'An historically grounded study on a cutting-edge topic, Intellectual Property and Climate Change has it all. Not only is it well-written, concise, and hugely informative, it is also a timely intervention addressing truly global challenges. Quite simply, a must-read.' Eva Hemmungs Wirtén, Uppsala University, Sweden 'Rimmer provides a much needed, well written, authoritative book on the intellectual property aspects of climate change, natural disasters, clean vehicles, and renewable energy. The book is essential reading for those wishing to better understand the complex patent issues involved with transitioning away from our current fossil-dominated economy to a more environmentally sustainable and equitable energy future.' Benjamin K. Sovacool, National University of Singapore In the wake of the international summits in Copenhagen and Cancún, there is an urgent need to consider the role of intellectual property law in encouraging research, development, and diffusion of clean technologies to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. This book charts the patent landscapes and legal conflicts emerging in a range of fields of innovation including renewable forms of energy, such as solar power, wind power, and geothermal energy; as well as biofuels, green chemistry, green vehicles, energy efficiency, and smart grids. As well as reviewing key international treaties, this book provides a detailed analysis of current trends in patent policy and administration in key nation states, and offers clear recommendations for law reform. It considers such options as technology transfer, compulsory licensing, public sector licensing, and patent pools; and analyses the development of Climate Innovation Centres, the Eco-Patent Commons, and environmental prizes, such as the L-Prize, the H-Prize, and the X-Prizes. This book will have particular appeal to policy-makers given its focus upon recent legislative developments and reform proposals, as well as legal practitioners by developing a better understanding of recent legal, scientific, and business developments, and how they affect their practice. Innovators, scientists and researchers will also benefit from reading this book.

This collection considers the future of climate innovation after the Paris Agreement. It analyses the debate over intellectual property and climate change in a range of forums – including the climate talks, the World Trade Organization, and the World Intellectual Property Organization, as well as multilateral institutions dealing with food, health, and biodiversity. The book investigates the critical role patent law plays in providing incentives for renewable energy and access to critical inventions for the greater public good, as well as plant breeders’ rights and their impact upon food security and climate change. Also considered is how access to genetic resources raises questions about biodiversity and climate change. This collection also explores the significant impact of trademark law in terms of green trademarks, eco labels, and greenwashing. The key role played by copyright law in respect of access to environmental information is also considered. The book also looks at deadlocks in the debate over intellectual property and climate change, and provides theoretical, policy, and practical solutions to overcome such impasses.

As diplomats and climate change negotiators discussed patents as a barrier to international transfer of clean technologies in December 2009 in Copenhagen, California solar thermal startup eSolar was finalizing a deal to build at least 2 gigawatts of solar thermal power plants in China. At the time the largest solar thermal deal ever, it was structured as a master licensing agreement with Chinese electrical power equipment manufacturer Penglai Electric. The eSolar-Penglai deal is just one of many recent partnerships, joint ventures, and licensing arrangements between clean technology firms in developed countries and investors, developers, utilities and builders in developing countries. Despite the reality on the ground, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (“UNFCCC”) and the developing country parties to the UNFCCC treaty have put forth a host of policy proposals to weaken or even eliminate IP rights in clean technologies. This article seeks to provide a clean tech reality check by highlighting nine significant clean technology transfers between developed countries and developing countries in the one-year period leading up to the Copenhagen talks. This article observes that IP rights were not a barrier to any of these deals and may have helped facilitate the technology transfer by providing exclusivity in the developing country market.

Climate Change, Sustainable Development, Cleantech envisions both global cleantech development and international cleantech transfer as crucial means to address climate change and secure sustainable development for planet earth. The book examines what it takes to attract foreign cleantech and encourage domestic cleantech innovation. The author proposes a pathway for developing countries that includes international aid, mutually beneficial international cleantech cooperation and domestic cleantech innovation.

An overview of issues relevant to debates about solutions to global challenges, such as climate change, public health and food security.

Many disciplines are relevant to combating climate change. This challenging book draws together legal, regulatory, geographic, industrial and professional perspectives and explores the role of technologies in addressing climate change through mitigation, adaptation and information gathering. It explores some key issues. Is intellectual property part of the solution, an obstacle to change or peripheral? Are there more important questions? Do they receive the attention they deserve? And from whom? This innovative book will play an important role in stimulating holistic discussion and action on an issue of key importance to society. Environmental Technologies, Intellectual Property and Climate Change will appeal strongly to scholars researching IP and climate change, as well as to a range of professionals including venture capitalists, practising lawyers working in IP, environmental and corporate finance law, activists within both climate change and human rights, and policymakers.