Breaking Through on Technology: Overcoming the Barriers to the Development and Wide Deployment of Low-Carbon Technology

Technology is central to human progress and economic development. Facing up simultaneously to the climate and development crises requires technological innovation to be driven rapidly in the direction of low-carbon and high efficiency and for access to the benefits of this process to be widespread. Governments, acting at the national level and through international collaboration have a significant role to play in this process.

This study, drawing on primary research and reviews of national policies in eight countries and additional, international analysis where necessary, suggests that effective development and 'transfer' of low-carbon technology requires a complex combination of factors. Its findings emphasise the importance of technology to all countries, underlining an urgent need to place technology 'front and centre' of the negotiations and to find the means and mechanisms to support and enable strong national policy-making through an international framework. View the Portuguese translation of this paper.