In China, renewable energy technological innovation (RETI) is the core pathway to addressing climate change and achieving carbon neutrality. Using the dataset from 30 provinces in China during 2007–2018, this paper provides a detailed analysis of the moderating role of Intellectual Property Rights protection in RETI's impact on carbon emissions. A deeper understanding of the impact of intellectual property rights (IPR) protection on the carbon reduction effect of RETI can provide policymakers with more specific information to support SDG 7 and 13.

This research studied different heating systems in China and Europe. The sensitivity analysis found that electrifying heating systems with heat pumps can reduce household heating costs and mitigate European cities’ dependence on natural gas, providing policy recommendations on future building cost-effective retrofits and heating electrification in Europe.

The demand for solar energy as a clean way to power human lives is increasing, but solar panels are land-intensive and may compete for space with farms. In this article, the authors examine how agrivoltaics (combining farming and solar technologies) can provide synergistic benefits together rather than in isolation, showing positive benefits in climate mitigation, climate resilience, and land equivalent ratios. This contributes to SDGs 2 (ensuring the promotion of sustainable agriculture), 7 (harnessing sunlight to power society), and 13 (agrivoltaics as a way to combat climate change).

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Heavy duty freight transportation is a key part of global transportation, but is a large contributor to growing CO2 emissions. Here the authors design an on-board system for heavy duty vehicles to capture CO2 as it is released. This supports SDGs 7 (reducing CO2 emissions toward clean energy), 9 (modifications to existing vehicles to mitigate carbon emissions) and 13 (reducing emissions that contribute to climate change).

“From electric vehicles to lifesaving drugs, clean and green tech, to AI and digital technologies – IP can be the vehicle to turn bold new ideas into real world impact” said World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Director General Daren Tang in a video address to mark World IP Day 2024. This paper proposes a responsible intellectual property (IP) strategy (R-IPS) framework based on five exploratory case studies of sustainable companies in energy, nutrition, consumer electronics, manufacturing and water treatment sectors. These companies responsibly use IP assets to create positive social and environmental impact (or reduce negative impact), and unlock new opportunities for financial (economic) gains.

World Intellectual Property Day 2024 is highlighting the critical importance of intellectual property (IP) in catalyzing the human innovation and creativity needed for achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This paper integrates innovation research with intellectual property law to explore how such a systemic collaboration for sustainable innovation should be characterised, and how the intellectual property rights (IPR) system could be shaped to support it. The paper highlights that reaching sustainability objectives depends on system-level innovations; system-level innovation for sustainability calls for new forms of collaboration; current IPR regime limits systemic collaborations for sustainable innovations and new IPR system and tools are needed to facilitate systemic collaboration.

Fossil fuel utilization as an energy resource is the main cause of CO2 emission; therefore, a new energy economic concept is required to achieve carbon neutrality to mitigate climate change impacts. Here, the authors propose a green-alcohol (green-ol) economy wherein green-ol, a major chemical used in CO2 recycling, can serve as fuel for land (e.g. ethanol) and air transport (e.g. butanol), and as a liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC, e.g. methanol) for green hydrogen.

As the world scrambles to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, hydrogen has emerged as a potential silver bullet to help mitigate climate change. Hydrogen has been in consideration as a potential aid to decarbonization for over 50 years. However, it is only now that it has gained traction in government strategies, business plans, and the media. But what makes the attention given to hydrogen in the 2020s different from the 1970s? This article relates to SDGs 7 and 13.

This article, relating to SDGs 7 and 13, details Europe's race to maintain its position as a leader in renewable energy as global green wars intensify. Although Europe is investing heavily in new green technologies, they face significant challenges including increasing competition from countries like China and the US, as well as political and economic challenges.