Promoting green technology
development and transfer for
inclusive green economy
Expert Group Meeting on Enabling Measures for
an Inclusive Green Economy in Africa
23 and 24 September 2014,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Outline

Introduction

Trends in technology development and transfer

The role of international agreements and arrangement in
facilitating technology development and transfer

Challenges and opportunities

Conclusion and policy recommendations
Introduction

Technology: a key driver in any development paradigm, impacts on
process and outcome
 Transition to IGE necessitates a technology shift to green
technologies.

What is green technology?
 Also clean or mean environmentally sound technologies
 In this chapter: “green technologies may be considered as those that
facilitate or accelerate improvements in economic and social wellbeing while minimising negative impacts on the environment.”
 Cover a huge range such as renewable energy, improved crop
management, energy-efficient appliances, waste management,
forestry-related technologies and more clean and efficient vehicles,
improved irrigation systems, sustainable buildings, etc.
 These may be domestically developed or transferred.
Introduction Cont’d.

The role of technology in facilitating inclusive green economy
 Potential for a sustainable path to Africa’s structural transformation;
 However, development and use may often entail relatively higher initial
investment costs, recognition of benefits should inspire investment;
 Renewable energy access with multiplier effect- (74% of total, 92%
rural population - no access to electricity);
 Boosting agricultural productivity -High-yielding variety seeds
(NERICA), agro ecologically-based methods (SRI), dissemination (mobile
Apps);
 Sustainable industrial development – Cleaner production, etc;
 Job creation – Managers, scientists, technicians, etc; investments
needed but there is potential in addressing unemployment;
 Savings from operational costs – e.g for up to 10times of the
additional 0-12% costs for green buildings;
 Avoid abatement and pollution costs – were estimated at 27% of GDP in Middle East and North African.
Trends in technology development and transfer

Patent applications - increase in total patent applications by about
30.6% in 2012 compared to 2005 (from 14,425 to 20,805; by 28.3%
for world);
 Using climate change technologies as example, low inventive capacity
(0.24% and 0.26% of global for mitigation and adaptation resp.)
 But a growth rate of 9 %, 5% global,
 59 % for mitigation technologies, 17% for adaptation technologies 1980 –
2009 periods (UNEP/EPO, 2013).

High-technology products - 60% compared to 67% global increase during the
2000-2011period, but low volume, less than 0.25% of Global,
 Africa posted the fastest growth – a threefold increase, in capital goods imports
between 2001 and 2006, despite being the
lowest over 1990 - 2006 period (ECA, 2010).
Trends in TDT Cont’d.

Increasing desire to promote R&D;
 Creation of institutions for R&D, Universities playing a key role,
 R&D in public research institutions e.g CSIR in Ghana,
 Increasing Partnerships, ASARECA, African Laser Centre (ALC), CGIAR
 Share of international research collaborations in clean energy technologies
- 23%, 12% worldwide
 However, performance of institutions is still generally low, universities
quality of research outputs impacted by poor facilities.

General increase in FDI over the last two decades - green FDI
flow to developing countries between 2005-2007 estimated as under
USD 8 billion (1.9%) and close to USD 190 billion (46.1%) of total FDI
per year .
 Countries would have to facilitate transfer among firms and leverage
resources and infrastructure, e.g Tunisia using innovation clusters to
promote a shift to technology based economy, a concept successfully
applied in the Silicon Valley, USA.
The role of international agreements and
arrangement

The UNFCCC, the CBD, and the MP - call for cooperation , put responsibility
on developed countries to promote, facilitate and finance the transfer of, or
access to environmentally sound technologies and know-how to developing
countries,

UNFCCC - Protracted negotiations, e.g TM to enhance clean TDT took more than 1yrs
from proposal date to start receiving applications for support in 2014,

The CDM could facilitate green TDT but is limited in Africa - 88% of projects go to
10 countries, none of which is African,

Steps taken under the CBD e.g adoption of the programme of work on tech transfer
and scientific and technological cooperation in 2004 and strategy for its implementation in
2008,

The MP - relative success, > USD171 m US dollars (about 32% of the global financing)
for enabling activities - institutional strengthening & training,

GEF – renewable energy and energy efficiency projects - 21.9% (639) projects supported
were in Africa,

Bali Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity Building (BSP) initiatives
–e .g UNEP SSC Exchange Mechanism
International agreements Cont’d

Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
 Developed countries to incentivise tech transfer to LDCs and support
cooperation (Article 66.2)
 Mandated reporting of initiatives to put in place incentives for developed
Members - limited compliance and little evidence of resultant significant
additional beyond business-as-usual.

Other WTO Agreements: GATS, SPS, and TBT also include measures encourages
support for developing countries to access technology,

WTO WGTTT - recommendations such as enhanced flexibility to implement
activities designed to encourage technology flows etc,
The NEPAD framework, CPA, & AIDA; and Strategy for the Implementation
of the AIDA, 2008; Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa - STISA2024


However , role of arrangements has been limited: lack of synergy among existing
funding mechanisms, insufficient national policies and frameworks, limited linkages
between technology needs and capacities, inadequate progress tracking, unresolved
intellectual property issues, and the homogenous approach for all developing
countries despite differences.
Challenges and opportunities

Challenges:
 Weak support systems
discourages innovation,
for
technology
innovation
value
chain
 Limited financing to promote technology innovation, and nurturing of
ideas,
 There is slow progress or
international commitments,
difficulty
in
the
implementation
of
 Many countries in Africa suffer from inadequacy of persons with the
skills required,
 The pressing need for rapid economic growth and poverty eradication
Challenges and opportunities

Opportunities:
 Existing international arrangements,
 Young and dynamic population,
 Information and communication technology,
 South-south cooperation,
 The private sector,
 The emergence of the national systems of innovations (NSIs)
Conclusion and recommendations
•
Africa has in the past seven to ten years realised improvements in
green technology development and transfer, however overall levels
remain very low.
•
Multinational environmental and trade agreements and arrangements
are helping in mobilising and leveraging international support for
green technology development and transfer (TDT) to Africa, however
their role has faced limitations.
•
•
•
Although several challenges impede green technology development
and transfer in Africa, there are immense opportunities its
promotion.
African countries therefore need to accelerate implementing
appropriate measures to address
challenges
and harness
opportunities for promoting green TDT.
Recommendations
•
Mix of policy, legal and regulatory framework that synergistically covers
environmental, trade, industry and technology, including guidelines for
infrastructure development such as for green buildings;
•
Building of human capital cross for a wide range of required skills;
•
Developing both “hard”
infrastructure;
•
Innovative financing arrangements;
•
Building academic-industry-public partnership (AIPP);
•
Exploring opportunities provided by international cooperation/ partnership
arrangements;
•
However, a clear vision, a committed political and
professional leadership, and a strong belief are
necessary
conditions
for
initiating
and
implementing measures
and
“soft”
science,
innovation
and
technology
THANK YOU