Focus on: "Climate Change: Intellectual Property Law and Technology Transfer" – 2023 Summer Academy

Transfer and dissemination of low-carbon technology are essential to achieve mitigation goals agreed at COP 26 and 27 of the UNFCCC and the Paris Accord. It is equally essential to address climate change adaptation technologies, particularly in agriculture. Many of these technologies are protected by intellectual property rights.

The course discusses the state of play in transfer of technology, existing obligations and challenges. To this effect, it offers introductory lectures to international intellectual property law and the economics of IP. It discusses commercial and concessionary licencing of technology. It offers an introduction to patent information and patent landscaping in cooperation with the Swiss Intellectual Property Institute (IPI). It develops a number of ideas under the principle of common concern of humankind as to how transfer of technology can be strengthened and implemented in the context of emission trading, CBAM, investment promotion, export credits and tax reductions.

Successful transfer of technology is absolutely essential to decarbonisation, the reduction of dependence coal and gas also in the global South, and for reaching global goals of limiting warming to 1.5°C or 2°C. The fact that it is of global benefit irrespective of the location and country of investment is a game changer which calls for new thinking and approaches in international law.

Lecturers: Thomas Cottier, Jayashree Watal, Andreas Heinemann, Kamran Housang Pour, Zaker Ahmad
Dates: 24-28 July 2023
ECTS: 3

Download the full syllabus here