Fast-tracking Green Patent Applications: An Empirical Analysis

In recent years, innovation has topped the agenda of policymakers worldwide as they seek to promote green growth and advance sustainable development. As a result, several countries - including Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States - have put in place green patent fast-tracking programmes with the aim of accelerating the development and diffusion of environment-friendly technologies. Most recently, China and Brazil have also adopted such measures.This study by Antoine Dechezleprêtre, a Research Fellow at the Grantham Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics (LSE), is the first empirical analysis of these programmes. Fast-tracking procedures - which allow applications to be examined and granted at a faster pace than regular patent applications - enable applicants to start licensing their technologies sooner and reach the market more rapidly.