Conference Agenda

Reducing climate vulnerability remains a global challenge. However, most developing countries and African countries in particular, are more vulnerable to climate change. Technological innovation, which is proving its worth in developed countries, can help reduce this climate vulnerability. The aim of this study is therefore to analyze the effect of technological innovation on climate vulnerability in a sample of 32 African countries over the period from 1995 to 2020. We combine different identification strategies and the following results are established. First, using driscoll and kray and two step system generalized method of moment, we find evidence that technological innovation reduce climate vulnerability. Second, we show that the effect of technological innovation is heterogeneous to the level of income. More specifically, we show that while technological innovation reduce climate vulnerability in high income countries, it is not the case of lower income countries. Third, the effect of technological innovation on climate vulnerability varies according to the evolution of climatic vulnerability. Fourth we find that the quality of institutions reduce the good effects of technological innovation on climate vulnerability. African economies would therefore benefit from boosting technological innovation and improving their institutional frameworks to reduce their vulnerability to climate change

It is evident that climate innovation is significant to transition from high carbon emitting to zero carbon emitting electricity generation in the power sector to achieve the net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions goal by 2050. Globally, solar PV technology is a leading climate technology innovation driving the energy sector to reach climate neutrality, but little is known about the factors that influences the adoption in Nigeria. The main purpose of this study was to identify the factors to influence households interest in solar PV technology in Lagos state to advance the progress of the adoption in Nigeria. Quantitative survey research design with multi stage, purposive, simple random and snowballing sampling techniques were employed. A total of 585 valid responses comprising of 230 adopters and 355 potential adopters were analysed with partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 3.0. Built on diffusion of innovation theory the study revealed that consumer independent judgment making, observability, complexity, trust in PV industry, trust in social network and social curiosity had significant influence on household interest in solar PV technology adoption. The research concludes that the factors of innovativeness, characteristics of the innovation, communication channels and the mediator, social curiosity stimulated interest in solar PV adoption in Lagos state. The implications of the findings are formulating of public policies that will promote adoption and the development of marketing strategies for solar PV technology.