INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
IEA : New handbook on expanding global reach of technology collaboration
The global energy technology community has enormous opportunity to expand international collaboration and broaden the range of countries that participate in joint projects .
Achieving these collaborations can ensure that the benefits of co-operation – for people and the planet – are realised across the world .
Emerging and developing countries are expected to account for much of future growth in energy demand and are already major markets for recent technologies . International collaboration can play a critical role in accelerating innovation and ensuring that new energy technologies , and the associated know-how , reach all countries . The IEA Technology Collaboration Programmes ( TCPs ) are an important piece of this puzzle and provide a platform for IEA members and non-members alike to work together to accelerate the development of clean energy technologies .
Benefits of TCP membership include opportunities to gain access to shared resources for energy innovation , to influence the global innovation agenda , to identify strengths and gaps in domestic innovation activities , and to find ways to strengthen capacity and stimulate energy technology markets .
There are many opportunities for further countries to get involved in the TCPs , and in turn for the TCPs to become more global . The new handbook is based on conversations with key actors from TCPs and decision makers from IEA family countries , who have shared their experience on the challenges and potential solutions to fostering more global participation .
It is aimed at decision makers in prospective member countries who are seeking to understand more about how the TCPs work and identify the possible benefits of TCP membership . It provides general information on the different options for joining TCP activities and the membership process .
The handbook also introduces a selection of good practice approaches and practical steps that the TCPs – and indeed other clean energy initiatives – can take to expand membership , increase participation , and foster active engagement , with a focus on emerging and developing economies .
MAJOR PUSH IN INNOVATION REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE GLOBAL CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITIONS Innovation in energy technology will be critical to meeting long-term energy needs and climate targets . The last few decades have seen unprecedented action to accelerate clean energy development , particularly on renewable sources of energy and low-carbon mobility . However , greater progress is needed .
The IEA Tracking Clean Energy Progress reports show that most energy technologies and sectors are not on track to meet global energy and climate goals . Without a major acceleration in clean energy innovation , reaching net zero emissions by 2050 will not be achievable . In the IEA Net Zero Innovation in energy technology will be critical to meeting long-term energy needs and climate targets .
Andreas Gücklhorn | Unsplash
Emissions by 2050 Scenario nearly 50 % of the CO₂ emission reductions needed in 2050 are from technologies currently at the demonstration or prototype stage .
This percentage is even higher in sectors such as heavy industry and long-distance transport , where emissions are particularly hard to abate . Many of the technologies that already exist need to have a lower cost and perform better , and also be adapted to conditions in different countries , for example the climate or local preferences .
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION ESSENTIAL International collaboration will play a vital role in accelerating progress on clean energy innovation and applying it to achieve net zero emissions . Given the scale of the energy and climate challenges , multilateral approaches are needed to improve existing clean energy technologies and develop new ones , and to support their deployment around the world beyond their country of origin .
Without international co-operation on the development of technologies , global clean energy transitions could be delayed by several decades . Partnerships across borders can accelerate global innovation by providing a vehicle for countries to :
• Gain access to shared resources for energy innovation .
• Develop a collective understanding of common priorities and challenges .
• Identify potential opportunities in global clean energy technology supply chains and areas for improvement at the domestic level .
• Strengthen local innovation capacity and knowledge networks .
• Stimulate local markets for energy technologies .
The IEA ’ s own multilateral platforms , the Technology Collaboration Programmes ( TCPs ), are a unique international network of energy researchers spanning 55 countries and are a prime example of collaboration in action .
Emerging and developing countries are expected to account for much of future
IEA | Shutterstock
International collaboration will play a vital role in accelerating progress on clean energy innovation and applying it to achieve net zero emissions .
growth in energy demand and are already major markets for recent technologies . The number of innovative energy concepts and products developed in emerging markets – such as in Brazil , the People ’ s Republic of China ( China ) and India – is also steadily growing as governments there ramp up efforts to strengthen domestic innovation and capacity for technology development . International collaboration provides an opportunity not only to gain access to technologies and knowledge developed abroad more quickly , but also to showcase home-grown concepts and enable their diffusion through exports . This can be particularly useful in countries where resources for innovation are more constrained ( perhaps by R & D and demonstration budgets , the cost of capital or the availability of human capital ), or where economic development priorities limit willingness to invest in less-mature technologies .
During the Covid-19 pandemic , travel restrictions limited the opportunities to meet in person and pursue collaborative projects . The TCPs and other multilateral platforms have had to adapt and adjust their working culture and programme of activities accordingly . But the transition to a virtual setting has enabled participants to sustain co-operation and strengthen engagement with their global partners , particularly those who would not typically be able to join in-person meetings due to constrained budgets for international travel . Global co-operation will be critical to achieving sustainable post-Covid recoveries .
EXPANDING TCPS ’ GLOBAL REACH In recent years , the global energy innovation community has grown as it welcomes innovators in emerging and developing countries . This has been reflected in participation in the TCPs , which has expanded . Yet many TCPs would still like to bring in new members . So , while there have been promising results , more progress is needed , both to broaden the range of participating countries and to fully realise the benefits of collaboration .
Despite strong interest from TCPs to become more global and from many countries around the world to get involved , most TCPs are still predominantly made up of IEA members . We have therefore compiled this handbook of TCP experiences and good practice recommendations to foster wider membership . We prepared it in close collaboration with TCP participants and based it on a series of interviews with key actors from across the TCP network . In our discussions , TCP participants frequently mentioned that efforts to secure new members can encounter a number of issues , including :
• Lack of awareness or limited understanding – in the prospective member country – of TCP activities , their impact , and the benefits of participating .
• Difficulty in identifying and reaching appropriate contact points in government or industry in new countries .
• Potential members ’ budgetary and resource constraints , and the cost of becoming a TCP member and taking part in activities proactively over time .
• Concerns that TCP activities may not
COLD LINK AFRICA • May 2022 www . coldlinkafrica . co . za 13