Public financing of innovation: new questions

Economic theory justifies policy when there are concrete market failures. The article shows how in the case of innovation, successful policies that have led to radical innovations have been more about market shaping and creating through direct and pervasive public financing, rather than market fixing. The paper reviews and discusses evidence for this in three key areas: (i) the presence of finance from public sources across the entire innovation chain; (ii) the concept of ‘mission-oriented’ policies that have created new technological and industrial landscapes; and (iii) the entrepreneurial and lead investor role of public actors, willing and able to take on extreme risks, independent of the business cycle. We further illustrate these three characteristics for the case of clean technology, and discuss how a market-creating and -shaping perspective may be useful for understanding the financing of transformative innovation needed for confronting contemporary societal challenges

Evolving the narrative for protecting a rapidly changing ocean, post‐COVID‐19

The ocean is the linchpin supporting life on Earth, but it is in declining health due to an increasing footprint of human use and climate change. Despite notable successes in helping to protect the ocean, the scale of actions is simply not now meeting the overriding scale and nature of the ocean's problems that confront us. Moving into a post-COVID-19 world, new policy decisions will need to be made. Some, especially those developed prior to the pandemic, will require changes to their trajectories; others will emerge as a response to this global event. Reconnecting with nature, and specifically with the ocean, will take more than good intent and wishful thinking. Words, and how we express our connection to the ocean, clearly matter now more than ever before. The evolution of the ocean narrative, aimed at preserving and expanding options and opportunities for future generations and a healthier planet, is articulated around six themes: (1) all life is dependent on the ocean; (2) by harming the ocean, we harm ourselves; (3) by protecting the ocean, we protect ourselves; (4) humans, the ocean, biodiversity, and climate are inextricably linked; (5) ocean and climate action must be undertaken together; and (6) reversing ocean change needs action now. This narrative adopts a ‘One Health’ approach to protecting the ocean, addressing the whole Earth ocean system for better and more equitable social, cultural, economic, and environmental outcomes at its core. Speaking with one voice through a narrative that captures the latest science, concerns, and linkages to humanity is a precondition to action, by elevating humankind's understanding of our relationship with ‘planet Ocean’ and why it needs to become a central theme to everyone's lives. We have only one ocean, we must protect it, now. There is no ‘Ocean B’

State Action Plans on Climate Change in India Framing, processes, and drivers : a report on the round table dialogue, 27th April 2013

The workshop provoked questions regarding the feasibility of state action plans on climate change (SAPCC planning) based on long term sectoral forecasts – given challenges with generating and accessing existing climate data, as well as state torpor in addressing current development and environmental issues. Participants also rued the lack of capacity among central institutions to generate and disseminate regional scale climate data. The intended focus of the workshop was the domestic SAPCC process and what makes climate change planning distinctive from regular planning exercises

Building the Hinge : Reinforcing National and Global Climate Governance Mechanisms; proceedings of a workshop held at Neemrana Fort-Palace, Alwar, 5th - 7th December 2013

This event was part of a series of collaborative fora hosted by Southern research institutes – for this workshop, the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi and the MAPS programme at the Energy Research Centre, Cape Town - to stimulate conversation about global and national governance of development and climate change, in the context of local planning and in the lead up to negotiation of the 2015 UNFCCC agreement

Preparing for Climate Change in the Klamath Basin

iii, 36 p.The Klamath Basin of southern Oregon and northern California is rich in history, culture, and natural resources. This report explores how the local communities and natural resources of the Klamath Basin are expected to be affected by climate change and identifies approaches to preparing for such changes. Many of the impacts from climate change are already becoming apparent, such as an increasing average global temperature, rising sea levels, earlier snow melt, loss of snow pack, and changing precipitation patterns and storm frequency. Without severe cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions, these impacts and others will continue to accelerate and negatively affect local communities and natural resources. While efforts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases are essential to prevent the most severe impacts, we must also take steps to prepare for the impacts of climate change already inevitable due to emissions that have previously been released.This project was made possible with the support of the following: USDA Forest Service Mapped Atmosphere-Plant-Soil Systems (MAPSS) Team ESRI Conservation Grants Program Bella Vista Foundation Kresge Foundation Lazar Foundation Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board Wilburforce Foundatio