Keywords: 
• environmental technology innovation /
• spatial discrepancy /
• patent /
• location quotient index /
• cluster analysis

Abstract: Based on the patents of environmental technologies, the regional discrepancy on the innovation level of environmental technologies was studied in this paper. Absolute and relative indicators as well as location quotient index (or specialized index) of the patents and technological innovation subjects were used. Results indicated that the innovation level of environmental technologies presents the pattern that the east is higher than the west in China assessed by the absolute indicator. On the other hand assessed by the relative indicator, the value is between 0.1～0.5 and 0.59～1.04 in most of the provinces, so the difference is not very evident. The location quotient index of the invention patent and enterprise patent in most eastern provinces is higher than that in other regions, the index value of invention patent is beyond 1.3, such as in Tianjin, Hongkong, Beijing, and Shanghai; the index value of enterprise is beyond 2, such as in Hongkong and Shanghai. The invention patent and emprise patent is the most valuable innovation, however, most of the provinces didn't have two patents both in high level. Conclusion is drawn that the capacity of environmental innovation is not very strong and the innovation structure of the environmental technology is not perfect in the whole country.