Innovation for the environment René Kemp UNU-MERIT, ICIS, DRIFT Presentation 3 Environment and Sustainable Development course UNU-MERIT PhD programme

Innovation is many things

Environmental technologies consists of new and modified processes, equipment, products, techniques and management systems that avoid or reduce harmful environmental impacts They may be grouped in 5 categories:  Treatment technology  Clean production processes  Green energy technology  Environmental measurement and management  Consumer products Environmental benefits may also be achieved through system changes (system innovation).

Innovation is created in distributed systems of knowledge and its success depends on economic frame conditions and many other factors not under the control of the innovator this is true for normal innovation and for environmental innovation

[1][1] The term “continuous” refers to a continuing process in which there may be some discontinuities.

Input from industry n Input to industry 1 Input to industry 2 Input to industry n Final Consumers Output linkages ‘Subject industry’ Input linkages DEMAND CONDITIONS (Shape product quality, productivity, standards, social acceptability etc.) CAPITAL AND INTERMEDIATE GOODS (Materials, energy use, sub-system technologies, knowledge inputs etc.) PRODUCTION PROCESS (Design, materials selection, use of inputs, process technologies) Input from industry B  regulations socio- cult. constraints  standards  legal framework etc  infrastructures  settlement structures  infrastructures Input from industry A Production process END PRODUCT The production chain

Innovation is a systemic, dynamic process involving increasing returns to adoption and inherent uncertainties Technological innovation is part of trajectories and patterns (Pavitt; van de Poel) and depends on institutional innovation (in policy, markets, organisation, beliefs and values) for its development and use Basics about innovation

Appropriate technologies for developing countries Large scale or small scale Building on indigenous capabilities and traditions (example of biogas) How to make them fit (mutual alignment)? Possibilities for leapfrogging?