The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development covers 17 goals, the 17th of which is “Partnerships for the goals,” namely: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.

Under this major goal, there are 19 targets, the 17.7 of which is “Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed.”

●Current Situation

The World

Technological gap between developing and developed countries remains wide

Technology transfer plays a decisive role in the achievement of sustainable development and broad sustainable development goals. Since decades, international discussions have been focused on the equitable distribution of technologies across national borders. International efforts to supply technology to third-world countries have yet to yield fruitful results.

Photo: United Nations

There are a number of issues to attend to, which include the identification of appropriate technologies to aid the production and technology transfer across countries and enhancing capabilities of the developing countries to receive the technology by enabling human, financial, physical, and institutional capacities. A large number of developing nations need such capabilities, which causes gaps in international technology transfer.

Almost 80 international instruments and regional agreements are prevailing in this field. In the broader sense, one type is for standard setting, like TRIPS. The second type is for increasing technology transfer and capacity building in developing nations, for example, the Montreal Protocol. The Montreal Protocol also has a financing mechanism. Instruments like TRIPS and Montreal Protocol refer to developing nations. The Convention on Biodiversity has provisions for Differential Treatment. Some conventions refer to particular technologies, like the Convention on the Law of Seas. Instruments like TRIPS are binding. The binding decision depends upon the law laid out by the member states of the TRIPS agreement. Agenda 21 is soft law.

The Technology and Innovation Report 2023 released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said that economic inequality is likely to increase as green technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and electric vehicles all benefit the most from developed countries. The report calls on governments and the international community to take decisive action to prevent developing countries from missing out on opportunities for green technology development.

Source: kuey.net

China

China accounts for one-third of global green technology contribution

On November 6, 2024, the seventh Hongqiao International Economic Forum held a parallel session on “Pudong and the World: High-standard Institutional Opening-up for New Development Opportunities” at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). Former UN Under-Secretary-General Erik Solheim said at the forum that in the past, people’s focus was on China’s economic development and poverty alleviation, but in the new era, people are paying more attention to high-quality development and green development, both of which are crucial.

He said that China has become a leader in green technology, and its green technology is cheaper and more technologically advanced. In 2023, China accounted for one-third of the global contribution to the field of green technology, making a huge contribution to the future of green technology. China invested US$900 billion in sustainable energy, 20 times the size of Nepal’s economy, Solheim said.

Source: 21st Century Business Herald

●Cases

The World

IDB Invest mobilizes the largest renewable energy financing in the Caribbean for AES

IDB Invest provided a loan package of approximately US$368 million to AES Dominicana Renewable Energy S.A. (ADRE), a subsidiary of The AES Corporation in the Dominican Republic, to finance the design, construction and operation of three new non-conventional renewable energy (NCRE) projects totaling 240MWac of installed capacity, and to refinance the short-term debt of three additional renewable energy projects totaling 150MWac of installed capacity.

Photo: IDB Invest

The financing package consists of US$37 million from IDB Invest and US $331 million mobilized from 21 financial institutions. IDB Invest, together with Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S.A. (Bladex), JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan) and The Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank), led the underwriting process as joint lead arrangers and bookrunners. The transaction was 2.0x times oversubscribed with more than US$485 million orders. This transaction is the largest financing for renewable energy projects for a Caribbean economy.

Source: IDB Invest

Chevron improves waste management

Chevron seeks to explore alternatives to improve circularity in its waste management by reusing, recycling or recovering materials previously destined for disposal. Since 2021, one of the Chevron Nigeria Limited operations has been diverting incinerator ash destined for landfill disposal to a third-party waste management facility. The facility is processing the ash into base material for cement production.

Photo: Chevron

In 2023, the operation was able to begin diverting additional batches of ash, which had been stored onsite in anticipation of such waste upcycling opportunities.

Source: Chevron

China

Hytera supports Airports corporation of Angola in green operations

Photo: Hytera’s WeChat official account

In 2024, Airports corporation of Angola (SGA) cooperated with Hytera to successfully upgrade the airport’s modern communication intercom system. Relying on Hytera’s ACCESSNET-T IP intelligent system and DIB-R5 outdoor base station, SGA achieves full signal coverage of the TETRA communication network at the airport, which can meet the communication needs of more areas and provide the staff of ground handling, security, passenger services, equipment maintenance and other departments with communication support. Its low-power design and remote configuration upgrades can effectively help SGA reduce operation and maintenance costs.

Source: Hytera’s WeChat official account

CESEC expands market in the Philippines and Indonesia

Photo: SED’s WeChat official account

Since the beginning of 2024, CESEC, a subsidiary of CEC, has actively planned to expand its business overseas, focusing on data centers, semiconductors, new energy, smart parks and other industry sectors, leveraging its technological strength, linking high-quality supply chain partners, and actively and steadily exploring overseas markets. As of April 9, 2024, CESEC has established an overseas business preparatory group and is accelerating the implementation of key projects such as the mechanical and electrical general construction contracting for the BIT data center in the Philippines. It has set up a representative office in Indonesia to participate in its domestic projects and radiate to neighboring countries. The relevant person in charge stated that in 2024, CESEC would complete the construction of the organizational structure, cultivate sales and marketing capabilities, and strive to achieve the first-year revenue target.

Source: SED’s WeChat official account

●Background

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiated by the United Nations

On January 1, 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including 169 targets, of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force. Countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change while ensuring that no one is left behind.