14 research outputs found
South-South technology transfer of low-carbon innovation: large Chinese hydropower dams in Cambodia
Large dams have been controversially debated for decades due to their largeāscale and often irreversible social and environmental impacts. In the pursuit of lowācarbon energy and climate change mitigation, hydropower is experiencing a new renaissance. At the forefront of this renaissance are Chinese actors as the world's largest hydropower damābuilders. This paper aims to discuss the role of SouthāSouth technology transfer of lowācarbon energy innovation and its opportunities and barriers by using a case study of the first large Chineseāfunded and Chineseābuilt dam in Cambodia. Using the Kamchay Dam as an example, the paper finds that technology transfer can only be fully successful when host governments and organizations have the capacity to absorb new technologies. The paper also finds that technology transfer in the dam sector needs to go beyond hardware and focus more on the transfer of expertise, skills and knowledge to enable longāterm sustainable development
Global Norms in Domestic Politics: Environmental Norm Contestation in Cambodiaās Hydropower Sector
This paper studies environmental norm contestation in Cambodia's hydropower sector, exemplified by the Kamchay Dam. In Cambodia we can observe different discourses in relation to hydropower. These stem directly from a local contest over the path of Cambodia's development, but use global norms as reference points: one emphasizes environmental protection, using environmental impact assessment (EIA) as point of reference; and one emphasizes the utility of the clean development mechanism (CDM) to attract large-scale investment into the energy sector while downplaying the need for environmental protection. While EIA and CDM are complementary, key actors present them as contradictory. This produces a normative fragmentation of the field of environmental protection. The paper argues that the norm diffusion literature, by presenting norm conflicts as hierarchical localāglobal conflicts, has paid insufficient attention to the fact that local actors actively draw on global norms to justify domestic development policies. More emphasis on this phenomenon will lead to a better understanding of the role of global norms in domestic politics and will enhance our knowledge of how domestic development policies are contested
Chinese Overseas Hydropower Dams and Social Sustainability: The Bui Dam in Ghana and the Kamchay Dam in Cambodia.
There is a shortage of empirical studies on the relationship between Chinese hydropower dams and social sustainability. Comparative research on Chinese-funded and Chinese-built hydropower projects is rare. This article aims to fill parts of this gap by discussing these issues in relation to Chinese overseas hydropower dams in Ghana (Bui Dam) and Cambodia (Kamchay Dam). Both projects are built by Sinohydro and financed by ExIm Bank. This article draws on in-depths interviews and focus group discussions with local communities affected by the dams, institutional actors in Ghana and Cambodia, Chinese actors, and dam builders. The article uses an environmental justice perspective as an analytical framework. The article concludes that the dam projects could improve their social sustainability framework in practice and theory; social benchmarking should be introduced and social policies need to be improved to be in line with international social standards on hydropower projects
China's rise: Challenging the North-South technology transfer paradigm for climate change mitigation and low carbon energy
Historically, technology transfer from the global North to China played a large role in renewable energy pathways in China, particularly for wind energy, partly also for solar energy. Yet, the rise of China and other emerging economies means a shift away from a reliance on technology transfer and production capabilities to strengthening indigenous innovation capabilities. Drawing on evidence from the hydropower, solar and wind energy industry in China, the paper introduces the concept of āgeographies of technology transfer and cooperationā and challenges the North-South technology transfer and cooperation paradigm for low carbon innovation and climate change mitigation. The empirical evidence shows that for low carbon innovation, the conception that China is lacking behind in innovation capabilities is partly outdated. Instead, there is an increase in indigenous innovation capabilities, resulting in South-South technology transfer and cooperation as well as elements of āreverseā South-North technology cooperation