Scenario-Patent Protection Compared to Climate Change

Author(s):  
Araken Alves de Lima ◽  
Patricia Carvalho dos Reis ◽  
Julio César Moreira Reis Castelo Branco ◽  
Rodrigo Danieli ◽  
Cibele Cristina Osawa ◽  
...  

The United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) took effect as a treaty in 1994 to promote international cooperation in the fight against global warming. Currently, nearly 190 countries are signatories of the UNFCCC, which has had successive additions as the Kyoto Protocol (1997). In 1995, the Climate Technology Initiative was established within the UNFCCC to encourage international cooperation in the accelerated development and diffusion of environmentally Sound Technologies - EST. Such technologies are also capable of protection provided by patents, and this kind of protection is a valuable tool for the industrial production inventions to become a worthwhile investment, contributing to economic development. Many patent applications claim advantages relative to efficiency, waste reduction, or even the costs of operation/manufacturing. However, the difficulty of accurately distinguishing the EST’s technologies among others, which are those that only claim environmental benefits, compared to those who actually have a higher potential to promote a more positive impact on the environment directed. This study aims to report some performance initiatives in relations between technologies, focusing on the so-called “GREEN”, and the effects of climate change. Some initiatives have already been started in countries such as Australia, Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Japan, South Korea and Israel. These nations are constituted in the form of their industrial property offices, as entities that have implemented regulations regarding the patentability of requests for green technologies or EST’s such requests are known as “green patents” applications. In this context, it is highlighted that the definition of “green patents” differs from country to country and this leads to greater uncertainty in this designation, with the codes of the International Patent Classification (IPC) should be prioritized. This study observed that, in the case of South Korea, green patents are technologies classified in accordance with the interests of the Government, or, according to designations of environmental laws. Moreover, it still shows that South Korea, Australia, United States, Japan, Israel already have programs to promote accelerated examination of “green patents” applications with different criteria.

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zbigniew Więckowski

Rare diseases constitute a global problem. Worldwide, 350 million people suffer from such diseases. The number of diagnosed cases are on the rise. Only a small percentage of those suffering have the opportunity to be treated with modern therapies. Medicines used to treat rare diseases are called orphan drugs. Biologic medicines developed for orphan drug indications, besides patent protection, have a period of regulatory and market exclusivity. After this period of time has elapsed, access to orphan drugs could be improved by the introduction of biosimilar medicines. The biggest challenge is to develop effective legal, tax and economic incentives to stimulate the development of biosimilar medicines for orphan indications. The regulatory agencies - EMA in the EU and the FDA in the USA - play a key role in increasing access to orphan biologics. Undoubtedly, the international cooperation, especially the mutual recognition of registration procedures between countries, and the creation of a common vocabulary and the unification of incentives for the pharmaceutical industry would have the positive impact on access to modern therapies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 199
Author(s):  
Reny Yesiana ◽  
Itsna Yuni Hidayati ◽  
Gunawan Wicaksono

<p class="Abstract"><em>Climate change has become one of the causes of environmental damage </em><em>and needs to</em><em> be anticipated. In Indonesia, including in the Semarang</em><em> City, the</em><em> impact caused by climate change also occurs. Damage ponds and mangrove forests due to </em><em>the </em><em>erosion and sea level rise are example</em><em>s</em><em> of </em><em>the climate change impact</em><em>. </em><em>The </em><em>significant impact of climate change is exacerbated by the lack of public knowledge related to the threat of climate change. It </em><em>significantly </em><em>affect</em><em>s</em><em> </em><em>to the</em><em> </em><em>decreasing </em><em>income of farmers. These fact underlie </em><em>the </em><em>Mercy Corps Indonesia in cooperation with the government of Semarang and the Bintari Foundation </em><em>to </em><em>develop activities aimed to strengthening the protection of coastal areas through the development of seawalls through the program</em><em> named </em><em>"Enhancing Coastal Community Resilience by Strengthening Mangrove Ecosystem Services and Developing Sustainable Livelihood in Semarang City". Construction of seawalls in the form of tire</em><em>s</em><em> seawalls and Hybrid Engineering (HE) </em><em>is </em><em>completed in 2016. Construction of seawalls certainly ha</em><em>s</em><em> an impact on community in coastal areas</em><em>. This article aims to </em><em>review the monitoring and the lesson learned of seawalls construction</em><em> </em><em>of the development on the seawalls for the communities in coastal areas, especially in the Genuk and Tugu</em><em> Sub-district</em><em>. The methods used in this study is a mix method research by descriptive approach so that the study is more emphasis on the analysis of the measurable facts the description</em><em>, which </em><em>supported by information unearthed in the community through interviews and extracting information from archives on reports that had been prepared previously containing seawalls development progress. </em><em>The research results show that </em><em>seawalls development provides many positive effects for the community</em><em>,</em><em> so that </em><em>they </em><em>consciously perform maintenance independently for the positive impact they can receive for the long term.</em></p>


2010 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
S W.J. Dominy ◽  
R. Gilsenan ◽  
D W McKenney ◽  
D J Allen ◽  
T. Hatton ◽  
...  

Canada is seeking cost-effective means to mitigate anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, particularly CO2, that have been linked to global climate change. In 2003 the Government of Canada launched the Forest 2020 Plantation Development and Assessment Initiative to assess the potential for fast-growing woody crops to sequester carbon from the atmosphere. Across the country 6000 ha of plantations were established and monitored on nonforested lands (afforestation) using a variety of methods. Economic analyses assessed the investment attractiveness of this mitigation measure for a range of species and suitable lands, taking into account such factors as growth rates, agricultural opportunity costs and a range of possible carbon values. Analyses illustrated that at current trading prices for carbon and for much of the available lands and expanding markets for forest bioproducts, expected rates of return on investment for afforestation were relatively low. However, higher future carbon prices, combined with monetary values for environmental benefits, could dramatically change the economics of afforestation in the future. Key words: afforestation, carbon sequestration, forest carbon offset project, climate change mitigation, policy analysis, risk analysis, forest investment analysis, hybrids, hybrid poplar, fast-growing trees


10.2196/20634 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. e20634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abrar Al-Hasan ◽  
Dobin Yim ◽  
Jiban Khuntia

Background Social distancing is an effective preventative policy for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that is enforced by governments worldwide. However, significant variations are observed in following the policy across individuals and countries. Arguably, differences in citizens’ adherence actions will be influenced by their perceptions about government’s plans and the information available to guide their behaviors—more so in the digital age in the realm of mass influence of social media on citizens. Insights into the underlying factors and dynamics involved with citizens’ adherence process will inform the policy makers to follow appropriate communication and messaging approaches to influence citizens’ willingness to adhere to the recommendations. Objective The aim of this study is a comparative evaluation of citizens’ adherence process to COVID-19–relevant recommendations by the government. The focus is on how three different countries’ (United States, Kuwait, and South Korea) citizens, randomly sampled, respond to governments’ pandemic guidance efforts. We draw insights into two categories of perceived government roles in managing the pandemic: (1) citizens’ perceptions of government’s role in responding to the pandemic and (2) citizens’ perceptions of government’s business reopening efforts. Undoubtedly, the internet and social media have burgeoned, with differing effects on shaping individuals’ views and assessments of the COVID-19 situation; we argue and test for the effects of information sources, social media use, and knowledge on the adherence actions. Methods We randomly sampled web-based survey data collected by a global firm in May 2020 from citizens of the United States, Kuwait, and South Korea. A nonlinear ordered probit regression, controlling for several counterfactuals, was used for analysis. The focal estimated effects of the study were compared across countries using the weighted distance between the parameter estimates. Results The total sample size was 482 respondents, of which 207 (43%) lived in the United States, 181 (38%) lived in Kuwait, and 94 (20%) lived in South Korea. The ordered probit estimation results suggest that overall, perception of government response efforts positively influenced self-adherence (P<.001) and others’ adherence (P<.001) to social distancing and sheltering. Perception of government business reopening efforts positively influenced others’ adherence (P<.001). A higher intensity of general health information source for COVID-19 had a positive effect on self-adherence (P=.003). A higher intensity of social media source use for COVID-19 positively influenced others’ adherence (P=.002). A higher intensity of knowledge on COVID-19 positively influenced self-adherence (P=.008) and negatively influenced others’ adherence (P<.001). There were country-level variations—broadly, the United States and Kuwait had better effects than South Korea. Conclusions As the COVID-19 global pandemic continues to grow and governmental restrictions are ongoing, it is critical to understand people’s frustration to reduce panic and promote social distancing to facilitate the control of the pandemic. This study finds that the government plays a central role in terms of adherence to restrictions. Governments need to enhance their efforts on publicizing information on the pandemic, as well as employ strategies for improved communication management to citizens through social media as well as mainstream information sources.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiyamini Ratnasabapathy ◽  
Ali Alashwal ◽  
Srinath Perera

PurposeThe construction industry is a major generator of waste, which has a high potential to yield a substantial amount of waste into the economy as a valuable resource. Waste trading (WT) is a sustainable strategy for improving resource utilisation and transitioning the construction industry towards the circular economy. However, resource recovery through WT is greatly impeded by several barriers which have not been highlighted in previous research. This paper aims to determine the barriers for implementing effective WT practices in the Australian construction and demolition (C&D) sector.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the aim of this research, a triangulation approach of quantitative and qualitative methods has been used. This mixed-method approach combines a comprehensive literature review, a questionnaire survey using an expert forum and semi-structured interviews with industry experts.FindingsThis study has explored a wide range of barriers to the practices of WT in the C&D sector, which have been categorised based on six perspectives. From a collective perspective, the technical barriers were found to be most important among other categories. The key individual barriers found in this study include the following: the high cost associated with sorting and processing of waste on-site, lack of consistent waste data and reporting system at project, industry and national level, insufficient secured and established market for reusable/recycled waste materials, lack of communication and coordination among stakeholders, lack of user-friendly and active web-based waste exchange systems (with reliable waste information) and lack of incentives from the government to encourage market development. Overcoming these barriers collectively would enable the wide application of WT, which in turn, would have a positive impact on the economy, environment and efficiency of the industry.Research limitations/implicationsThe outcomes of this study are based on the data collected only in the state of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia which is considered as the limitation of this study.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the body of knowledge of C&D waste management (WM) by providing the theoretical and practical implications of closing the loop material cycle by highlighting the importance of economic and environmental benefits of WT. In this study, WT has been recognised as a sustainable strategy to manage waste by identifying the barriers impeding the wider application of effective trading practices in the C&D sector. The findings are useful to WM businesses engaged to establish new circular business models and to government/regulatory bodies in developing initiatives and incentives aiming to promote WT strategies and market platforms. Further research is suggested to test and validate the findings from other jurisdictions of Australia.


2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khorsed ZAMAN

Despite the existence of almost eighty international agreements and legal instruments, there has not been a marked development in the transfer of climate change technologies to poor and the least developing countries. This article investigates the role of intellectual property rights (IPDs) and scrutinizes the effects of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) on the transfer of these technologies. It explores the TRIPS patent protection provisions and examines the associated flexibilities like compulsory licensing and parallel import options in the context of the transfer of climate change technologies. It finally concludes that the TRIPS patent protection rules, including the existing flexibilities, are one of the biggest impediments to the transfer of these technologies to poor and least developed countries. New agreements or promises on the transfer of green technologies would be fruitless if these TRIPS rules are not amended.


Author(s):  
Chung-In Moon

This chapter looks at South Korea's response to the rise of China. It establishes South Korea's growing dependence on the Chinese economy and its growing cooperation with China to manage North Korean belligerence. The rise of China creates strategic pressure on South Korea both to accommodate Chinese interests and to maintain defense cooperation with the United States, and that this policy challenge is exacerbated by politically significant anti-Japanese nationalism in South Korea. The result has been significant South Korean policy instability. The policy swings in South Korea's maneuvering between the United States and China from the government of Roh Moo-hyun to that of Lee Myung-bak and then to Park Geun-hye reveal the difficulty that great power competition during a power transition imposes on a small country.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajnish Saryal

Since the 1970s, and especially following the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, climate change has become an area of high politics, engaging the whole world at the international and diplomatic level. What matters, though, is how this translates into tangible policies at national and local levels, and how these different scales interact. Highlighting India’s unique position in international climate negotiations, this article first scrutinises various official statements and documents of the Government of India (GOI) on climate change and puts them into an analytical framework that demonstrates continuities, but also significant recent shifts. Investigating the reasons for such modifying trends and examining their consequences, the article then suggests that partly owing to recent changes in global and (geo)political contexts, but also due to an Indian re-thinking of responsibility for addressing global climate change, there is a significant new development. This seems to augur a South Asian ‘silent revolution’ in green technologies, a prudent, economically and ecologically beneficial step, not only for India but possibly a sustainable global model.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. eaax8995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharine J. Mach ◽  
Caroline M. Kraan ◽  
Miyuki Hino ◽  
A. R. Siders ◽  
Erica M. Johnston ◽  
...  

Retreat from some areas will become unavoidable under intensifying climate change. Existing deployments of managed retreat are at small scale compared to potential future needs, leaving open questions about where, when, and how retreat under climate change will occur. Here, we analyze more than 40,000 voluntary buyouts of flood-prone properties in the United States, in which homeowners sell properties to the government and the land is restored to open space. In contrast to model-based evaluation of potential future retreat, local governments in counties with higher population and income are more likely to administer buyouts. The bought-out properties themselves, however, are concentrated in areas of greater social vulnerability within these counties, pointing to the importance of assessing the equity of buyout implementation and outcomes. These patterns demonstrate the challenges associated with locally driven implementation of managed retreat and the potential benefits of experimentation with different approaches to retreat.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 221
Author(s):  
Xu Qi ◽  
Xiao Li-Jun

In order to study the role of government subsidy in a low-carbon supply chain, a two-stage game model for the subsidy of low-carbon technology and the subsidy of recycling is built. And the optimized subsidy strategy under the two kinds of subsidy policies is obtained. This paper also studies the impacts of carbon emission abatement, subsidy and the factors of subsidy on the supply chain and the government, so as to compare the two kinds of subsidy strategy. This study shows that the coefficient of environmental benefits has a positive impact on the two kinds of subsidy. The subsidy can stimulate the carbon emission abatement, and the fixed cost has a negative impact on the will of the carbon emission abatement for the enterprises. Besides, the low-carbon preference of the consumers has a positive impact on the carbon emission abatement under the subsidy of low-carbon technology. Furthermore, the government under takes the main costs of the low-carbon technology under the subsidy of low-carbon technology. The environmental benefit also has a positive impact on the subsidy and profits of the government and the profits of the supply chain under the recycling subsidy. Both kinds of subsidy strategies can achieve supply chain coordination.


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