Transferring Sustainable Energy Technologies to Developing Countries through the Clean Development Mechanism
Objectives and problems to be solved
An important aspect of sustainable development is to develop and implement technologies that increase energy efficiency and enable a switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Presently, among others within the EU, several sustainable energy technologies are in the process of research and development and are tested through pilot initiatives. This action explores how such technologies can be diffused to developing countries. It analyses the required institutional capacity for a successful implementation of sustainable energy technologies and to what extent such capacity is presently available in developing countries. Based hereon, it explores how gaps between required and existing capacity in developing countries can be bridged with the help of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol. The CDM aims at supporting greenhouse gas emission reductions and sustainable development through technology transfers to developing countries.
Description of work
The action explores for three technology categories - fuel conversion, decentralised energy, and carbon capture and storage - how they could be applied in developing countries. The work consists of three main elements.
First, an extensive overview and evaluation of the state of play of the CDM is conducted, which includes an overview of CDM funding programmes and project activities.
Second, the state of play of the energy technologies is reviewed in terms of research and development progress and/or market penetration within the EU and on a global scale. In addition, barriers are identified that need to be overcome to enable a large-scale application of a technology, as well as the minimally required infrastructure to support the wide scale application of such technologies.
Third, the action explores, based on a case study analysis for Chile, China, Israel, Kenya, and Thailand, what measures are needed to enable sustainable energy technology diffusion to developing countries. This part particularly focuses on energy strategies in the respective countries and infrastructure (skills, public acceptability, etc.), which is supported by intensive consultation with identified key stakeholders. Since the CDM largely focuses on technology transfers to developing countries and must incorporate infrastructural and other country-specific aspects in order to successfully implement projects, it offers useful lessons for and support to diffusing the three technology categories focused on in this action.
Expected results
The action results in a comprehensive overview of the research and development status of fuel switch (including energy efficiency), decentralised energy, and carbon capture and storage technologies, and their general diffusion potential to developing countries. In addition, the action shows what activities are needed in developing countries to enable a succesful implementation of these technologies in actual practice, and how the CDM can support this. Since the action contains domestic stakeholder consultations in the case study countries, it supports the overall acceptability of new technologies among stakeholders (including end-users), which enhances eventual technology implementation. Stakeholder involvement in the action also enhances the dissemination of the action results within the case study countries. In addition, the results are disseminated to international and national policy makers.
