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The Economics of Technology Diffusion: Implications for Climate Policy in Developing Countries

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  • Blackman, Allen

    (Resources for the Future)

Abstract

Recent efforts to forge a consensus on the role developing countries should play in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions have focused attention on climate friendly technologies (CFTs), most notably those that enhance energy efficiency. In the medium term, the effectiveness of technology-based climate strategies will depend critically on the rates at which CFTs diffuse in developing countries. This paper reviews some of the key findings of the economics research on technology diffusion and assesses the implications for climate policy. The most obvious lessons from this research are that widespread diffusion of CFTs may take decades, and that diffusion rates in developing and industrialized countries are likely to be quite different. In addition, the literature has implications for a number of strategies for promoting technology diffusion including information dissemination, factor price rationalization, and investment in human capital.

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  • Blackman, Allen, 1999. "The Economics of Technology Diffusion: Implications for Climate Policy in Developing Countries," RFF Working Paper Series dp-99-42, Resources for the Future.
    • Handle: RePEc:rff:dpaper:dp-99-42
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    1. Dechezleprêtre, Antoine & Glachant, Matthieu & Ménière, Yann, 2008. "The Clean Development Mechanism and the international diffusion of technologies: An empirical study," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 1273-1283, April.
    2. Martin, Ralf, 2009. "Why is the US so energy intensive? Evidence from US multinationals in the UK," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 28703, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Javier Carrillo-Hermosilla & Pablo Chafla, 2005. "IE WP 01/03 Technology transfer and sustainable development in emerging economies," Others 0509002, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Dechezlepretre, Antoine & Glachant, Matthieu & Hascic, Ivan & Johnstone, Nick & Meniere, Yann, 2009. "Invention and Transfer of Climate Change Mitigation Technologies on a Global Scale: A Study Drawing on Patent Data," Sustainable Development Papers 54361, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    5. Matthieu Glachant & Yann Ménière, 2011. "Project Mechanisms and Technology Diffusion in Climate Policy," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 49(3), pages 405-423, July.
    6. Javier Carrillo-Hermosilla & Gregory C. Unruh, 2006. "Technology Stability and Change: An Integrated Evolutionary Approach," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 40(3), pages 707-742, September.
    7. Dilek Cetindamar, 2007. "Corporate Social Responsibility Practices and Environmentally Responsible Behavior: The Case of The United Nations Global Compact," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 76(2), pages 163-176, December.
    8. McFarland, James R. & Herzog, Howard J., 2006. "Incorporating carbon capture and storage technologies in integrated assessment models," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(5-6), pages 632-652, November.
    9. Greg W. Hunter, 2011. "Adoption Criteria, Diffusion and Firm Size: The Role of Learning in Reconciling Theories of Endogenous Technical Change with Empirical Evidence," Chapters, in: Raymond J.G.M. Florax & Henri L.F. de Groot & Peter Mulder (ed.), Improving Energy Efficiency through Technology, chapter 6, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    10. Solmaria Halleck Vega & Antoine Mandel, 2017. "A network-based approach to technology transfers in the context of climate policy," Documents de travail du Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne 17009, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1), Centre d'Economie de la Sorbonne.
    11. Doranova, Asel & Costa, Ionara & Duysters, Geert, 2010. "Knowledge base determinants of technology sourcing in clean development mechanism projects," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 5550-5559, October.
    12. Antoine Dechezleprêtre & Matthieu Glachant & Ivan Haščič & Nick Johnstone & Yann Ménière, 2011. "Invention and Transfer of Climate Change--Mitigation Technologies: A Global Analysis," Review of Environmental Economics and Policy, Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 5(1), pages 109-130, Winter.
    13. Carrillo-Hermosilla, Javier, 2006. "A policy approach to the environmental impacts of technological lock-in," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(4), pages 717-742, July.
    14. Khem Raj Dahal & Shiva Ch & ra Dhakal, "undated". "The Relative Efficiency of Organic Farming in Nepal," Working papers 105, The South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics.
    15. Dechezleprêtre, Antoine & Glachant, Matthieu & Ménière, Yann, 2009. "Technology transfer by CDM projects: A comparison of Brazil, China, India and Mexico," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 703-711, February.

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