As global decision-makers ponder how to help developing countries lower their carbon emissions and adapt to the effects of climate change, there is much talk of eliminating trade and intellectual property barriers so that poorer countries can acquire the necessary technologies. However, there is a growing recognition that this is not the only way to equip poor nations to cope with climate change.

When it comes to cutting-edge technologies, parallels are sometimes made with the pharmaceuticals sector, where negotiations paved the way for cut-price anti-retroviral drugs – used to treat HIV-Aids – to be made available to people in developing countries. And there are reputational and business benefits for companies doing “the right thing” by providing affordable goods, services and technologies to poor countries.