In an effort to lessen the effects of climate change, the Goa government is looking into energy options like floating solar power plants, hydrogen energy, and a carbon exchange scheme, according to chief minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday.
Although he acknowledged the need for such green technology for the planet’s future, he cautioned that patents and intellectual property rights could make the adoption of green technology expensive and cumbersome.
At the Global Intellectual Property Conference (GIPC) 2023, Sawant stated that corporations and inventors must strike a balance between recovering their research investments and the pressing need to lower carbon emissions.
“In Goa, we are launching three audacious green initiatives that we are currently putting into action. A research center for hydrogen and a hub for the production of solar panels and electrolyzers are just a few examples of the cutting-edge technology being tested, according to Sawant.
Additionally, he said that the government is developing a “historic plan” for a novel carbon exchange system utilizing trees.
“Green technology development, however, is not without difficulty. Intellectual property rights are one of the main issues facing green technology, according to the chief minister.
The legal rights that people and businesses have over their innovations or new technologies are referred to as intellectual property rights (IPR). Because it encourages and protects innovation and research into new technologies, IPR is essential for the development of green technology.
“Innovators and businesses would not be able to recover the cost of R&D, which would impede innovation, without the protection of IPR. IPR protection, however, has a few drawbacks. It encourages creativity on the one hand, but it can also impede the advancement and application of green technologies, according to Sawant.
Sawant noted that IPR protection may increase the cost of green technology, which may delay the adoption of new technology, in his address to IPR professionals, specialists, start-ups, and green tech firms.
Finding a balance between IPR and the requirement to use green technology is one way to address this issue. This may be accomplished through patent pools and licensing agreements. By continuing to provide funding to entrepreneurs, will enable the widespread use of technology, according to Sawant.
