The role of research and innovation measures on mitigating climate change

R&I has an essential role to play in achieving climate neutrality. The International Energy Agency (IEA) emphasizes that in the short term, the deployment of already developed technologies will be crucial for global emissions reductions. In the long term, however, much of the emissions reduction will come from technologies that are not yet ready for the market (IEA, 2020). R&I measures play a key role in accelerating the market ramp-up of these technologies (Meissner, Peterson, Semrau, 2024).

As part of green industrial policy, governments are increasingly pursuing the goal of combining industrial interests such as competitiveness and technological leadership with targeted R&I policies to promote climate-friendly technologies. Prominent examples of this are the Inflation Reduction Act passed under President Joe Biden in the USA, the European Clean Industrial Deal and the extensive government support for green technologies in China (Bickenbach et al., 2024; Peterson and Semrau, 2024).

Against this background, the accompanying research planned in this project has the overarching aim of investigating the significance of R&I measures for achieving climate policy goals.

Specifically, an analytical framework was developed to assess the appropriateness and effectiveness of R&I policy regarding the goal of climate neutrality. As it is often not possible to quantify the climate impact, a qualitative indicator system is developed to assess the potential for reduction based on available project information (Peterson et al., 2024).

The project focuses in particular on selected fields of innovation that can play a decisive role in achieving climate neutrality. These include

• Green hydrogen
• Battery cell technology
• Climate protection and finance.

In addition, scientific papers analyze the technology field of negative emission technologies with the experience of renewable energies in recent decades (Meissner, 2024) as well as the diffusion of green innovations along global supply chains (Semrau, 2023; Semrau, 2024).

Another focus is on applied policy advice. In this context, the project partner Technopolis is developing an R&I application that will enable the BMBF to carry out a portfolio analysis with a focus on expected climate and innovation effects of current and future BMBF research measures.

The networking of different stakeholders also plays a central role in the project. This includes the continuous exchange with experts and the organization of several workshops with leading scientists on the role of public funding in the promotion of green technologies.

Selected publications:

Bickenbach, F., Dohse, D., Langhammer, R. J., & Liu, W. H. (2024). Foulspiel? Zu Höhe und Umfang der Industriesubventionen in China (No. 173). Kiel Policy Brief. https://www.ifw-kiel.de/de/publikationen/foulspiel-zu-hoehe-und-umfang-der-industriesubventionen-in-china-32739/

Meissner, L. P., Peterson, S., & Semrau, F. O. (2024). It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon: reviewing governmental R&D support for environmental innovation. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2024.2359442

Meissner, L. P. (2024) “A Case for Promoting Negative Emission Technologies: Learning from Renewable Energy Support”, Carbon Management, 15 (1) 2319787. https://doi.org/10.1080/17583004.2024.2319787

Peterson, S.; Semrau, F. O.; Heimer, T.; Alt, M.; Shaper, J. Garber, H. (2024): “Assessing the adequacy and impact of research and innovation policy towards a climate neutral economy”, Technopolis Group Working Paper.  https://www.technopolis-group.com/report/assessing-the-adequacy-and-impact-of-research-and-innovation-policy-towards-a-climate-neutral-economy/

Peterson, S., & Semrau, F. O. (2024). Innovationspolitik für die Transformation zur Klimaneutralität. Wirtschaftsdienst, 104(5), 301-305. https://doi.org/10.2478/wd-2024-0083

Semrau, F. O. (2023): ``Chapter 8: Firms' global value chain participation and its environmental performance - A review of the empirical literature''. Handbook on Innovation, Society and the Environment. edt. by Diaz Lopez, Mazzanti and Zoboli, p. 125-139. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781802200065.00016

Semrau, F. O. (2023): “Greening global value chains: Emerging countries’ upstream industries”. UNIDO Industrial Analytics Policy Insights“. United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Policy Blog Post, Vienna, Austria. https://iap.unido.org/articles/greening-global-value-chains-emerging-countries-upstream-industries

Selected outreach activities:

2025

Nationale Kommission zur Bewertung der Innovationspolitik (CNEPI) organisiert von France Stratégie, Paris, Frankreich, März 2024. Input-Vortrag von Finn Ole Semrau (online).

Industrial Policy Lab Auftaktworkshop, organisiert vom Kiel Institut für Weltwirtschaft in Berlin, Deutschland, März 2024, Präsentation von Dirk Dohse, Teilnahme von Finn Ole Semrau.

2024

Florence School of Regulation (FSR) Annual Conference 2024 am European University Institut in Florenz, Italien, Nov. 2024, Präsentation von Leonie Meissner.

Eco-Innovation Workshop “Eco-innovation for decarbonization and circularity: aligning business and policy with planetary boundaries” am HEC Paris Campus, Paris, Frankreich, Nov. 2024, Präsentation von Finn Ole Semrau.

European Trade Study Group (ETSG) Jahreskonferenz 2024 in Athen, Griechenland, Sept. 2024, Präsentation von Finn Ole Semrau.

European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EEARE) Jahreskonferenz in Leuven, Belgien, Juli 2024. Präsentation von Leonie Meissner.

European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EEARE) Jahreskonferenz in Leuven, Belgien, Juli 2024. Präsentation von Finn Ole Semrau.

ExpertInnen-Workshop zur entwickelten ex-ante Indikatorik im Rahmen des Projekt Klima F-I, Rüsselsheim, Deutschland, Mai 2024. Organisation von Technoplis, Präsentationen von Thomas Heimer und Sonja Peterson.

PowerNet 2024: Energiekonferenz zur Vernetzung von Politik, Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft. Organisation der Session „Hydrogen Valley Norddeutschland: Grüner Wandel in einer globalisierten Welt“ von Sonja Peterson und Finn Ole Semrau. Moderation: Sonja Peterson; Input-Vortrag und Panelteilnahme: Finn Ole Semrau.

2023

Joint Research Centre der europäischen Kommission, Sevilla, Spanien, Sept.-Dez. 2023. Forschungsaufenthalt von Finn Ole Semrau innerhalb des Directorates B „Fair and Sustainable Economy“ die Unit “Industrial Strategy, Skills and Technology Transfer”.

Joint Research Centre der europäischen Kommission, Sevilla, Spanien, Nov. 2023. Präsentation von Finn Ole Semrau innerhalb der internen Vortragsreihe „Industrial Innovation and Dynamics“.

„9th European Conference on Corporate R&D and Innovation CONCORDi 2023“ organisiert von Joint Research Centre der europäischen Kommission, Sevilla, Spanien, Nov. 2023. Teilnahme von Finn Ole Semrau.

„The Role of Public Research and Innovation Measures on Mitigating Climate Change”, internationaler wissenschaftlicher Workshop im Rahmen des Projekts Klima F-I, Kiel, Deutschland, Mai, 2023. Organisation vom Kiel Institut für Weltwirtschaft. Präsentationen und inhaltliche Inputs von Thomas Heimer, Leonie Meissner, Sonja Peterson und Finn Ole Semrau.

„SEEDS Workshop 2023“, Ferrara, Italien. Präsentation von Finn Ole Semrau.

Politischen Abend zu Wasserstoff der Kiel-Region, Kiel, Deutschland, März 2023. Impulsvortrag von Finn Ole Semrau.

Political Forum der STRING Megaregion, Kiel, Deutschland, Februar 2023. Keynote von Finn Ole Semrau.

European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EEARE) Winter School, Ascona, Schweiz, Jan. 2023. Teilnahme von Leonie Meissner.

Funding reference: 01LA2101A