Publication

The rapid deployment and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) is considered crucial for tackling the climate change challenge. In this context, the role of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the transfer of climate change technologies has been particularly contentious in the negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This paper goes beyond the “all or nothing” approach that has characterized a debate largely dominated by two opposing views. In effect, the paper proposes a third, more nuanced approach, combining tailored government measures, along with IPRs, to provide a range of incentives for both the development and dissemination of ESTs.