专利和能源转型—清洁能源技术创新的全球趋势（英）.pdf

Patents and the

energy transition

Global trends in clean energy technology innovation

April 2021

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Foreword

The energy transition needed to mitigate climate change presents challenges of unparalleled

scale and complexity. Many of the technologies needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions are

not yet fully mature, whilst the time window available for bringing them to market is closing

exploit that information to produce cutting-edge business intelligence.

Our patent classification scheme for climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies is

testament to our commitment to fulfil that role. With millions of patent documents classified

across a wide variety of climate change mitigation technologies, it has become a widely-used

standard for monitoring progress in green technologies across the world.

Our partnership with the International Energy Agency (IEA) makes it possible to further

exploit these resources. By combining the EPO’s advanced patent knowledge with the IEA’s

unparalleled technical and economic expertise in energy, we aim to support decision-making

in the public and private sectors with the best possible information on technology trends in

this field.

accelerate innovation for the technologies – some still emerging – that are poised to play an

instrumental role in the energy transition of the next 2-3 decades. By giving decision-makers

unparalleled data and analyses about innovative solutions in low-carbon energy, I am

confident that this report will help to guide them in driving the vital energy transition.

António Campinos

President, European Patent Oce

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Foreword

In March of this year top international energy and climate leaders took part in the IEA-COP26

Net Zero Summit, a key milestone in accelerating international collaboration toward clean

energy transitions.

Many of the governments present, who represented more than 80% of global GDP and

the majority of global energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, highlighted the urgent

This report examines the landscape of low-carbon energy technologies and covers the past,

present and future of clean energy innovation. Recent developments provide welcome

grounds for optimism. After a slump in patenting activity during the last decade, we have

now seen three years of growth in low-carbon energy (LCE) patenting in many key emerging

and cross-cutting technologies.

uses new approaches to identify patents related to fossil fuel technologies. The results show

fossil fuel patents declining as LCE patents grow. It is clear that to reach our shared objective

of net zero emissions, further eorts are urgently required to take this resurgence of clean

energy innovation to a new and transformational level. Policy-makers can draw on this

report to identify actions that will help bring new technologies to markets and consumers

Dr. Fatih Birol

Executive Director, International Energy Agency

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1. Introduction 21

1.1 Aim of the study 23

1.2 Structure of the report 24

2. Technology roadmap to a decarbonised economy 25

in the data 26

2.2 The rising importance of end-use and enabling technologies for clean energy 29

2.3 End-use and enabling technologies are accelerating new types of innovation 30

4.2 Top applicants in LCE technologies 49

5. Geographical distribution of low-carbon energy innovation 54

5.1. Global innovation centres 55

5.1.1 Focus on Europe 60

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Annex 2 Cartography of fossil fuel technologies 66

Annex 3 Patent metrics 67

Annex 4 Cluster analysis 68