Climate technology patents from niche to mainstream
Climate change has become one of the defining challenges of the 21st century, and the patent system offers a unique window into humanity's technological response. This chapter tracks the rise of green innovation through patents classified under the CPC's Y02Y02A CPC classification section for technologies related to climate change mitigation. Sub-categories include renewable energy (Y02E), transportation (Y02T), carbon capture (Y02C), buildings (Y02B), and industrial production (Y02P). and Y04S codes — covering everything from solar panels and wind turbines to electric vehicles, carbon capture, and smart grids.
Green Patent Volume Over 50 Years
Green patent filings grew from about 3,000 per year in the late 1970s to over 30,000 per year by the early 2020s. The sharpest acceleration followed the 2015 Paris Agreement, with batteries and EVs leading the surge. Green patents now represent approximately 10% of all utility patents granted each year.
Green Patent Volume and Share
Annual count of utility patents with at least one Y02/Y04S CPC code, 1976–2025. Green patents peaked at — in —, representing ~—% of all utility patents.
Green patenting has grown from a niche activity to roughly one in ten US patents, reflecting massive corporate and government investment in climate technology. The growth trajectory mirrors — and in some periods exceeds — the broader expansion of the patent system.
Green Technology Breakdown
Not all green technologies have followed the same trajectory. Renewable energy generation (solar and wind) led the early growth, but batteries, energy storage, and transportation (particularly electric vehicles) have emerged as the dominant categories in recent years. Carbon capture remains a smaller but rapidly growing segment.
Green Patents by Technology Sub-Category
Annual patent counts by green technology sub-category (Y02/Y04S CPC sub-codes), 1976–2025.
The green patent portfolio has diversified dramatically. While renewable energy generation once dominated, the 2010s saw an explosion in battery/storage and EV patents — reflecting the electrification of transportation as the new frontier of clean technology.
Who Leads the Green Race?
Japan historically dominated green patenting, led by Toyota and Honda in automotive technologies and Panasonic and Toshiba in energy systems. In recent years, South Korean firms (Samsung, LG, Hyundai) have surged, while US companies like General Electric and Ford have maintained strong positions.
Green Patents by Assignee Country
Annual green patent counts by primary assignee country/region, 1976–2025.
Japan's early lead in green patenting reflects its pioneering investment in hybrid vehicles and energy efficiency. South Korea's recent surge — driven by Samsung, LG, and Hyundai — shows how the competitive landscape is shifting as battery and EV technologies become central to the green transition.
Top 20 Green Patent Holders
Organizations ranked by total green patent count (Y02/Y04S classifications), 1976–2025.
The top green patent holders are dominated by automotive and electronics conglomerates — companies with massive R&D budgets and the engineering capabilities to tackle energy, transportation, and industrial decarbonization at scale.
Green AI — Where Climate Meets Artificial Intelligence
AI is increasingly being applied to climate problems — particularly in energy grid optimization, industrial process control, and transportation logistics. Patents classified under both green (Y02/Y04S) and AI-related CPC codes represent a growing intersection of two transformative technology domains.
Green AI Patent Trend
Annual count of patents classified under both Y02/Y04S (green) and AI-related CPC codes (G06N, G06F18, G06V, G10L15, G06F40), 1976–2025.
Green AI patents have surged from near zero before 2010 to a rapidly growing category, as machine learning and neural networks are applied to energy optimization, materials discovery, climate modeling, and autonomous vehicle navigation.
Green Technology × AI Subfield
Patent counts at the intersection of green sub-categories and AI subfields. Only combinations with more than 5 patents shown.
Industrial production and smart grids are the green categories most intensively adopting AI, with machine learning and neural networks as the dominant AI techniques. Computer vision plays a growing role in quality control for renewable energy manufacturing.
Having traced the rise of green innovation from niche to mainstream, the next chapter examines another transformative technology domain: artificial intelligence. Like clean technology, AI has grown explosively in the patent system and is increasingly converging with other fields -- including green technology itself.
Green patentsgreen patentsPatents classified under CPC codes Y02 (climate change mitigation) or Y04S (smart grids), covering technologies from solar and wind energy to electric vehicles and carbon capture. are identified using CPC classifications Y02 (climate change mitigation technologies) and Y04S (smart grids). Sub-categories are mapped from Y02 sub-codes: Y02E10 → Renewable Energy, Y02E60 → Batteries & Storage, Y02T → Transportation/EVs, Y02C → Carbon Capture, Y02P → Industrial Production, Y02B → Buildings, Y02W → Waste Management, Y04S → Smart Grids. AI patents use the same identification methodology as Chapter 11 (G06N, G06F18, G06V, G10L15, G06F40). Country attribution is based on the primary assignee's location. Source: PatentsView / USPTO.