THE THIRD AIPPI-ASIPI WEBINAR ON “THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF INNOVATION ON CLIMATE CHANGE” ON 29 AUGUST 2024

On August 29, 2024, AIPPI (Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle) in conjunction with the ASIPI (Asociación Interamericana de la Propiedad Intelectual) organized a third AIPPI-ASIPI Webinar on ‘The Positive Impact of Innovation on Climate Change’

This webinar brings together industry leaders and professionals to explore the powerful role that innovation plays in addressing one of the greatest challenges of our time. The AIPPI ‘s panel of experts shared their insights on how innovations in technology, renewable energy, and sustainability can drive positive change and create a more environmentally conscious future.

First, Mr. Marco M. Aleman from WIPO emphasized the urgency of addressing climate change and presented the positive impact of innovation on tackling climate change. He outlined global commitments like the Paris Agreement and highlighted national strategies (e.g., the European Green Deal and Biden’s climate policies). With the ambitious goals set by world leaders at COP26 and COP28 to limit global warming to 2°C and aim for 1.5°C by the end of the century, substantial investments in environmental technologies are needed. Particularly in focus are environmental sound technologies (ESTs) related to energy, transportation, and building sectors.

Policy-push and market-pull drivers are essential for the development of clean technologies. After the 1973 oil crisis, clean technology grew at 6% annually but slowed to 0% growth from 2012-2017. However, energy-related technologies continue to expand rapidly, especially in the field of renewable energy. Environmental technology-related patent applications increased by an average of 9.5% globally from 2011-2021, with significant growth seen in solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal energy. The cost of renewable energy has also dropped, making new energy capacity cheaper than traditional energy sources. However, there is still room for innovation, especially in combining technological advancements with economic benefits for consumers.

China, Japan, and South Korea lead in innovation for renewable energy, such as solar and hydrogen technologies. Europe, particularly Denmark and Germany, also contribute significantly to green tech innovations.

Next, Ms. Magda Voltolini from Erganeo – a French technology transfer company indicated patent statistics in France using Patentsight indicators. Public budget investment in patents and green technologies is emphasized as necessary public accelerate innovation. The charts show the number of climate-related patents from French academic institutions that are frequently cited in scientific works, with the most cited by third parties being those on electrode materials and energy storage, critical for electric vehicles and batteries.

The Y02-Y04 groups in the Cooperative patent classification (CPC) are often used to identify patents that support global initiatives on climate change. CEA, CNRS and IFPEN are the French leaders in portfolio size since 2010. CEA portfolio in energy storage comprises 90 patents, in which 46 have the code Y02. However, market coverage of key patent technologies is low because patents are not yet granted or only granted in France. Therefore, the major challenge lies in expanding patent reach, not only at the national level but globally, to achieve climate goals.

Finally, the experts concluded that Innovation is key to combating climate change, and intellectual property rights are essential in incentivizing and safeguarding groundbreaking solutions.

In addtion, Vietnam is one of the countries most severely affected by climate change. Under the impact of climate change, Vietnam has witnessed numerous environmental changes and negative effects on people’s lives in man aspects such as  economy, society, agriculture, water resources, environment and ecosystems.

Vietnam is striving to develop green technologies to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment. The registration of patents related to green technology is also increasing, encouraging businesses and scientists to innovate sustainable solutions. However, the development of green technology in Vietnam still faces many challenges, including investment capital, human resources, and access to international technological advancements.

Climate change is a global issue, and Vietnam alone cannot solve it. Therefore, international cooperation must be further strengthened to seize opportunities for the transfer of new-generation technologies, financial investments, and international expertise in coping with climate change.