What Drives the International Transfer of Climate Change Mitigation Technologies? Empirical Evidence from Patent Data

Antoine Dechezleprêtre; Matthieu Glachant; Yann Ménière

doi:10.1007/s10640-012-9592-0

Environmental and Resource Economics

February 2013, Volume 54, Issue 2, pp 161–178

What Drives the International Transfer of Climate Change Mitigation Technologies? Empirical Evidence from Patent Data

Authors
Authors and affiliations

Antoine Dechezleprêtre
Matthieu Glachant
Yann MénièreEmail author

Article

First Online:: 14 August 2012

Accepted:: 31 July 2012

DOI: 10.1007/s10640-012-9592-0

Cite this article as:: Dechezleprêtre, A., Glachant, M. & Ménière, Y. Environ Resource Econ (2013) 54: 161. doi:10.1007/s10640-012-9592-0

Abstract

Technology transfer plays a key role in global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this paper, we characterize the factors that promote or hinder the international diffusion of climate-friendly technologies using detailed patent data from 96 countries for the period 1995–2007. The data provide strong evidence that lax Intellectual Property regimes have a strong and negative impact on the international diffusion of patented knowledge. Restrictions on international trade and foreign direct investment also hinder the diffusion of climate-friendly technologies. Surprisingly, local technological capabilities tend to discourage transfers. While broad indicators of technology capabilities are expected to facilitate transfers, this latter result stems from our technology-specific definition of local capabilities, which makes it possible to capture a substitution effect between local and foreign inventions.

Keywords

Climate changeTechnology diffusionTechnology transfer

JEL Classification

O33O34Q54

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Authors and Affiliations

Antoine Dechezleprêtre
- 1
Matthieu Glachant
- 2
Yann Ménière
- 2
Email author

1.Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the EnvironmentLondon School of EconomicsLondonUK
2.CERNAMines ParisTechParis Cedex 06France

What Drives the International Transfer of Climate Change Mitigation Technologies? Empirical Evidence from Patent Data

Abstract

Keywords

JEL Classification

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