Technological Knowledge Production Towards Climate Change Mitigation

Abstract

This paper aims to present and analyze the production of green technological knowledge for the mitigation of climate change from countries and companies "carbon majors". These countries and corporations can be identified as the largest emitters of GHG accumulated since the pre-industrial period. In turn, the "carbon majors" have historically appropriated extraordinary wealth by depleting a global resource common to all countries (global carbon budget) while generating national development. Thus, we seek to analyze a patent study to map the production of technological knowledge of selected countries and corporations that are associated with climate change mitigation and environmental management in the period 1980-2018. As a result, it has been found that technologies can be classified according to how actors position themselves in the climate change debate. Thus, the results offer evidence to both arguments that Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies may reinforce current carbon lock-in and those corporate strategies to develop such technologies focus business opportunities in a future of global mean temperatures increases exceeding 2 degrees Celsius.

Dinâmica e evolução da capacidade tecnológica ambiental dos países desenvolvidos e em desenvolvimento (1990-2015)

“…A expansão da indústria "verde" e as vantagens da transição para um sistema energético sustentável, desempenham um papel importante ao reduzir os níveis de emissões de CO2. Países como Canadá, Reino Unido, EUA, Cazaquistão, Áustria e França podem ser identificados como os que possuem tecnologias de ponta, dentro de um portfólio de tecnologias verdes, ou seja, identificam o padrão de acumulação tecnológica verde dos países para a mitigação do clima, além de indicar uma preocupação com o controle da poluição do ar (GOMES;CORAZZA, 2013).…”