Going Green: Navigating Intellectual Property Law in Times of Global Challenges and Sustainability Transitions

ASIL Panel Presentation – https://www.youtube.com/live/ZsXyRu5nvCM

On September 27, 2024 I was on a panel discussion on the evolving role of intellectual property law in fostering innovation, diffusion, and the transfer of green technologies. Against the backdrop of the triple planetary crisis–climate change, pollution, and loss of biodiversity–the panelists reflected on research methods and perspectives to review how intellectual property impacts the transition to a more sustainable future. We dove into the regulatory interface between international and national legal policies on intellectual property and innovation, highlighting examples from key economic sectors undergoing sustainability transitions. The discussion also examined the intersection between intellectual property and other areas of law, particularly in the context of competition law and essential technologies. Additionally, we addressed current intellectual property strategies adopted in international cooperation and partnerships, providing insights into the global effort to develop and deploy sustainable technologies. The panel included:

• Felipe de Andrade (moderator), Ph.D. researcher funded by the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO fellow) at the University of Antwerp and KU Leuven
• Abbe Brown, Professor of Intellectual Property Law at the University of Aberdeen School of Law
• Dalindyebo Shabalala, Professor of Law at the Suffolk University Law School
• Joy Xiang, Professor of Law at Peking University School of Transnational Law

Organized by the ASIL Intellectual Property Interest Group of the American Society of International Law.