Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 14 AUGUST 2024

Australia second in cleantech growth – tips for in-house counsel

Spruson & Ferguson Lawyers
Explore more from Spruson & Ferguson Lawyers

Australia is a hotbed for innovation in the renewable energy sector. Tips for in-house counsel working in the cleantech space.

AustraliaEnergy and Natural Resources
Gareth Dixon
Gareth Dixon
Author LinkedIn connections

The 2024 IP Report from IP Australia confirms what has been bubbling under for a while now: Australia is a hotbed for innovation in the renewable energy sector.

Among 19 major economies surveyed, Australia ranked second in terms of growth* in "cleantech" patent filings – technologies that may lessen, nullify or even reverse the environmental impact of an existing product or process. While patent filings are not the only proxy for innovation, they're acknowledged as a fairly good indicator.

Over recent years, many companies across the energy ecosystem have "gone green". Electric cars are now mainstream, and more than 30% of Australian homes now have rooftop solar photovoltaic panels with up to half of these also having batteries.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

NSW Raises The Bar For IPC Referral Of Major Energy Projects, And Effectively Removes It For BESS

The NSW Government has doubled the objection threshold for electricity generating works to be referred to the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) and removed objection-based IPC referral for battery energy storage systems altogether. These changes seek to materially reduce approval risk for proponents across the energy sector.
AustraliaEnergy and Natural Resources
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP
Article

Queensland Mining Reforms: Removing Duplication And Refining Objection Rights

Queensland's proposed mining reforms aim to streamline environmental assessment by removing duplication between mining lease and environmental authority processes, while introducing discretionary Land Court referrals and refined objection rights. The Bill proposes significant changes to who may object to mining applications and on what grounds, potentially affecting mining entities, landholders, and community stakeholders across the state.
AustraliaEnergy and Natural Resources
Holding Redlich
Holding Redlich
Article

When Mining Or Exploration Comes To Your Station

Pastoralists should identify the water and operational assets that matter to the station before activity begins, then ensure any access or commercial agreement clearly deals with monitoring, disruption, rehabilitation, liability and review. The legal position will depend on the mining or exploration licence (as the case may be), the pastoral lease, government policy, approvals and proposed activity, but early preparation gives a family stronger footing in discussions.
AustraliaEnergy and Natural Resources
HHG Legal Group
HHG Legal Group
Article

Review Of Financial Provisioning For Resources Industry: Consultation Now Underway

The Queensland Government has launched a comprehensive review of its Financial Provisioning Scheme for the resources industry, examining whether the current framework adequately balances environmental rehabilitation risks with industry growth and investment opportunities. Stakeholders from across the mining sector, investment community, and landholders are invited to provide feedback on the scheme's effectiveness and potential improvements.
AustraliaEnergy and Natural Resources
Holding Redlich
Holding Redlich
Article

Rethinking Utility Hardship: From Reactive Support To System-wide Change

Utility organizations face mounting pressure to address customer hardship through comprehensive ecosystem changes. This analysis explores how utilities can implement interventions across individual, organizational, and systemic levels to create meaningful impact. The framework presented offers a multi-layered approach to transforming reactive support into proactive, system-wide solutions.
AustraliaEnergy and Natural Resources
KordaMentha
KordaMentha
Article

Updates To Malaysia’s Proposed Patent Linkage Framework

Malaysia is drafting its first patent linkage framework for pharmaceutical products, scheduled for implementation on 1 May 2027 following CPTPP ratification. The National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency has released draft guidelines establishing an administrative connection between drug registration and patent status, introducing notification requirements, suspension periods, and four application categories that will fundamentally reshape how innovators and generic manufacturers navigate market entry.
MalaysiaIntellectual Property
Spruson & Ferguson Lawyers
Spruson & Ferguson Lawyers
Article

Australia | Proposed Tranche 2 Privacy Act Reforms: Exposure Draft And Consultation Paper Released

The Australian Government has released an exposure draft of the Privacy Amendment (Personal Data Protection) Bill 2026, proposing the most substantial reforms to the Privacy Act 1988 in recent times. These changes introduce a fair and reasonable test for data handling, enhanced consent requirements, expanded breach notification obligations, and new rights including data erasure for large digital platforms.
AustraliaPrivacy
Spruson & Ferguson Lawyers
Spruson & Ferguson Lawyers
Article

Protecting The AI Systems Competitors Can Actually Copy

Businesses building AI products on third-party models face a critical intellectual property challenge: determining what parts of their AI systems can actually be protected when competitors have access to the same underlying models. This analysis explores where protectable value sits in AI workflows, from data retrieval and validation processes to system integration and deployment architecture, and why patent strategy must focus on the commercially defensible elements rather than just the AI model itself.
AustraliaIntellectual Property
Spruson & Ferguson Lawyers
Spruson & Ferguson Lawyers