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HOW SUSTAINABLE IS A COMPANY REALLY – CAN WE ONLY JUDGE THE PRESENT OR THE PAST?
Today, if a company wishes to showcase itself as particularly sustainable, it has various certification options from different providers. However, these certifications typically evaluate only the current state or past actions. Additionally, such analyses generally reflect a passive approach to the environment, such as reduced energy consumption, resource savings, or lower emissions. Active contributions, such as (successful) research and development of technologies with a positive environmental impact, are rarely, if ever, considered.
By analyzing a company’s patent portfolio, it becomes possible for the first time to measure a company’s active contribution—its potential impact on new technologies, processes, materials, or formulations. Patents and their value reflect the outcomes of R&D investments, serving as a concrete indicator of innovation. As the benefits from these patents are often realized only later, patents are also an ideal early indicator of a company's commitment to sustainable innovation.
SUSTAINABILITY ANALYSIS USING PATENTS
CUI BONO – WHO BENEFITS?
For several years now, companies in the financial sector have faced increasing regulations under the term "Responsible Investing," requiring them primarily to invest in companies that operate sustainably. In sustainable investments, the three main sustainability criteria are abbreviated as ESG—representing Environment (E), Social (S), and Governance (G). The ESG approach has become the standard in the financial industry for defining sustainable investments. The crucial "E" (Environment) component can be objectively reflected in a patent portfolio—completely transparent and immune to manipulation.
In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as overarching guidelines for sustainable business practices. These 17 SDGs provide a clear, concrete framework. Many of these sustainability goals can also be represented through a patent portfolio, allowing us to see specifically which of these goals a company’s innovation strategy supports.
GOALS FOR COMPANIES
Discover how sustainable your industry is, where you stand in the sustainability competition, and where new opportunities lie. Sustainable business practices do not have to be more expensive, inefficient, or regressive; on the contrary, our own studies have surprisingly shown that sustainable patents are, on average, even more valuable and tend to appreciate in value comparatively more. A clear indicator of innovation potential.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
With our established patent valuation methods, we can assign a monetary value to patents worldwide. Using a specialized classification scheme, we can filter patents that make a particularly direct sustainable contribution, enable sustainability ("Enablers"), or support it ("Supporters"). The values of these sustainable patents are then related to the total portfolio value. The result is a "Sustainability Innovation Score" (0-100%).
For mapping the different UN Sustainable Development Goals (17 UN SDGs), we can even create a specific SDG sustainability profile for each company. This profile can be compared with industry averages or previous years to identify trends and draw meaningful comparisons.
RANGE OF SERVICES
On your behalf, we generate ESG indicators (Environment, Social & Governance, with a focus on Environment) as well as SDG profiles (Sustainable Development Goals) based on the existing patent portfolio for individual companies (yours or third parties), industries, countries, or states. We compare these indicators in relation to one another or against historical data.
Our analyses are provided in the form of comprehensive reports and visualizations. For individual companies, we can also issue certification; our reports are frequently included in corporate sustainability reports. Examples are available upon request.
ANALYSES AND REPORTS
Analysis of your own company, external companies, certain sub-portfolios/areas of expertise in companies, corporate networks, industries, company sizes, regions, countries;
developments/trends, benchmarkings, ratios, etc.
Based on our unique database, (almost) everything is possible and cheaper than you think.
CERTIFICATE
Create a customized sustainability certificate based on your patent portfolio for yourself, your company, or your stakeholder group. View your ESG score in comparison to the industry average, along with your unique SDG profile.
Share your active sustainability achievements with shareholders, stakeholders, and customers, enhancing your annual reports, financial statements, and communications with rating agencies.