The U.S. House of Representatives today voted overwhelmingly to establish new U.S. policy in opposition to any global climate change treaty that weakens the intellectual property rights of American green technology.  The vote comes as U.S. diplomats prepare for climate change negotiations in Copenhagen this December as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The House-passed amendment to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act offered by U.S. Reps. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) requires the President, the Secretary of State and America’s U.N. Ambassador to oppose any climate change treaty that would weaken intellectual property rights related to energy or environmental technology.

“American innovations in clean energy technology create good-paying jobs today and will fuel our country’s economic growth in the future,” said Larsen. “As we combat global climate change, we cannot afford to lose this opportunity for job creation by forfeiting the right of American companies to the innovations they develop.”

“As strong supporters of bipartisan action to combat global climate change, we should recognize the opportunity to create millions of American ‘green jobs’ by investing in clean, alternative, renewable and energy efficient technologies,” said Congressman Kirk, a member of the U.S. delegation to Kyoto in 1997.  “But these jobs will not be created if a new treaty allows foreign competitors to seize the inventions of American scientists and manufacturers.”

On May 19th, the UNFCCC released its draft negotiating text, which included a section calling for the removal of “barriers to development and transfer of technologies from developed to developing country Parties arising from the intellectual property rights (IPR) protection including…compulsory licensing for specific patented technologies.”

If approved, such a provision would significantly weaken the U.S. economy.  By 2030, industries with green-collar jobs could provide up to 40 million American jobs and generate up to $4.53 trillion in annual revenue.  American inventors hold 50% of the world’s patents in the clean energy field, 52% of patents in fuel cells, nearly half the world’s wind patents, 46% of the world’s solar patents and 40% of the world’s patents in the hybrid/electric vehicle market.

The Larsen-Kirk amendment was endorsed by the Solar Energy Industries Association, National Hydrogen Association, National Association of Manufacturers, Edison International, Westinghouse, PV Powered, Eaton, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Chamber of Commerce China, and the Emergency Committee for American Trade.

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