“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.