Low carbon development, poverty reduction and innovation system building

Rob Byrne and David OckwellSussex Energy Group, STEPS Centre and Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research

University of Sussex, BrightonR.P.Byrne@sussex.ac.uk

Learning, Innovation and Low Carbon DevelopmentGlobelics seminar

Aalborg University, Copenhagen4-5 April 2013

Overview

• International low carbon development policy

• Technology transfer and innovation

• Socio-technical transitions and pathways

• Low carbon innovation system building

• Conclusions and speculations

China; 134.952141097124;

72%

India; 22.0969404174834;

12%

Brazil; 2.03952231873849;

1%

ROW; 25.5992267204097;

14%

Africa; 3.60612541356336; 2%

KeyCountry, USD billion, percentage

ROW: Rest of the World

Source: Authors, based on analysis of the CDM pipeline

Accumulated investment through the CDM in USD billion by selected countries and regions as at end of October 2012 (http://www.cdmpipeline.org)

HydroWind

Methane avoidanceBiomass energy

Landfill gasEE own generation

SolarN2O

Fossil fuel switchEE industry

Coal bed/mine methaneEE householdsEE supply sideReforestation

FugitiveHFCs

CementTransport

GeothermalPFCs and SF6

Energy distributionAfforestation

EE serviceCO2 usage

Tidal

14141413

469459

272234

12179736961

353533252221171514127521

Source: Authors, based on analysis of the CDM pipeline

• 87% registered CDM projects use just six types of technology

• Only one new renewable energy technology – wind – although mature relative to other new renewables

• Solar only 2% of portfolio

Number of registered CDM projects as at end of October 2012, by project type (4908 total registered projects) (http://www.cdmpipeline.org)

Technology transfer and innovationWatson et al (2011: 16) based on Bell (1990)

National Innovation System

Indigenous support for

technological capabilities

Skills & know-how for operation &

maintenanceAccumulation of

technological capacity

Knowledge & expertise behind

technology

Technology Transfer

New production capacity

Capital goods, services & designs

Socio-technical transitionsMulti-level framework or perspective (MLP)

Source: Geels (2002: 1261)

Socio-technical transitionsRegime alignments

Source: Geels (2004: 912)

Sources of images in reference list at end

Expectation 2

Expectation 1

‘Second-order’ learning‘First-order’ learning

‘First-order’ learning

‘Starting’ point

Socio-technical expectations and learning

Sources of images in reference list at end

Technological and Economic Trade-Offs

User Needs

Institutions

Infrastructures

Supply

Maintenance

Training

Finance

Repair

Retail

Regulations

Government Policy

Product Functionality

Product AestheticsProduct Characteristics

Material Technology

Engineering Practices

Physical Properties Exploited

Engineering Skills

Engineering Procedures

Engineering Heuristics

Production Process Technologies

Scientific Knowledge

Socio-Technical Paradigm

Socio-Technical Trajectory

User Preferences

User Practices

User Requirements

Socio-technical paradigm and trajectory (based on Byrne 2011: 210)

Socio-technical transitionsNiche building

Source: Berkhout et al. (2010: 264)

Socio-technical niche development and trajectory carried by local projects

Conclusions and speculations

• Innovation system builders– Connecting, coordinating, learning, political work…

• Public and private sector roles– Public sector can bear risks of learning, private sector replicates…

• Market development to industrialisation

• Local innovation capabilities help poverty reduction needs?

References

Bell, M. (1990) Continuing Industrialisation, Climate Change and International Technology Transfer, Report prepared in Collaboration with the Resource Policy Group, Oslo and Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex, Brighton, December

Berkhout, F., G. Verbong, A. Wieczorek, R. Raven, L. Lebel and X. Bai (2010) “Sustainability experiments in Asia: innovations shaping alternative development pathways?”, Environmental Science & Policy 13(2010): 261-271

Byrne, R. (2011) Learning drivers: rural electrification regime building in Kenya and Tanzania, DPhil thesis, University of Sussex, Brighton

Geels, F. (2002) “Technological transitions as evolutionary reconfiguration processes: a multi-level perspective and a case-study”, Research Policy 31(2002): 1257–1274

Geels, F. (2004) “From sectoral systems of innovation to socio-technical systems: Insights about dynamics and change from sociology and institutional theory”, Research Policy 33(2004): 897-920

Watson, J., R. Byrne, A. Mallett, M. Stua, D. Ockwell, Z. Xiliang, Z. Da, Z. Tianhou, Z. Xiaofeng and O. Xunmin (2011) UK-China Collaborative Study on Low Carbon Technology Transfer, Final report for UK Department of Energy and Climate Change, SPRU, University of Sussex, Brighton and Laboratory for Low Carbon Energy, Tsinghua University, Beijing, April

References

Images on slides 8 and 9

Africa-charity-solar-panels: http://www.charcoalproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Africa-charity-solar-panels_21.jpg Batteries: http://www.cekl.com/images/stories/products/battteries.jpg Biofuel: http://www.reoc.info/files/biofuel4.jpg Crowd (21/10/12) http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01688/crowd_1688541c.jpg Hydro in china: http://www.energy-green.net/blog/upload/hydropower-in-China.jpg Lantern: http://practicalaction.org/glowstar/images/lantern_off.jpg Maasai Pastoralist: http://ih2.redbubble.net/image.10084503.7370/flat,550x550,075,f.jpg Maasai: http://ccafs.cgiar.org/sites/default/files/maasai.jpg?1350579523 Peru microhydro: http://practicalaction.org/video/images/previews/peru-microhydro-initial.jpg SESA Massai Uday: http://www.newscenter.philips.com/pwc_nc/main/shared/assets/newscenter/2008_pressreleases/SESA_Massai_Uday.jpg Sizewell b: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2009/11/22/1258907566883/Sizewell-B-nuclear-power--001.jpg Small wind turbine: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/media/image/j/o/small_wind_turbine.jpg Solar home light: http://pimg.tradeindia.com/00710412/b/1/Solar-Home-Light-Luminary-CFL-.jpg Solar modules various: http://linuosolar.win.mofcom.gov.cn/www/36/linuosolar/img/20071116112919.jpg Solar power plant: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2011/5/9/1304935605405/A-solar-power-plant-in-th-007.jpg Wavepower: http://www.pelamiswave.com/upload/image/i_heart_wave_power_badge_-_copy.jpg Windpower: http://news.thomasnet.com/green_clean/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/EarthTalkWindPowerNIMBY-700221.jpg

Thank you

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/sussexenergygrouphttp://www.steps-centre.org

http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/