At the end of March 2023 PatentSight updated the UN SDG mapping to its 2nd version. Below is a summary of the changes we made between v1 and v2. This change was in large part from the feedback from many clients and other interested parties. Only changes which were clearly inline with the UN Framework were accepted, the majority of requests being rejected with an explanation of why. Since the release of v2 we have received much fewer comments, so do not expect any significant update in the near future.
This change included:
- Changes made by the UN to the SDGs between the 49th and 52nd sessions – adding 3 new technologies and minor adjustments to others
- Correction to searches to reduced noise and improve true positive results – for example nuclear power previously returning some nucleotide patents
- Inclusions of concepts missed from the initial release, but inline with the UN’s SDG definition - for example adding building thermal management
- Adjustment of fields to better reflect the UN SDG definition – for example limiting autonomous driving only to clearly identifiable safety improvements
New Technologies Added:
3 new technologies added were:
- “T 098: Anaemia in pregnancy” under “SDG 03: Good Health and Well-Being”
- “T 099: Antimicrobial resistance” under “SDG 03: Good Health and Well-Being”
- “T 100: Education for the disabled” under “SDG 04: Quality Education”
Notes on the change to the UN Framework:
The initial release of the UN SDG feature in LexisNexis PatentSight was based on the Global indicator framework adopted in the 49th Session in March 2018, by the Statistical Commission (E/CN.3/2018/2, Annex II). The latest Global indicator framework for the Sustainable Development Goals and Targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted in the 52nd session of the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) held in March 2022 based on the introduced refinements (E/CN.3/2021/2, Annex). The UN SDG feature has been updated to reflect these changes
New Tier classifications based on the changes made by the Inter-agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDGs) reflecting the decisions by the 52nd session of the Statistical Commission, have been introduced regarding the indicators. Tier I: Indicator is conceptually clear, has an internationally established methodology and standards are available, and data are regularly produced by countries for at least 50 per cent of countries and of the population in every region where the indicator is relevant. Tier II: Indicator is conceptually clear, has an internationally established methodology and standards are available, but data are not regularly produced by countries. Tier III: No internationally established methodology or standards are yet available for the indicator, but methodology/standards are being (or will be) developed or tested. (As of the 51st UNSC, the global indicator framework does not contain any Tier III indicators).
The following changes were introduced into the indicator framework for the targets and the goals.
UN SDG 1: No Poverty
The Target 1.a: Mobilization of resources to end poverty has had a change in the indicators that are employed to track the progress toward the attainment of this target. The previously assigned indicator 1.a.3: Sum of total grants and non-debt-creating inflows directly allocated to poverty reduction programs as a proportion of GDP, is no longer to be assessed. The Target 1.b: Pro-poor public spending no longer requires the indicator 1.b.1. Proportion of government recurrent and capital spending to sectors that disproportionately benefit women, the poor and vulnerable groups, to be assessed. The new indicator 1.b.1 is mentioned as Pro-poor public social spending. Both these newly introduced indicators are classified as Tier II and it has been mentioned at present that there is no data framework available for these indicators. The Targets 1.a and 1.b with these new indicators do not connect with any patentable invention topic, hence these are not included in LexisNexis PatentSight UN SDG feature.
UN SDG 2. Zero Hunger
The Target 2.2.: End all forms of malnutrition has been assigned a new indicator: 2.2.3: Prevalence of anaemia in women of reproductive age (15-49 years) by pregnancy status. The World Health Organization is in charge of the data collection for this indicator and the UNICEF includes this indicator as one of the Child-related SDG indicators under SDG 2
Any patentable invention addressing the concern of anaemia in women have the potential to contribute to the attainment of Target 2.2. and thereby contribute to SDG 2. Thus, the search topic “Anemia in Pregnancy” has been introduced into the LexisNexis PatentSight UN SDG feature under SDG 2.
UN SDG 3: Good Health and Well being
A new indicator under the Target 3.d: Improve early warning systems for global health risks, has been added, which is, 3.d.2: Percentage of bloodstream infections due to selected antimicrobial-resistant organisms. The metadata for this indicator enlists the antibiotics and antimicrobe against which the resistance in patient blood infection needs to be assessed. The World Health Organisation states that the fight against antimicrobial resistance contributes to the UN SDGs especially to UN SDG 3.d.2.
Thus, the patentable invention topic “Antimicrobial Resistance” has been introduced into the LexisNexis PatentSight UN SDG feature under SDG 3.
UN SDG 4: Quality Education
A new indicator: 4.1.2 has been added to assess the fulfilment of the Target 4.1. Free primary and secondary education, which is Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education).
This indicator doesn’t directly relate to any patentable invention topic. The indicator 4.a.1: Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service for the Target 4.a: Build and upgrade inclusive and safe schools now has more clear definition of the concepts and the scope in the corresponding metadata. The metadata for indicator 4.a.1 explains the concepts of electricity, internet for pedological purposes, adapted infrastructure, hardware, adapted materials, basic drinking water, basic sanitation facilities in relation to this indicator. The metadata defines “Internet for pedagogical purposes: Internet that is available for enhancing teaching and learning and is accessible by pupils. Internet is defined as a worldwide interconnected computer network, which provides pupils access to a number of communication services including the World Wide Web and carries e-mail, news, entertainment and data files, irrespective of the device used (i.e., not assumed to be only Last updated: 2021-07-01 via a computer) and thus can also be accessed by mobile telephone, tablet, PDA, games machine, digital TV etc.). Access can be via a fixed narrowband, fixed broadband, or via mobile network”.
In the metadata, adapted materials include learning materials and assistive products that enable students and teachers with disabilities/functioning limitations to access learning and to participate fully in the school environment.
Accessible learning materials include textbooks, instructional materials, assessments and other materials that are available and provided in appropriate formats such as audio, braille, sign language and simplified formats that can be used by students and teachers with disabilities/functioning limitations. The United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos unveiled the new braille version of the Sustainable Development Goal as a mark of commitment to the UN SDG pillar “leave no one behind”. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Sri Lanka commemorated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) in 2019 by launching Sustainable Development Goals booklet in braille. On the basis of this information a new patentable technology topic “Education for the disabled” has been added to the LexisNexis PatentSight UN SDG feature under SDG 4.
Basic drinking water is defined in the metadata as a functional drinking water source (MDG ‘improved’ categories) on or near the premises and water points accessible to all users during school hours.
Basic sanitation facilities are defined as functional sanitation facilities (MDG ‘improved’ categories) separated for males and females on or near the premises. On the basis of this information the technology topic “Toilet sanitation” is no longer a part of the UN SDG 4
However in LexisNexis PatentSight UN SDG feature, though “Toilet sanitation” is still linked to UN SDG 6 as per the process of explicit mapping of patentable invention topics to UN SDG framework followed in LexisNexis PatentSight UN SDG feature.
The global indicator framework for UN SDG 5, UN SDG 6, UN SDG 7, UN SDG 9 remain unchanged.
UN SDG 11
The indicator 11.a.1 under the Target 11.a: Strong national and regional development planning, has been changed. The new indicator 11.a.1 is Number of countries that have national urban policies or regional development plans that (a) respond to population dynamics; (b) ensure balanced territorial development; and (c) increase local fiscal space. As this is a data collection-based indicator, no patentable invention topic is explicitly connected to this indicator.
The indicator 11.c.1 under the Target 11.c: Support least developed countries in sustainable and resilient building has been scrapped and no suitable replacement indicator was proposed.
UN SDG 12
The indicator 12.1.1 under the Target 12.1: Implement the 10-year sustainable consumption and production framework, has been changed to Number of countries developing, adopting or implementing policy instruments aimed at supporting the shift to sustainable consumption and production. As this is a data collection-based indicator no patentable invention topic, is explicitly connected to this indicator.
The indicator 12.3.1 under the Target 12.3: Halve global per capita food waste, has been changed to 12.3.1 (a) Food loss index and (b) food waste index. These indicators as explained conceptually in the metadata are already linked to the technology topic Food waste management linked to UN SDG 2 and UN SDG 12 in the LexisNexis PatentSight UN SDG feature.
The indicator 12.7.1 under Target 12.7: Promote sustainable public procurement practices has been changed to Degree of sustainable public procurement policies and action plan implementation. As this is a policy-based indicator no patentable invention topic, is explicitly connected to this indicator.
The indicator 12.a.1 under the Target 12.a: Support developing countries' scientific and technological capacity for sustainable consumption and production, has been changed to Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing countries (in watts per capita). All renewable energy topics viz. Nuclear energy, Geothermal energy, Solar Energy, Wind energy, Ocean energy, Biomass Energy and Bio Fuel, Energy from waste, Smart Grids are already part of the LexisNexis PatentSight UN SDG feature under SDG 7.
The indicator 12.b.1 under the Target 12.b: Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable tourism, has been changed to Implementation of standard accounting tools to monitor the economic and environmental aspects of tourism sustainability. This could not be linked to any patentable invention topic; hence it is not a part of LexisNexis PatentSight UN SDG feature.
UN SDG 13
The indicator 13.2.1 under the Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into policy and planning, has been changed to Number of countries with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This could not be linked to any patentable invention topic; hence it is not a part of LexisNexis PatentSight UN SDG feature.
A new explicit indicator 13.2.2: Total greenhouse gas emissions per year, has been introduced. The search topic GHG emission reduction is already a part of the LexisNexis PatentSight UN SDG feature and is linked to UN SDG 13 and 9.
The indicator 13.3.1 under the Target 13.3: Build knowledge and capacity to meet climate change, has been changed to Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment. The indicator 13.3.2 has been scrapped.
The indicator 13.a.1 under the Target 13.a: Implement then UN Framework Convention on Climate Change has been changed to Amounts provided and mobilized in United States dollars per year in relation to the continued existing collective mobilization goal of the $100 billion commitment through to 2025. The indicator 13.b.1 under the Target 13.b: Promote mechanisms to raise capacity for planning and management, has been changed to Number of least developed countries and small island developing States with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Since these indicators cannot be mapped directly to any patentable invention topic, these do not get linked to the LexisNexis PatentSight UN SDG feature.
UN SDG 14
The indicator 14.2.1 under the Target 14.2: Protect and restore ecosystems, has been changed to Number of countries using ecosystem-based approaches to managing marine areas. Marine Ecosystem preservation is already a part of the LexisNexis PatentSight UN SDG feature and linked to UN SDG 14.
UN SDG 15
The Target 15.9 itself, under SDG 15 has been changed to “By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts” and the new indicators are: 15.9.1 (a) Number of countries that have established national targets in accordance with or similar to Aichi Biodiversity Target 2 of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 in their national biodiversity strategy and action plans and the progress reported towards these targets; and (b) integration of biodiversity into national accounting and reporting systems, defined as implementation of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting.
The indicator 15.b. under the Target 15.b: Finance and incentivize sustainable forest management has been changed to 15.b.1 (a) Official development assistance on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and (b) revenue generated and finance mobilized from biodiversity-relevant economic instruments.