The 2020 World Intellectual Property Day campaign puts innovation - and the IP rights that underpin it - at the center of efforts to achieve a green future. Why? Because the decisions we make today will determine our tomorrow. The Earth is our home. We must care for it.
Forging the path to a green future is an issue that requires priority attention today. As a common challenge, the collaboration of each and every one of us is necessary. Although it is a complex and multifaceted endeavor, "as a species we are experts at solving problems," as the renowned naturalist David Attenborough says.
A green future is possible. We have the collective knowledge, ingenuity and creativity to devise new and more effective ways to shape a low-carbon future - but now is the time to act!
The 2020 World Intellectual Property Day campaign puts innovation - and the IP rights that underpin it - at the heart of efforts to achieve a green future. Why? Because the decisions we make today will determine our tomorrow. The Earth is our home. We must take care of it.
The campaign also pays tribute to the many inventors and creators around the world who are inspiring and committed to a green future: women, men and young people working on cleaner alternatives to traditional fossil fuel-based technologies, as well as on better and more sustainable food and natural resource management systems, people who use the IP system in order to see their work strengthened, accepted and used in society.
We look at how a strong and balanced IP system can foster the emergence of a green economy that benefits rather than harms the Earth's life-support systems.
We look at how the patent system fosters innovation, development and diffusion of green technologies that enable us to address the climate crisis and forge a green future; how design thinking and design rights together promote optimal use of resources and enable designers to invest their time and talent in creating useful, attractive and environmentally friendly products for the consumer.
We examine how trademarks and other identifiers support both the creation and growth of companies built on the principles of environmental sustainability, enabling them to offer a wider range of environmentally friendly products and services.
We see how rights such as geographical indications are encouraging more sustainable use of natural resources and plant breeders' rights are promoting the development of more resilient crops for global food security.
We also look at how creators - who through the copyright system are able to make a living from their work - can play an essential role in developing a green vision of the future and its incalculable benefits.
As Einstein said, we cannot do the same thing over and over again expecting different results. If we want different results, we must be innovative in our approaches, mindset and operating models.
Our engagement, the day-to-day decisions we make, the products we purchase, the research we fund, the companies we support and the laws and policies we develop will determine how green our future will be. With innovative thinking and strategic use of IP rights, achieving sustainability is in our hands.
Discuss with us the role that innovation and IP rights play in leading the way to a green future. Share your favorite green innovations and tell us how you will further your green credentials.
Source: WIPO
