INTA News

WIPO GREEN: Turning Sustainable Innovation into Action

Published: October 20, 2026

Paulina Rius Macdonel, Cuesta, Llaca & Esquivel Mexico City, Mexico Brands and Sustainability Committee

Laurence Naudeix Andre Roland S.A. Lausanne, Switzerland Brands and Sustainability Committee

As sustainability and climate resilience become central priorities for governments, businesses, and consumers alike, the role of intellectual property (IP) in enabling green innovation is increasingly under the spotlight. To explore how IP can support the development and dissemination of environmentally friendly technologies in practice, members of the Brands and Sustainability Committee sat down with representatives of WIPO GREEN to discuss the initiative’s evolution, impact, and future direction.

Launched in 2013 under the auspices of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), WIPO GREEN was created to accelerate the development and adoption of green technologies worldwide. More than a decade on, it has grown into a practical platform that connects technology providers, solution seekers, and partners across borders, helping innovation move from concept to real‑world deployment.

For this discussion, the Brands and Sustainability Committee spoke with two members of the WIPO GREEN team, Peter Oksen, a green technology and research manager, and Yoshinari Oyama, a green technology and liaison officer.

An Overview of WIPO GREEN’s Work in Practice

WIPO GREEN’s activities operate on two closely connected levels. The first is its global online database, which now contains more than 146,000 green technologies. While many of these technologies are supported by patent information, the database is not intended to function as a traditional patent register. As Mr. Oksen explained, the patents are included “to give inspiration” rather than to act as a formal record of rights.

The database enables users to identify technological needs and connect directly with providers offering potential solutions. It is used by a wide range of stakeholders, from governments and researchers to companies and entrepreneurs. Measuring every successful match can be challenging. Once users begin engaging directly, feedback is not always forthcoming, but usage continues to grow steadily.

WIPO GREEN also publishes the Green Technology Book, a free annual online publication focused on key green technology themes, which has been accessed by around 1.9 million unique visitors and downloaded more than 166,000 times since its launch.

Alongside these resources, WIPO GREEN has developed what it calls “WIPO GREEN Acceleration Projects,” which focus on implementation on the ground. These projects work by identifying specific local needs raised by farmers, communities, or small businesses and matching them with appropriate technologies. Local consultants and national IP offices play a key role in facilitating these projects.

As Mr. Oksen explained, this approach is intentionally incremental: “It doesn’t work like installing a big factory somewhere. It’s incremental. It’s trying to work with IP offices to get them to understand what can be done and get farmers to understand what technologies are available.”

The database enables users to identify technological needs and connect directly with providers offering potential solutions.

The results of this approach are beginning to show. In 2025 alone, 21 technologies were deployed in the field, with a strong concentration in Latin America. Acceleration Projects are currently running in more than a dozen countries, with plans to expand further as interest from WIPO member states continues to grow.

WIPO GREEN’s work is supported by a global partner network spanning large companies, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), non-governmental organizations, and IP offices, including recent collaborations in China with CATL, a global leader in electric vehicle battery technology. Mr. Oksen notes that a key benefit of such partnerships is that they allow for “an exchange of experience” with partners sharing how clean production is carried out, how emissions are reduced across factories, and which technologies are used to support those efforts.

The Interaction Between Green Innovation and IP

A recurring question in discussions about sustainability is whether IP helps or hinders the spread of green technologies. Based on WIPO GREEN’s experience, IP is rarely the obstacle it is sometimes perceived to be.

“Green technologies go through the same process as other technologies,” Mr. Oksen noted. “They go through a patenting process and then licensing processes. It’s pretty much the same.”

Crucially, most green technologies are not patented in many developing countries. In those jurisdictions, fewer than one percent of green technologies are protected by patents, meaning that IP rights seldom prevent access or deployment. Where IP does exist, it often plays a constructive role by enabling secure disclosure and collaboration.

Mr. Oyama emphasized that, in the context of sustainability, dissemination often matters more than exclusivity. For green innovation, he noted, “the dissemination is more important than exclusive rights,” with IP acting as a medium for technology transfer that allows technology providers to share information securely while giving adopters legal clarity.

Supporting SMEs and Startups Through IP Strategy

SMEs are central to WIPO GREEN’s mission. Many green technologies originate from startups or smaller companies, which may lack the resources or in-house expertise to manage IP strategically.

WIPO GREEN’s advice is consistent with the approach taken for other technologies: SMEs should develop an IP strategy from the beginning, seek professional guidance on patents and trademarks, and make use of available institutional support. For green technology businesses, the opportunities can be global from the outset.

The WIPO GREEN database plays a particularly important role here. As Yoshinari Oyama explained, the database effectively serves as free promotion for technology providers. For startups with limited marketing budgets, being visible to a global audience of potential partners and users can be invaluable.

SMEs are central to WIPO GREEN’s mission.

An INTA Perspective on Brands and Sustainability

Although WIPO GREEN’s primary focus is on technology and patents, the conversation also highlighted the important role of brands and trademarks once innovations reach the market. Beyond technical performance, commercial success depends on trust, reputation, and consumer recognition.

As Mr. Oksen noted, “when you have to get technologies out into the market, brands get very important,” pointing to research showing a growing number of so-called “green trademarks” being used for green technology products. Certification marks, collective marks, and other branding tools are increasingly used to differentiate sustainable products and services.

At the same time, credible branding depends on substance. Technologies that enable traceability, environmental monitoring, and verification can help brand owners demonstrate that sustainability claims are well-founded and reduce the risk of greenwashing. While WIPO GREEN does not offer certification or verification services and deliberately avoids setting rigid standards in order to remain inclusive, it contributes by making relevant technologies visible and accessible across different markets and contexts.

This is where INTA members are particularly well placed to engage. Trademark and brand professionals can help clients align innovation, IP strategy, and communication, ensuring that sustainability messaging is supported by real technological solutions.

How INTA Members Can Engage with WIPO GREEN

The discussion also explored how INTA members can engage directly with WIPO GREEN, particularly through the clients and businesses they advise. One clear starting point is encouraging brand owners and technology developers with environmentally friendly solutions to upload relevant green technologies to the WIPO GREEN database. Registration is free, and the process is designed to be accessible even for first-time users. As Mr. Oyama puts it, “once you upload one technology, you understand how easy and useful the database is.”

INTA members can also make active use of WIPO GREEN’s resources, including the database itself and the annual Green Technology Book, which provides insight into emerging technology trends across areas such as climate adaptation, mitigation, and disaster resilience.

Beyond individual client engagement, raising awareness of WIPO GREEN within trademark, design, and broader IP communities can help bring new perspectives and stakeholders into the ecosystem, supporting the initiative’s inclusive and global approach.

Looking Ahead

Looking to the future, WIPO GREEN sees artificial intelligence (AI) as an increasingly important enabler, particularly in improving search and matching within the database. AIdriven tools have been introduced to make it easier for users to identify relevant technologies and partners.

At the same time, WIPO GREEN recognizes the need to broaden collaboration beyond traditional IP stakeholders to include finance, business, and research communities. For INTA and its members, engagement with WIPO GREEN offers a practical way to connect IP, brand strategy, and sustainability. Such engagement can help ensure that green innovations reach the people and markets where they are most needed.

Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of this article, readers are urged to check independently on matters of specific concern or interest.