The USPTO recently announced a Climate Change Mitigation Pilot Program that will prioritize the review of patent applications for technologies that mitigate climate change. Petitions for prioritization will be granted where one or more claims include a product or process that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. This pilot program will run for 367 days, starting June 3, 2022, or until 1,000 petitions are granted.
The program stems from the January 27th, 2021 White House Executive Order directed at tackling the climate crisis in America and globally. This program supports the Executive Order’s call for intensification of development, commercialization, and deployment of clean energy technologies. Other programs stemming from the Executive Order include a grant program for electric vehicle infrastructure and a pilot program for transit-oriented development planning.