Intellectual property rights can influence the speed at which a particular technology might spread, the report found.

For example, the lag in the spread of clean technology is mirrored by the time it takes for a patent to become widely used in inventions -- an average 24 years across the sectors.

"Markets will deliver the technology we need, but it takes too long," said Bernice Lee, research director for energy, environment and resource governance at Chatham House.

"A patent portfolio is a form of currency that can be used to attract venture capital, facilitate entry into strategic alliances, provide protection against litigation and create opportunities for mergers and acquisitions," Chatham House said.

International cooperation is needed to double technology diffusion rates. Currently, cooperation on innovation is mainly on a national, not international, basis.

When world leaders meet in Copenhagen this December to set a new global climate pact, they should focus on stepping up joint venture companies, cross-licensing agreements and joint manufacturing programmes, the think tank recommended.

Removing bottlenecks from patent registration, introducing incentives for open innovation and improving technology standards bodies could all accelerate diffusion.

The report also recommended greater collaboration between countries on research and development, more public funding for high-risk technologies such as carbon capture and a global licensing database to speed up patent registration.

Countering climate change will require a far higher technology deployment rate than the greatest ever annual rate of any given clean energy technology, the think tank found.

"In all cases, the proposed (climate) targets far exceed the current rate of deployment," the think tank said in the report.