This Global Challenges Report analyzes the patent landscapes of four Climate Change Mitigation Technologies (CCMTs) to inform policy discussions by providing empirical evidence of innovation trends and technology ownership. The four CCMTs are biofuels, solar thermal, solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy. A broad market analysis of renewables and their policy frameworks are discussed in Section 2, followed by a scope and methodology section. The individual patent landscape analysis for each of the CCMTs is given in Sections 4 to 7, identifying and analyzing the range of patent activity, patent filings trends, top technology owners, patent concentrations, and market trends.
Each of these sections also includes anecdotal case studies to illustrate various features of the technology marketplaces and to situate the patent data into the context of market activity and business strategies. The report includes data from 1975-2011 and compares the 1975-2005 period to the 2006-2011 period.
A companion Global Challenges Brief also discusses key implications and considerations for policy and policymakers.