'économie industrielle i3 - Mines Paris - PSL (École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris) - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - I3 - Institut interdisciplinaire de l’innovation - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Antoine Dechezleprêtre

    (CERNA i3 - Centre d'économie industrielle i3 - Mines Paris - PSL (École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris) - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - I3 - Institut interdisciplinaire de l’innovation - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Matthieu Glachant

    (CERNA i3 - Centre d'économie industrielle i3 - Mines Paris - PSL (École nationale supérieure des mines de Paris) - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - I3 - Institut interdisciplinaire de l’innovation - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

We examine the effect of intellectual property rights (IPRs) protection on the two main channels of international transfer of low-carbon technologies i.e. trade in low-carbon capital goods, and foreign direct investments (FDI) by firms producing low-carbon technologies. Our data describes cross-country transfer through these channels between developing and developed countries in eight climate-related technology fields from 2001 to 2011. At the world level, we find that strengthening IPRs protection increases transfer in six technology fields (hydro power, solar PV, solar thermal, heating, lighting, and cleaner vehicles), while the effect is statistically insignificant in the others. The results slightly change when focusing on non-OECD countries. In particular, we find that a stricter IPRs regime may reduce their imports of solar equipment. These results have important implications for climate negotiations on North-South technology transfer.

Suggested Citation

  • Damien Dussaux & Antoine Dechezleprêtre & Matthieu Glachant, 2017. "Intellectual property rights protection and the international transfer of low-carbon technologies," Working Papers hal-01693539, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-01693539
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-01693539v1
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    2. Antoine Dechezlepretre & Sam Fankhauser & Matthieu Glachant & Jan Stoever & Simon Touboul, 2020. "Invention and Global Diffusion of Technologies for Climate Change Adaptation," World Bank Publications - Reports 33883, The World Bank Group.
    3. Athreye, Suma & Kathuria, Vinish & Martelli, Alessandro & Piscitello, Lucia, 2023. "Intellectual property rights and the international transfer of climate change mitigating technologies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(9).

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    Keywords

    Climate change; Technology transfer; Intellectual property rights; International trade; Foreign direct investment.;
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