EPO-UNEP Report Examines Patents And Clean Energy

By Georges Bauer for Intellectual Property Watch

A recent report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the European Patent Office (EPO) looks at the role of the patent system in clean energy technology (CET) transfers in Africa. One of the highlights of the report is that less than 1 percent of identified CET-related patent applications have been filed in Africa, despite there being a high level of potential in renewable energy sources.

The report is available here [pdf].

The report goes on to cite the desire of developing and least developed countries to have CETs excluded from patenting, a view opposed by industrialised countries. It also shows that increased funding and technical support has helped African countries implement strategic patent policies at the national and regional levels. This leads to one of the report’s conclusions: “With its approach not to exclude a priori any technology from legal protection the patent system is an adequate tool for promoting the diffusion of CETs in Africa.”

According to the report, energy in Africa continues to be primarily sourced from fossil fuels (such as oil and coal) and traditional biomass (such as wood burning), both of which have been shown to have negative effects on health and the environment. The report further cites a study that claims that Africa could provide enough clean energy – through hydro – to satisfy the continent’s needs and have enough left over for export.

Georges Bauer recently obtained a Masters of International Law and Economics degree from the University of Bern’s World Trade Institute. Through his studies in political science and trade he developed an interest in intellectual property issues.