Climate notes: Patents and climate protection

With the help of patent data. underlying knowledge flows can be represented. With a patent citation analysis, initial conclusions can be drawn on the diffusion of technologies. In this article the knowledge flows of technologies for automobile air-conditioning are depicted. This information is of interest for environmental policy both with regard to the reduction of direct greenhouse gas emissions from the leakage of problematic refrigerants as well as with regard to the reduction of indirect emissions due to higher fuel consumption. Of a total of 10,000 patents, about one sixth are environmental patents. They are mainly from Germany (28%), Japan (25%) and the US (17%). A further breakdown of environmental patents shows that about two thirds are aimed at reducing indirect greenhouse gas emissions and about 30 percent at reducing direct greenhouse gas emissions. Germany is in a leading position regarding patents for vehicle air-conditioning and is well positioned in the sub-group on environmental patents.