Category Environment

New Classification Scheme For Clean Energy Patents To Facilitate Technology Transfer

Technology transfer is essential to the mitigation of climate change but empirical data on the subject is scarce, according to panellists at a parallel event to the World Trade Organization ministerial meeting. An initiative has been launched by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) to identify potential barriers to the transfer of clean technologies. Preliminary outcomes of the project were presented yesterday. One of those outcomes is a new classification scheme.

Outdated Multilateral Trade System Challenged By Climate Change, Regionalisation, Speakers Say

Climate change measures might impact competitiveness and the multilateral trade system in its current form might not be equipped to address the issue, according to speakers at a parallel event to the World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial meeting today. At the same time, regional trade agreements might constitute free electrons in the multilateral trade system, obeying to their own rules, said speakers at other sessions of the event.

Conférence de Copenhague: incertitude sur les droits de propriété intellectuelle

BARCELONE – Les négociations sur le climat se sont achevées le 6 novembre après une semaine de discussions. Malgré les assurances données par la plupart des délégations sur le fait que tout était possible lors de la Conférence de Copenhague sur le changement climatique qui aura lieu en décembre, l’incertitude demeure sur de nombreuses questions qui concernent notamment le financement, la réduction des émissions de gaz à effet de serre, le transfert de technologie et la nature de l’accord qui sera conclu à Copenhague.

Los derechos de PI se encuentran en los bloques de salida hacia Copenhague, pero aún reina incertidumbre en torno al tema

BARCELONA – El 6 de noviembre culminaron las negociaciones sobre el cambio climático que se extendieron durante una semana, y, si bien la mayoría de las delegaciones aseguraron que todo es aún posible en la conferencia sobre cambio climático que se celebrará en diciembre, continúa habiendo incertidumbre en torno a numerosas cuestiones. Entre ellas se incluyen las finanzas, la reducción de emisiones, la transferencia de tecnologías y la naturaleza del acuerdo que se establecerá en Copenhague.

Farmers’ Advocacy Groups Rejected As Observers In Plant Rights Organisation

The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) has denied two farmers’ advocacy organisations observer status to its governing Council on grounds that they have not demonstrated expertise relevant to the intergovernmental body’s work, stirring concern that opposition groups are being denied participation. Meanwhile, the functional head of UPOV will step down this spring after a decade of leadership, with several candidates in the running for his replacement.

Interview with Martin Khor, South Centre

khor-1 Martin Khor, executive director of the intergovernmental South Centre on critical issues facing the global South related to intellectual property - such as climate change, and the challenge of global IP infrastructure - and what the South Centre’s plans are to address them.

IP Rights In Starting Blocks For Copenhagen, But Issue Still Uncertain

BARCELONA - Weeklong climate negotiations came to an end today, and despite the assurance from most delegations that everything is still possible in the Copenhagen climate change conference in December, many issues remain in doubt. Among them are finance, emissions reduction, technology transfer, and the nature of the agreement to be built in Copenhagen.

IP Rights In A Quiet Tug-Of-War At UN Climate Change Negotiations

BARCELONA – At this week’s global climate talks, efforts are being made to trim references to intellectual property rights in relation to technology transfer from the body of a non-paper and relegate much of it to an appendix. But developing countries have asked that those measures be brought back into the main text. An updated non-paper should be issued on Friday.

Technology Debated In UNFCCC Barcelona Talks; IP To Follow

BARCELONA - After only a short break from the Bangkok climate talks, some 30 days before the Copenhagen climate change conference in December, delegates are back at the negotiating table for the last stretch of intense discussions. Among the issues discussed by delegates from 181 countries, technology appears preponderant, including the way to encourage environmentally sound technology (EST) innovation, and to transfer that technology to developing countries. Meanwhile, civil society is warning of possible new technology-related risks, and the issue of emission reductions is also being hotly discussed.

Advocates Warn Against ‘Monsantosizing’ Of Global Food Sources

As the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food prepares to present his report today at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, a global appeal is being filed by farmers and environmental organisations against patents on plants and animals derived from conventional breeding.