Does intellectual property rights protection help reduce carbon emissions?

This study examines the relationship between intellectual property rights protection (IPRP) and carbon emissions (CE) using panel data from 116 countries (2008-2020). The analysis reveals a positive relationship between IPRP and CE, mediated by inhibited energy structure improvement, hindered transition to cleaner energy, and promoted technological progress and economic growth. Political stability mitigates this positive impact. A nonlinear, inverted U-shaped relationship is also found, suggesting that while IPRP initially increases CE, its intensification eventually suppresses CE growth. The study offers policy recommendations for integrating global carbon reduction efforts with intellectual property policies.

Pengfei Cheng, Yuhao Wang, Mengzhen Wang