The Low-Carbon Patent Land-grab: Bad News For Technology Transfer?

Posted on 07. Jun, 2010 by Ross in New Technologies

Low-carbon technology represents the only way that global carbon emissions can be brought under control whilst allowing the developing world to attain lifestyle equity with developed countries. Record numbers of green patents are being granted worldwide for low-carbon technologies, but is that good for the fight against climate change or simply a corporate land-grab over general intellectual property classes?

The number of low-carbon patents granted in the US hit record levels during the first quarter of the year. Whilst this has fuelled optimism amongst analysts and investors that the sector is recovering strongly from the recession, it is hard to say whether this will have a knock-on effect on climate change technology transfers, which is the name given to the process of sharing low-carbon technologies with the developing world in order to assist in development without massive increases in carbon emissions.

The Clean Energy Patent Growth Index report from intellectual property law firm Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti found that 379 clean tech patents were granted in the US during the first three months of the year, representing the highest quarterly value since the index began. Year on year, the number of low-carbon patents granted was up 50%.

Interestingly, more than half of those patents related to fuel cell technologies, with car companies responsible for a substantial majority. Those commentators thinking that the automotive industry had given up on hydrogen cars in favour of electric were obviously premature in that assessment. Solar energy technologies were the other big patent growth sector, whilst car companies also continued to battle over biofuels and hybrid vehicle technologies.

Low-carbon technologies which fail to penetrate the developing world, which is set to escalate global emissions over the next couple of decades, will fail to deliver on the investment put into them. Developed countries are just one part of the market for low-carbon technologies, and companies able to capitalise on climate change technology transfer business opportunities will be failing to realise the full financial potential of their efforts.