What is the Two Degrees of Innovation Platform?

What is innovation beyond the lab?

Innovation needs to be understood as an integrated process that extends far beyond research in the lab. The Two Degrees of Innovation Platform therefore works to enable innovations along the entire value chain, in design, in manufacturing processes, in siting and operations and in how low carbon energy is integrated into the grid. Good solutions also need to spread more quickly. Currently, it can take decades for a new technology to become standard practice in the power sector – too slow to achieve the necessary near-term reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions.

What is the global innovation ecosystem?

An effective and robust international innovation system can catalyze new solutions and enable their spread. The beginning of this system already exists in the organic network of businesses, governments, universities and donors that currently work on low carbon energy. WRI provides the Two Degrees of Innovation Platform to work with this community of practice to explicitly support and strengthen the global innovation system for low-carbon energy.

What does the Two Degrees of Innovation Platform do?

The Platform articulates a vision for the international innovation system and identifies a path to get there. The Platform will provide answers to question such as: What policy changes in international technology cooperation are needed? What supporting roles can institutions like the Clean Energy Ministerial and the United Nations’ climate technology mechanism play – and how can they do them better? How can emerging economies build an innovation capacity and participate as full partners in this system? How can innovation be central to low carbon energy deployment and public finance?