Against the backdrop of global environmental degradation, accelerating resource consumption, and increasing public attention to environmental issues, green technologies—focusing on reducing resource depletion, developing renewable resources, and mitigating environmental pollution—have become a global priority. The frequent introduction of incentive policies supporting green industries has spurred rapid development in green technologies and environmental sectors. However, the creation, application, and dissemination of green technologies rely fundamentally on intellectual property systems, particularly patent protections. Nations and regions such as the United States, United Kingdom, China, and the European Union, alongside international bodies like the UN Climate Change Conference, have begun exploring green patent systems through the lens of patent law’s public policy attributes, aligning with objectives for green technology innovation and development.
Green technologies encompass innovations that conserve resources, enhance energy efficiency, prevent pollution, and advance sustainable development. Key domains include alternative energy, environmental materials, energy conservation and emission reduction, pollution control and remediation, and recycling technologies. China is actively developing its green patent framework. Notably, the "Measures for the Administration of Priority Examination of Patents" implemented in August 2017 explicitly prioritizes examination for patents in national strategic industries: energy conservation/environmental protection, next-generation IT, biotechnology, advanced equipment manufacturing, new energy, new materials, and new-energy vehicles.
According to the "China Green Patent Statistical Report (2014-2017)" issued by the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) in 2018, China's green innovation activity is robust, with a steadily increasing stock of green patents. By the end of 2017, China held 136,000 valid green patents. From 2014 to 2017, green patent applications reached 249,000, with an average annual growth rate 3.7 percentage points higher than that of overall invention patents.
The China Green Patent Application and Authorization Database, developed by the CnOpenData team, adheres to international standards and comprises three sections: invention patent applications, invention patent authorizations, and utility model patents. Each section includes a basic information table and a corresponding green patent category table. Fields within these tables comprehensively cover patent details, enabling analyses of development trends, industry focus, regional distribution, applicant/institutional characteristics, and other research avenues for deeper exploration.
Articles Citing This Dataset
Time Coverage
- Invention Applications (发明公布): Statistics based on application publication date: 1985-2024
- Invention Authorizations (发明授权)/Utility Models (实用新型)/Design Patents (外观设计): Statistics based on authorization announcement date: 1985-2024
Revision Notes
- Adheres to the latest WIPO green patent classification standards and updates all patent IPC classification codes accordingly.
- Introduces the "Green Patent Category" field, refining and expanding data tables to enhance clarity for researchers.
Field Display
Sample Data
Basic Information Table of Chinese Green Invention Patent Applications
Green Patent Category of Chinese Green Invention Patent Applications
Basic Information Table of Chinese Authorized Green Invention Patents
Green Patent Category of Chinese Authorized Green Invention Patents
Basic Information Table of Chinese Green Utility Model Patents
Green Patent Category of Chinese Green Utility Model Patents
Related Literature
- Tao Feng, Zhao Jinyu, Zhou Hao, 2021: "Does Environmental Regulation Achieve 'Quality Improvement and Quantity Growth' in Green Technology Innovation?—Evidence from the Environmental Target Responsibility System", China Industrial Economics, Issue 2.
- Li Qingyuan, Xiao Zehua, 2020: "Heterogeneous Environmental Regulation Tools and Corporate Green Innovation Incentives—Evidence from Green Patents of Listed Companies", Economic Research Journal, Issue 9.
- Qi Shaozhou, Lin Shen, Cui Jingbo, 2018: "Can Environmental Rights Trading Markets Induce Green Innovation?—Evidence from Green Patent Data of Chinese Listed Companies", Economic Research Journal, Issue 12.
- Josh L., Amit S., 2021: "The Use and Misuse of Patent Data: Issues for Finance and Beyond", The Review of Financial Studies.
Data Update Frequency
Annual Updates