| Abstract |
Green chemistry patents are an indicator of environmental innovation and R&D. Over 3200 green chemistry patents were granted in the US patent system between 1983 and 2001, with most assigned to the chemical sector. The university and government sectors place greater emphasis on green chemistry than most industrial sectors. Worldwide, the emphasis on green chemistry technology relative to chemical, plastic, rubber, and polymer technologies has increased since 1988. The United States appears to have a competitive advantage in green chemistry. The most rapid growth in the emphasis on US green chemistry patents coincides with revisions to major US environmental laws in the late 1980s and early 1990s. However, the ratio of green chemistry patents to patents in other areas of chemical sciences in heavily regulated industries are low, suggesting that these industries did not necessarily embrace green chemistry as a means to reduce their regulatory burden. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. |
