Global Technology Project
The Stern Review highlighted the importance of technology policy as one component of a least cost approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Stern found that the scale of the challenge was significant: he recommended that in order to reach a 550ppm CO2e emissions trajectory, the output of low carbon energy would have to increase 20-fold globally over the next 40-50 years. This would require global levels of energy R&D and deployment support to at least double. The report also highlighted international cooperation as a key way of achieving this goal.
This Global Technology Project will consider what international agreements may be required for low carbon technologies to help reduce emissions across the world. It will explore the rationale for government intervention in innovation, and in particular the case for international collaboration. It will then take a selection of case study technologies and analyse the market failures and barriers blocking the roll out of these technologies, what this suggests for the nature of the policy intervention required, and what the UK's role could be in implementing this response. It will also identify the key international technology institutions and assess to what extent they are equipped to deliver greater levels of international cooperation.
For more information contact: enquiries@occ.gsi.gov.uk
Page last modified: 27-11-07
Page published: 27-11-07