5. IPRs and the Transfer of Technologies that Combat Climate Change: The Untapped Potential of Licensing

The threat of climate change—problems requires new technologies to mitigate the effects and adapt to new circumstances. Many of these new technologies, such as next generation biofuels, GMOs or new solar technologies, are patented. Companies and institutions in wealthy countries own most of the patents. In recent decades, developed countries have made promises to transfer technology to developing countries. But despite these promises, more action is needed. To that end, two new institutions, the Technology Mechanism and the Green Climate Fund, were established after the Copenhagen climate summit in 2009. Intellectual property rights are absent from their policies despite calls from developing countries to address the issue. In this chapter we argue that there is untapped potential in the business community to license technologies on favorable terms to developing countries and we suggest that the new climate change institutions could aim to become a global facility for licenses to climate change technology to promote technology transfer.