The impact of international climate agreements on the development of CCUS technologies: a patent analysis

Achieving global climate goals requires rapid technological progress in Carbon Dioxide Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS), a set of technologies essential for reducing emissions and reaching carbon neutrality. International agreements, such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, play a critical role in shaping innovation by providing policy signals and incentives for low-carbon technologies. This study investigates the impact of these agreements on CCUS development by analyzing 13,849 patents filed between 1990 and 2023, divided into three periods corresponding to major agreement milestones. Patent activity grew more than sevenfold from the first to the third period, reflecting the influence of global agreements on technological advancement. While Japan led early CCUS innovation, China emerged as the dominant actor after 2006, accounting for over half of global CCUS patents in the most recent period. Key companies also shifted over time, with Mitsubishi driving early progress and the State Grid Corporation of China leading in recent years. These findings highlight how climate agreements stimulate innovation, underscore China’s growing role in the global CCUS landscape, and demonstrate the importance of linking international agreements with practical support for technology development and deployment. The study provides actionable insights for policymakers and investors on how global governance can accelerate CCUS innovation and strengthen pathways toward carbon neutrality. To our knowledge, this is the first large-scale patent analysis directly linking international climate agreements to CCUS innovation, offering a novel contribution to the literature on climate policy and technological change. Patent trends indicate significant growth in CCUS innovations, particularly after the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, underscoring the role of international agreements in global emissions reduction efforts.The shift in CCUS innovation leadership from early dominance by Japan and other developed economies to overwhelming concentration in China highlights how international climate agreements interact with national industrial strategies and state capacity.Leading CCUS innovating countries should facilitate technology diffusion to less technologically advanced economies, supporting equitable decarbonization pathways and broader global deployment.Future CCUS research should focus on breakthroughs in energy-efficient and cost-effective technologies, aiming for meaningful, scalable solutions instead of merely increasing the volume of patents. Patent trends indicate significant growth in CCUS innovations, particularly after the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, underscoring the role of international agreements in global emissions reduction efforts. The shift in CCUS innovation leadership from early dominance by Japan and other developed economies to overwhelming concentration in China highlights how international climate agreements interact with national industrial strategies and state capacity. Leading CCUS innovating countries should facilitate technology diffusion to less technologically advanced economies, supporting equitable decarbonization pathways and broader global deployment. Future CCUS research should focus on breakthroughs in energy-efficient and cost-effective technologies, aiming for meaningful, scalable solutions instead of merely increasing the volume of patents.