Green Patents

Green Patents

This PowerBI dashboard presents a comprehensive analysis of green technology patenting activity across 15 OECD countries, including Canada. The data leverages the Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) system to categorize patents into key sectors addressing climate adaptation and mitigation. The sectors include:

  1. Technologies for Adaptation to Climate Change: Innovations such as flood defenses, drought-resilient crops, and infrastructure to combat extreme weather.

  2. Climate Change Mitigation in Buildings and Appliances: Energy-efficient materials, smart appliances, and advanced insulation for reducing energy use.

  3. Capture, Storage, Sequestration, or Disposal of Greenhouse Gases (GHG): Carbon capture and storage technologies to trap and store COâ‚‚ emissions.

  4. Mitigation Technologies in Wastewater and Waste Management: Biogas production from waste, advanced recycling, and methane-reducing wastewater treatment.

  5. Mitigation in Transportation: Electric vehicles, biofuels, and innovations in public transportation systems.

  6. Mitigation in Goods Production and Processing: Renewable energy integration in manufacturing and emission-reducing processes in heavy industries.

  7. Mitigation in ICT: Energy-efficient data centers, low-power devices, and optimization software for ICT operations.

  8. Reduction of GHG Emissions in Energy Generation and Distribution: Renewable energy technologies like solar and wind, alongside smart grid systems.

  9. Smart Grids and Power Network Systems Integration: Advanced metering, demand response, and renewable energy integration for efficient power distribution.

The dashboard captures patent activity for both assignees (organizations) and inventors (individuals), offering insights into global innovation trends in green technologies.

Source of data used in this Dashboard: United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)

1. General Trends

  • Green technology patent filings surged significantly in the early 2000s, reflecting global prioritization of climate solutions.

  • Assignees dominate patent filings across most categories, highlighting the role of corporations and institutions in driving green innovation.

2. Sector-Specific Trends

  • Reduction of GHG Emissions in Energy Generation and Distribution leads all categories, underscoring the emphasis on decarbonizing energy systems with renewable energy and smart grid innovations.

  • Mitigation Technologies in Transportation shows strong growth, reflecting advancements in electric and hybrid vehicles, biofuels, and public transit systems.

  • Capture, Storage, Sequestration, or Disposal of GHG patents exhibit steady growth, aligned with increased investments in carbon capture technologies as part of global climate strategies.

  • Technologies for Adaptation to Climate Change demonstrate a consistent upward trajectory, addressing infrastructure needs to cope with extreme weather events.

  • Smart Grids and Power Network Systems Integration experienced rapid growth in the last decade, highlighting efforts to modernize energy distribution systems and integrate renewables.

  • Mitigation Technologies in Wastewater and Waste Management show stable growth, reflecting a focus on circular economy practices and methane reduction.

  • Buildings and Appliances and Goods Production and Processing also maintain steady upward trends, signaling sustained interest in energy efficiency across sectors.

  • ICT Mitigation grows at a slower pace but remains critical for reducing energy consumption in an increasingly digital world.

3. Assignees vs. Inventors

  • Assignees dominate high-impact categories like energy generation and transportation, indicating substantial corporate investment in scalable climate technologies.

  • Inventors contribute more evenly across all categories, particularly in emerging areas like wastewater management and ICT, reflecting the role of individual researchers and academic institutions.