Climate technology in context

The report argues that low-carbon technology adoption in developing countries requires tailored innovation systems rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. It identifies specific needs for the 'bottom of the pyramid' (energy access), the rising middle class (lifestyle and urban planning), and industrial sectors (efficiency and value chain integration). The authors emphasize that the public sector must mitigate risks through financial support and coordination, while international bodies like the UNFCCC's Technology Mechanism should act as brokers to link finance, R&D, and knowledge sharing.

• Low-carbon innovation in developing countries is a resource-intensive, long-term process with unpredictable outcomes, requiring public sector financial support to complement private investment to mitigate risk.
• For the 'bottom of the pyramid' (BOP), the primary challenge is providing modern energy access, as nearly 1.3 billion people lacked electricity and 2.6 billion lacked clean cooking energy in 2012. Market-based approaches often fail here because profit margins and timeframes are unattractive to the private sector.
• The rising middle class is projected to grow from 1.5 billion in 2009 to almost 5 billion by 2030, with the share outside Europe and North America rising to nearly 80%. Their carbon footprint is largely a 'lifestyle' issue involving urban planning, transport, and consumption, and is subject to a 'rebound effect' estimated at around 30% of total emissions reduced.
• Industrial sectors in non-OECD countries are expected to account for the majority of industry-related GHG increases up to 2050. There is significant potential for emissions reductions because the global average efficiency of energy use in industry is only 30%.
• Case studies of the Chinese solar PV and Indian wind industries demonstrate that developing countries can build technological capabilities through licensing foreign technologies, joint ventures, and vertical integration of value chains.
• In the sub-Saharan African cement industry, the use of 'best available technology' (dry-process equipment) has improved efficiency, but these gains are often undermined by a shift toward cheaper coal as the primary energy source to reduce costs.
• Effective national innovation policies must address the entire spectrum of innovation, including incremental changes and the adaptation of existing technologies, rather than focusing solely on radical hardware changes.
• International bodies, specifically the UNFCCC's Technology Mechanism, should adopt a brokering role to link technology initiatives with finance, encourage cooperative R&D, and share lessons learned across different regions.

APA

Bhasin, S., Blanco, G., Bristow, S., Byrne, R., Cameron, L., de Coninck, H., Fang, Z., Gallagher, K. S., Ionita, R., Mikunda, T., Sagar, A., & Würtenberger, L. (2014). Climate technology in context. Climate Strategies. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/climate-technology-and-development-final.pdf

Chicago

Bhasin, Shikha, Gabriel Blanco, Sophy Bristow, Rob Byrne, Lachlan Cameron, Heleen de Coninck, Zhang Fang, et al. Climate technology in context. Climate Strategies, 2014. https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/climate-technology-and-development-final.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{bhasin2014climate, author = {Bhasin, Shikha and Blanco, Gabriel and Bristow, Sophy and Byrne, Rob and Cameron, Lachlan and de Coninck, Heleen and Fang, Zhang and Gallagher, Kelly Sims and Ionita, Raluca and Mikunda, Tom and Sagar, Ambuj and Würtenberger, Laura}, title = {{Climate technology in context}}, institution = {Climate Strategies}, year = {2014}, month = apr, url = {https://climatestrategies.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/climate-technology-and-development-final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }