Foreword
What does patent data reveal about global progress in green innovation, and what can be achieved in years to come?
There is no doubt that the role of innovation in the global transition to a green economy continues to be critical to its eventual delivery. Whether this transition will take place quickly enough to prevent the worst effects of climate change remains to be seen. There are several factors which continue to affect the rate of innovation in solving the problems presented by climate change. Over the last few years, our Green Innovation: Progress Reports have highlighted several examples of positive correlation between government regulatory intervention and significant growth in green technology innovation. However, the green transition continues to battle for attention with a changing geo-political climate and unstable economic outlook. In the face of these other major considerations, will the early visible impacts of climate change be enough to force the attention of society, governments and businesses, onto the things that can be done to speed up the transition and avoid some of the worst impact? Or, will these other concerns command the near-term attention and slow down our transition? Upon publication of this report, COP29 is already underway, with world leaders meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, to advance solutions to climate change in the face of this headwind. Encouragingly, this report demonstrates ongoing commitment to technological solutions addressing industrial and environmental impacts.
While the COVID-19 pandemic may have slowed progress in technological innovation, our fourth edition of Inside Green Innovation: Progress Report, indicates that the rate of green technological innovation, represented by patent filings, continues to pick up momentum across a wide range of sectors. However, technology development and roll-out are dependent upon more than just the ability to innovate. This becomes evident when looking at patent filing rates in territories where regulations and high-level policy are keeping pace with innovation. Innovators in these territories are typically leading the way when it comes to the development of new technologies in their respective sectors. High-level progress made at international events such as COP should not be understated, but in some ways the agreements that are reached are only an early step in a much longer process. Achieving the agreed targets, while also maintaining a recognisable way of life, will require development and implementation of a wide range of new technologies within a supportive wider national and international infrastructure.
Inside Green Innovation: Progress Report (Fourth Edition) Our report examines patent data to provide insight into the rate of development of new green technologies, across several key sectors. One of the great benefits of the patent system is that it requires public disclosure of new innovations. These disclosures provide a valuable resource for understanding the current state of the art, as well as for identifying the developing industries, current problems, and new advantages that innovation brings to the world. This report combines our experience of working with technology experts and the patent system, viewed against the backdrop of global patent data, to produce a data-driven analysis that reveals progress in green innovation.
Building on the response to last year’s third edition of our report, we have again both broadened and refined the scope for this year. We take a fresh look at some previously visited areas of innovation, including: sustainable plastics technology, low carbon energy such as hydrogen and nuclear, battery technology, carbon capture and sustainable food sources. This fourth edition of our Inside Green Innovation: Progress Report additionally includes analyses of technological developments in transport (automotive and aerospace), and looks into the use of gene editing technology in agriculture. Energy (hydrogen, nuclear, batteries): establishing low carbon energy sources will be an increasingly important aspect of future energy production. In this report, we investigate nuclear and hydrogen-based power and provide insight into the state of innovation in these fields and the challenges faced. Producing low carbon energy is only a part of the solution - efficient storage of energy is also a key part of the solution. Lithium-ion batteries have been at the forefront of a revolution in renewable battery technology since they hit the market in 1991, but are not without limitations. This year in the face of the geo-political issues around lithium supply we take a deep dive into lithium recycling technology. Transport (aerospace and automotive): in this year’s report, for the first time, we delve into the global innovation trends of patent filings in the green transport sector. From the skies above, sustainable aviation looks to new fuel types and disruptive solutions to gain momentum towards net-zero carbon emissions. Whilst on the ground we look into how the automotive market is leveraging new technologies such as EV and hydrogen to move towards a greener future for the industry. Materials (bioplastics, plastics recycling, and carbon capture): the concerns associated with plastic use are well-publicised. We identify and assess innovation trends in bioplastics, and leading recycling technologies. We also explore developments in capturing greenhouse gases emitted from power generating and manufacturing processes (CCUS), as well as from the wider atmosphere (DAC). Food (gene editing in agriculture and alternative protein - cultivated meat, plant-based meat, insect protein): the human population has expanded dramatically over the last century, and expansion is projected to continue for the next. Feeding a growing population in a sustainable manner is a significant problem facing humanity. Protein is a major part of our diet, but one of the most environmentally damaging to produce, traditionally through livestock rearing. We review the more environmentally promising alternative protein technologies that are on the horizon - covering cultivated meat, insect protein and plant-based meat. This year we look again at the use of the revolutionary new gene editing technology known as CRISPR in agriculture.
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