Paris Agreement negotiations and IP

A UN meeting in Bangkok this week seeks to hammer out rules for the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The so called Rulebook for the Paris Agreement must be negotiated this year, to reduce global warming. The contentious issue of funding for projects to achieve the Paris Agreement‘s target reduction in global temperatures are the main sticking point. There have already been ructions at the Green Climate Fund following Trump’s US withdrawal and the consequent loss of US funding. 

What has this go to do with IP? Well the principle means of achieving the Paris Conventions goals is the development and deployment of many new technologies to reduce environmental harm. Secondly countries and companies will need to measure their impact, through use of environmental technologies and eco-brands. 

For SE Asia this is critical, given their developmental positions. As fast industrializing nations and therefore major polluters SE Asian countries will need to develop, license in and/or seek funding for the advances which will achieve the Paris Agreement goals. The global IP ecosystem will need to help support and measure this.