Spotted: Every year, the fashion industry is responsible for 10 per cent of global carbon emissions, which is more than the maritime and aviation sectors combined. Because of this, more and more textile brands are looking for innovative ways to cut back on their carbon footprints. Enter Rubi Laboratories, which makes textiles using captured carbon dioxide.
The US-based startup creates textiles through its patent-pending, cell-free biocatalytic process. First, the company captures CO2 from the waste streams of manufacturing processes using its proprietary enzyme system. The gas is then converted into cellulose pulp, which is used to create viscose-based yarn or fibres to be used in textiles.
Viscose, also known as Rayon, is normally made from wood pulp, but Rubi Labs’ solution means no trees need to be cut down to produce the popular material. Using its innovative technology, the startup can create fabrics made 100 per cent from carbon emissions, with almost no water or land needed. The process also produces zero waste and, at the end of their usable life, the textiles will naturally biodegrade.
Earlier this year, the biotech startup secured an additional $8.7 million (around €8 million) in seed funding, bringing its total funds to $13.5 million (around €12.5 million). The extra funding has allowed Rubi Labs to enter its next stage of testing, including projects with Ganni, Reformation, and Urban Outfitters.
The textile industry is booming with sustainable alternative options, and Springwise has spotted fully recyclable 3D-printed footwear, plant-based plastic-free alt leather, and baby shoes that will dissolve in water.
The UK chapter of Architects Declare has responded to a recent opinion piece published on Dezeen that argued the climate network has been a “failure”.
In a statement provided to Dezeen, which is published below in full, the steering group for UK Architects Declare stated that the opinion piece contained “numerous flaws”.
Written by Chris Hocknell, director of UK sustainability consultancy Eight Versa, the original article claimed that Architects Declare’s commitments were unrealistic and that many architecture studios which signed up to the initiative have failed to implement its aims.
“While bold and splashy commitments may make for impressive LinkedIn posts, failing to meet those targets undermines faith in the power of commitments and discourages others from taking the collective action required to effect real change,” Hocknell wrote.
“Surprisingly defeatist”
In its response, UK Architects Declare said: “In summary, on these key questions, we agree that we need to accelerate the pace of change and that there are too many firms continuing with business as usual or very close to it.”
“Where we disagree is in the implied assertion that the solution is to return to conventional approaches to sustainability,” it continued.
The group argued that “a target-setting and compliance approach would be mistaken”, suggesting that such mechanisms have proved ineffective in combating climate change.
It also claimed that Hocknell’s argument that many of the Architects Declare commitments are outside of architects’ control is “surprisingly defeatist”.
Commitments made in good faith “admirable in our view”
However, the statement said the steering group “partly agree” that some studios are not implementing Architects Declare’s commitments.
“We haven’t seen the level of change necessary to match what the science shows is required […] but it’s absurd to suggest that lack of full commitment invalidates the whole initiative,” it added.
Hocknell’s piece also argued that “no commitment is often better than a failed one” when it comes to climate-target setting.
“We fundamentally disagree,” the UK Architects Declare response said. “As long as the commitment is made in good faith and followed up earnestly, that is admirable in our view.”
“There is clearly a long way to go in little time”
Architects Declare was established in May 2019 by an initial group of 17 Stirling Prize-winning UK studios. It now has nearly 1,300 signatories, with thousands more across 28 different countries.
It is based around pledges to move towards designing buildings and cities that go beyond limiting carbon emissions to having a positive impact on the planet and biodiversity.
Among the 12 Architects Declare commitments are promises to “evaluate all new projects against the aspiration to contribute positively to mitigating climate breakdown”, “accelerate the shift to low embodied carbon materials in all our work” and “include life cycle costing, whole life carbon modelling and post occupancy evaluation as part of our basic scope of work”.
As part of its response to Hocknell’s piece, UK Architects Declare listed its achievements, including the publication of resources on implementing the pledges, a book on regenerative design co-authored by a steering-group member and attempts to influence Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats policies.
“There is clearly a long way to go in little time, but there is much greater action on regenerative design now than there was four years ago, and a greater understanding of the shortcomings of conventional sustainability,” the statement said.
“We think it’s fair for AD to be credited with some of that shift – and to be constructively challenged and supported in reaching further.”
Last year, the design industry followed architecture in establishing the Design Declares campaign, with eight founding signatories.
The full response from UK Architects Declare is below:
We would like to respond to the recent article that made a number of assertions about Architects Declare. Its numerous flaws could have been addressed had the author contacted us to shape a constructive piece on how architects can offer their skills, experience and commitment to tackle the climate and biodiversity emergency. Nevertheless, we are keen to clarify where we agree or disagree with the piece and correct the record.
Firstly, we should point out that Architects Declare (AD) is an international movement with active groups in 28 countries and is part of the wider Built Environment Declares. The article focused on us in the UK without making that distinction – presumably, the author’s experience is with UK practices – and we hope that readers outside the UK will not feel that the criticism aimed at us (incorrectly, as we show) was an attack on them also. We are responding as the steering group for UK Architects Declare.
We welcome reasoned discussion. Indeed, effective dialogue has been one of AD’s aims from the start. AD has a well-developed theory of change, drawing on solid research in systems thinking and how best to move the current system – in this case, away from a failing assumption that improved sustainability will solve the emergency over time to one of regenerative design that addresses the emergency head on. We say more on that below, but it’s important to recognise that the original article spoke from within the current sustainability paradigm.
We address the article’s key assertions, which were:
1. That we should set “realistic, achievable and accountable” targets and have a means by which these are enforced
As a theory of change, this is almost identical to what’s been advocated for the last 30 years as sustainability and has not got us anywhere near to where we need to be. The latest IPCC report, AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2023, is a stark reminder of the urgent need for action. Global greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase and we need to be doing much more, much faster, or we risk not being able to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius, let alone 1.5 degrees Celsius. This is why AD’s theory of change builds on Donella Meadows’ system thinking, which asserts that the most influential way to change a system is by intervening at the level of the paradigm or mindset that determines how it behaves. The second-most effective leverage point is to change the goals of the system. The transition we need is far more than some simple industrial shift focused almost exclusively on carbon. What’s required is a broader cultural shift that extends perspectives beyond carbon to much wider issues, including the whole web of life, and beyond a limited ambition of mitigating negatives towards optimising positives.
We believe a target-setting and compliance approach would be mistaken for AD. The system change required is difficult to achieve simply working at that level, even at scale. And to monitor 1,200-plus signatories would mean AD charging significant subscriptions and taking on a policing role. This would undoubtedly put off large numbers of would-be signatories which, in turn, would reduce our influence when making the case to government on the role that it needs to play.
2. That a number of the practices are not implementing AD’s declaration points
On this point we partly agree. We haven’t seen the level of change necessary to match what the science shows is required. We have seen a range of responses among AD signatories.
Some have adopted the spirit of the declaration, implementing new procedures throughout their companies, including new positions for heads of regenerative design. Some have signed and are now striving to catch up – and we’re working to assist them with a range of resources. Others have signed up and taken little or no action. While the latter category is disappointing, having more signatories signals the required direction of change and makes the collective voice more influential, and we hope that, in time, all signatories will be encouraged and enabled (internally by staff, externally by broader cultural and professional shifts) to engage more meaningfully.
Obviously we would prefer all practices to be in the first category but it’s absurd to suggest that lack of full commitment invalidates the whole initiative.
3. That some of the declaration points are outside an architect’s remit
This statement is surprisingly defeatist. Perceived limits to people’s agency are a major part of why there has been so little progress, and this includes architects as much as other professions and communities. Where we see that urgent change is necessary, but feel this to be outside our control, we need to find ways to extend our agency through broader industry collaboration and through pushing for higher-level systems change.
4. That making no commitments on climate is better than making a commitment and failing to meet it
We fundamentally disagree. The changes necessary to address the planetary emergency are currently well beyond even the most progressive practices, and there is no built-environment company we’re aware of that could be described as fully regenerative. To suggest that making no commitment is better than failing to meet a stretching one is a counsel of despair. Anyone who advised a business not to bother if they couldn’t see a way to make progress would be doing a very poor job.
Many of the practices that signed the declaration did not at that time know how they would address its challenges, but making a commitment to try is the important first step. As long as the commitment is made in good faith and followed up earnestly, that is admirable in our view. Sharing knowledge of our successes and failures on that journey is part of the process and key to improvement.
In summary, on these key questions, we agree that we need to accelerate the pace of change and that there are too many firms continuing with business as usual or very close to it. Where we disagree is in the implied assertion that the solution is to return to conventional approaches to sustainability. We would welcome an informed critique of our theory of change and can provide the key sources for anyone wishing to do that.
The article also made some confused comments about AD’s interaction with government, which overlook the role governments could and should play in accelerating the shifts we need. Developers operate within an economic system and if that system is leading to collapse then it’s right that governments should be expected to change it. There are inspiring examples like doughnut economics that AD has advocated, and there are examples of governmental bodies are already getting on board with that shift.
Have we achieved what we set out to do? Even a brief account of what AD has done and continues to do (which the article fails to even attempt) will suggest the progress we are making and the direction we are moving in.
Many signatory architects described our first event, at which Kate Raworth and Jeremy Lent spoke, as a turning point in their careers
And many people – steering group members and other volunteers from signatory practices – worked hard to produce AD’s extensive and well-received Practice Guide and a comprehensive series of Action Practice Masterclasses based on that: all specifically structured to help practices progress with their commitment to the declaration. We are collaborating again to include regenerative design guidance
One of our steering group members has co-authored a book exploring the philosophical shifts and practical steps involved in moving from “sustainable” to “regenerative”
We’ve organised many events with high-profile speakers on topics such as new economics, long-term thinking, company transformation, climate justice and regenerative materials
We work with others to ensure the best reach of our efforts and expertise – not least with the RIBA to launch our joint Built for the Environment report and summit ahead of the COP26 summit held in the UK
And we challenge others, not just government, where they can help change the goals of the system: for example, making the case to the RIBA that the strategic mission of the profession needs to be updated and seeking to engage the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats on a transformative new mission
There is more work underway, both to help our signatories meet the challenges of the declaration while improving their businesses, and to make strong calls on those who can do what architects cannot do alone: change the system that perpetuates the planetary emergency to one that addresses it. And we share progress and problems with other declare groups here in the UK and around the world, with regular international gatherings on Zoom.
All of this gives us, our partners and our signatories strength in pushing ahead. There is clearly a long way to go in little time, but there is much greater action on regenerative design now than there was four years ago, and a greater understanding of the shortcomings of conventional sustainability. We think it’s fair for AD to be credited with some of that shift – and to be constructively challenged and supported in reaching further.
Importantly, our declaration draws attention, front and centre, to what is needed across the built environment and its stakeholders. What is needed is not merely a continuation of conventional sustainability but striving to change the mindset and the goals of the system.
From the steering group for UK Architects Declare: Duncan Baker-Brown, Julia Barfield, Alasdair Ben Dixon, Mandy Franz, Tara Gbolade, Tom Greenall, Kevin Logan, Anna Lisa McSweeney, Ken Okonkwo, Anna Pamphilon, Michael Pawlyn, Craig Robertson, Zoe Watson, Andrew Waugh and Anna Woodeson.
Some of the AD Steering Group with speakers at our November 2022 ‘Building Justice: Crisis Solutions’ event.”
The photo, showing members of the Architects Declare steering group together with speakers at a November 2022 Architects Declare event, is courtesy of UK Architects Declare.
Spotted: Every year, approximately three million metric tonnes of microplastics enter the environment worldwide, and they are found everywhere within agriculture, food, and cosmetics. Now, Germany-based Bioweg has created bio-based ingredients to be used as alternatives to plastic-based additives and polymers.
The startup’s technology combines fermentation, material science, and molecular simulation to develop biodegradable and sustainable bio-ingredients. All Bioweg’s ingredients are customisable, vegan, GMO-free, easily scalable, and sustainably produced without the need for harsh chemicals.
Bioweg has four products: MicBead and Rheweg are solutions to microplastics in cosmetics and personal care, AgriWeg replaces petroleum and acrylic-based coatings in fertilisers and seeds, while HydroWeg is a sustainably derived hydrocolloid for plant-based food. To make its ingredients sustainable, the company converts low-value by-products, residues, and waste from the food and agriculture industry – like molasses and vegetable peels – into high-value and circular products.
The company ferments these by-products to create microbial cellulose in a zero-waste process and Bioweg has identified high-yielding strains based on more than 10,000 lab-scale and factorial design-based experiments. And to further improve the yield, the company optimises the genetic makeup of the strains using classical and new genetic engineering techniques.
So that it may create ingredients that are perfect for end use, Bioweg performs molecular simulations, including structural and thermodynamic analysis. This allows the company to test various cellulose fibrils’ properties with different functionalisation levels. Then, using green chemistry principles, Bioweg can adapt the fibrils for various designs and purposes.
Microplastics have become a severe problem for the oceans, land, and humans, and Springwise has spotted many innovations looking to clear up and replace these harmful ingredients. One company has created dissolving make-up wipes that leave no microplastics or waste, and researchers are even looking into removing microplastics with sound.
Spotted: The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) analysis of the solar photovoltaic industry found that “more than [a] threefold increase in annual capacity deployment [is needed] until 2030” in order to meet the global net-zero emissions goal for 2050. That is a huge increase in capacity and is a volume most agencies and governments struggle to meet. Solar farms in general require a significant amount of ground space, making it difficult to find locations that are large enough and close enough to the communities they serve to minimise transport costs.
France’s HelioRec is looking to coastal waters as a potential solution to this challenge. Many densely populated urban areas lack the land needed to build renewable energy sources at a usable scale. Many of those cities are, however, located on the coast. By looking to the surface of the nearby bodies of water as a potential foundation for a renewable energy plant, an entirely new space of opportunity is created.
HelioRec’s floating solar systems are customisable, made from recycled plastics, and designed to minimise maintenance costs and time. The floating solar farms use water for balance and stability, rather than costly and environmentally damaging concrete or metal. The company’s bespoke, flexible connectors make a range of configurations and sizes possible, with output ranging from 10 kilowatts (kW) of energy up to 100 megawatts (MW).
The company uses algorithms to help predict energy generation, making it easier for users to plan for a volume of power to sell and to project how much should be available for times of peak demand. The solar farms can also be used as a dock and charging station for electric boats.
Innovators are increasingly looking to the world’s waterways for solutions to global challenges. Recent developments spotted by Springwise include a nanogenerator that harnesses the energy of the ocean to power sensors and a floating platform for generating continuous electricity from rivers.
Spotted: In the average European household, showers are responsible for over a third of water loss and around a quarter of energy usage. And with rising energy prices across Europe, one 10-minute shower could cost almost €3. To help save people money and energy, a Swiss-based company, Joulia, has created technology to recover heat energy from a warm shower.
The Joulia-Inline heat recycling technology uses a shower drain channel that is connected to cold water pipes. When someone takes a shower, the warm shower water runs over these pipes instead of going straight down the drain and preheats the incoming cold water. With the preheated cold water, the shower uses less hot water at the mixer valve. By reusing water heat, Joulia helps customers reduce their energy consumption, utility bill, and carbon footprint, while providing a comfortable shower experience.
The technology is completely hidden, with the heat exchanger directly integrated into the shower area to recover energy. The line is also available in many lengths and efficiencies.
With its durable technology, Joulia says customers can save 60 per cent of their energy usage and because installation is quick, users can start saving on their bills immediately.
Showers, while relaxing, can break the bank and waste a lot of water and energy, and Springwise has spotted many innovations to reduce these stressors. These include a brand that has introduced a recycling shower that reduces water usage by 75 per cent and a smart sensor that encourages users to save water in the shower.
Spotted: Silk production is a multi-billion-dollar industry, but silk still only makes up under 0.2 per cent of the global fibre market. While natural silk is considered a more sustainable fibre than synthetics because of its biodegradability and renewability, silkworm disease and the increased availability of cheaper manmade alternatives have hit the industry hard in recent decades.
Hoping to revolutionise the silk industry and expand the material’s capabilities is Parisian-based company Sericyne. With its patented technology, Sericyne’s silkworms can directly produce many different shapes instead of cocoons.
Before they arrive in the factory, Sericyne’s silkworms are raised for 30 days by local silk growers. In the factory, the silkworms are placed on moulded supports, where they spin silk into the two or three-dimensional shapes on which they are placed. The 100 per cent natural material produced and collected is a shiny and non-woven fabric. And because each fibre spun is approximately one kilometre long, the final product is also extremely strong.
Sericyne’s craftsmen then harvest this silk, which can then be dyed, embroidered, pleated, hot stamped, or embossed to enhance its appearance. On its website, the company offers a range of products, from beauty items to candle holders and soft bedding.
The company has reignited sericulture in France and has trained more than 15 silkworm breeders and is also launching a mulberry plantation programme to revive the industry – with mulberry leaves being the sole nutrition source for silkworms.
The textiles industry is a hub of innovation. Springwise has also spotted a silk-based alternative that is biodegradable, safe to digest, and easily manufactured, as well as a new technology for creating natural fibres.
Spotted: When water becomes enriched with minerals and nutrients, a process starts called eutrophication, where algae grow rapidly and accumulate, causing algal bloom, which can smell bad, block sunlight, and even release toxins. However, the plants also offer a sustainable, clean, and biological source of raw materials, ideal for many applications. They can be harvested and processed without affecting the environment, and Origin by Ocean is doing just that.
The startup has found that marine overgrowth can be removed and converted into ecological, healthy, and oil-free ingredients for use in everyday consumer products. The company’s patented biorefinery technology, Nauvu, turns invasive and harmful algae and ecologically farmed seaweed into many products in one industrial process. The technology uses selective chemistry to extract valuable bio-based chemicals, which can be used to replace traditional high-carbon chemical ingredients in industries like food, cosmetics, hygiene, and textiles. To make the process as sustainable as possible, Origin by Ocean also recycles chemicals and water.
In addition, the company’s algae harvesting platform can provide employment opportunities to coastal communities around the world, while clearing oceans of potentially toxic seaweed. Origin by Ocean employs individuals directly, from the algae farmers and harvesters to the feedstock producers.
The startup recently raised €7.5 million in a seed funding round which will be used to grow operations and develop an industrial-scale algae refinement plant.
Algae, while essential, can become a danger to our oceans, which is why Springwise has spotted so many innovations trying to use the plant and clean up our seas. One startup has developed bio-based plastics made from macroalgae as a friendly alternative to conventional plastics, and another is turning seaweed into sustainable packaging.
Spotted: Advancing battery technology is a main pillar of the transition to clean energy. But batteries themselves are not that ‘clean’. In order to make the move to net zero, batteries will need to be more efficient. A major step in this direction is now being taken by French startup Otonohm.
While other innovators are focusing on making changes to battery hardware, Otonohm is concentrating on the software – battery management systems (BMS). Its switched BMS technology allows manufacturers to remove the charger, converter and/or inverter on a drivechain or powerchain.
By paring down the battery, Otonohm’s switched BMS system offers big improvements in efficiency, battery lifespan, and reliability, which also translates into big carbon savings. The system can also monitor the state of charge of each cell in the battery, providing more available energy and a longer battery life, and allowing damaged cells to be disconnected without preventing the operation of the others.
The company claims its system will work with almost any type of battery, and will provide 20 per cent more available energy over conventional batteries and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent.
Battery technology is taking off – and given its importance in renewable energy and net zero – even more will need to be done. Springwise has recently spotted a material recovered from seaweed that could boost the lifespan of electric vehicle (EV) batteries and a more environmentally-friendly process for recycling EV batteries.
To further understand the policy structures and mechanisms driving Passive House adoption across North America, the Passive House Network (PHN) studied what, where, and how Passive House policies succeed. Beginning in 2017, a research team inventoried Certified Passive House projects and professionals, and then analyzed Passive House–focused (or Passive House–related) local policies. Three frontrunner regions shone through. And the final report examines how specific policies operating in those regions harness the power of voluntary standards, like Passive House, that are already delivering high performance; and the key patterns or mechanisms they share. Scaling and replicating these patterns has proven incredibly successful both here and abroad.
Passive House Network leader Bronwyn Barry is an architect and principal of Passive House BB. Her webinar presentation with green building resource Rate it Green deep dives into the Policy That Works report. According to Barry, “Our goal is to have everybody look at how to implement these patterns and use them in their own policies.”
Watch the 2022 video presentation on the report’s implications
The Passive House framework offers tools and training that target buildings’ operational energy use, aiming to create a long-lived built environment that is regenerative and restorative. Passive House strategies are proven to produce reliable, low energy-use intensity. And after years in practice, Passive House buildings actually cost less to build than code-compliant buildings.
The report identified New York, Pennsylvania, and British Columbia as having both a critical mass of trained Passive House professionals and a significant lead in terms of Passive House project numbers and square footage. The data confirmed that Passive House adoption in North America is primarily being driven by large, multi-family buildings.
Connecting policy to projects
The PHN research discovered a layered mix of cities, states, and utilities driving high-performance energy policies in these accelerated regions, most being state-mandated, utility-funded programs. These policies and programs were competitively run; included tiered incentives and options and/or stepped implementation; and required reporting and monitoring, so data was captured to inform further policy.
The report then distills specific features that these policies have in common:
They all included training subsidies to achieve a critical mass of well-trained building professionals and civil service employees.
They all included carrots: project subsidies that help to remove the risk burden of the developer and owner community.
They all clearly identified, up front, the end goal.
Interestingly, the researchers determined that all three of these drivers must be in place for successful implementation at scale. They also found, in all of the frontrunner regions, a local community of advocates and practitioners who supported policymakers implementing these programs: a local, grassroots community of activists.
Further accelerating Passive House adoption, policies connected one area of regulatory framework with others. In addition, most of the frontrunner regions had removed roadblocks within the baseline code, allowing Passive House pathways to compliance.
Finally, required monitoring and cost reporting circularly fed back into either reach codes or baseline code adoption, or back into the existing incentive program to reconfigure and refine the next iteration.
Working cooperatively
Starting the energy code process with an explicitly and clearly defined end goal helps to structure the interim steps (a back-casting structure, as contrasted with an iterative code update process). A stepped energy code can also replace a multitude of reach codes in different municipalities.
In the webinar, Barry points out that at the city, state, and utility level, all of these successful policies connect. They were “quilted together” to work effectively. Each civic entity developed programs that supported programs and incentives run by fellow entities.
As an example, Barry highlighted a Vancouver program that connected zoning variances to certified passive house projects. Vancouver’s zero-emissions building plan issued in 2016 includes training of municipal staff, for an integrated approach. Bary emphasized training repeatedly as an oft-overlooked but essential component of successful programs.
British Columbia also provided up to $80,000 to incentivize manufacturers to develop Passive House Certified windows. The local building codes and incentives then created the market for them, producing a “virtuous feedback loop.”
New York City required their public works buildings to be Certified Passive House: fire stations, school retrofits, affordable housing, etc. NYC also implemented a benchmarking law (all the large buildings must measure and report energy consumption) and then set carbon caps, driving emissions gradually toward net zero carbon. This goal-oriented approach motivates owners to leap ahead when retrofitting and to plan for net zero in new buildings.
Barry then highlighted New York State’s Buildings of Excellence Program, a competitive award that funds early design explorations. The feedback that tracks modeling methodologies is encouraging innovation, because it removes some of the developers’ risk.
Pennsylvania linked their affordable housing tax credits to high-performance buildings, giving far more points for Passive House Certification. “See how policies, programs, and incentives actually can quilt together with policies similarly operating, and make each of them work better together. [The] additional points make it more likely to get financing through the state-run financing program.” explained Barry. “And lo and behold, after three years of running this program, the Passive House buildings performed reliably and ended up costing less money per square foot than the baseline code-compliant buildings. Because the professional community figured out ways to do this cost effectively.”
We live in an age of mass production and mass consumption – never before have so many products and services been so readily available to us. And at the same time, leaps and bounds in the transport industry over the past 100 years have made journeys quicker and easier than previously thought possible, allowing us to cross oceans in mere hours without lifting a finger. But all of these advancements come at a cost.
The modern era was largely built on fossil fuels, with our cars, homes, and production methods all emitting vast volumes of greenhouse gases. And these gases have been detrimental to our climate – since the 1880s, the Earth’s temperature has risen 0.08 degrees Celsius per decade, and this rate of warming has more than doubled to 0.18 degrees Celsius per decade since 1981. With this rising temperature comes an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, including drought, floods, hurricanes, and tsunamis, particularly in developing countries.
In 2021, the famous naturalist David Attenborough called climate change “the biggest threat to security that modern humans have ever faced”. If global warming isn’t stopped or drastically slowed, the results will be catastrophic. Such a huge challenge, naturally, does not have a simple answer, but collaboration across multiple industries to cut greenhouse gas emissions and prevent further pollution will allow us to get global warming under control. Slowing climate change is possible, but we will need to get creative.
Innovators across all industries are exploring ways we can all cut carbon and effectively tackle the climate crisis, as well as developing technologies to help build resilience in the face of changing climate and more extreme weather.
There are many exciting solutions fighting climate change that will be featured at ChangeNOW in Paris between 25th and 27th May. Take a look at five of the best.
One global survey in 2015 revealed that over a third of all adults had never even heard of climate change. The researchers emphasised that basic education and public understanding of climate issues are vital to garner support for climate action. Awareness has grown since the survey, but 2021 UNESCO data from 100 countries still showed that only 53 per cent of the world’s national education curricula refer to climate change, and even when it is mentioned, it is not made a priority. This is where Climate Pitch comes in. The company delivers public sessions or workshops and conferences for a specific business to help build public knowledge of climate change. The sessions combine visual presentations with clear explanations and exercises to help audiences quickly understand the issues, and motivate them to engage on a personal, professional, and collective level. Read more
As is set out in the European Green Deal, Europe aims to be the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Central to achieving this ambition is encouraging the energy transition, and the European Union (EU) is well on its way – renewable energy sources made up 37.5 per cent of gross electricity consumption in 2021. But in order to make renewables the primary, if not only, energy source in Europe and beyond, we need to continue development of technologies that use reliable and consistent green energy sources. Doing just that is startup Minesto, which has created a ‘kite’ with a turbine that ‘flies’ underwater to generate electricity from predictable tidal streams and ocean currents. The device is attached to vessel with a tether, and a control system onboard autonomously steers the kite in figure-of-eight motions. This movement pulls the turbine through the water at a water flow much higher than the actual stream speed – and this faster speed generates extra power. Read more
Around the world, the loss of crops caused by untreatable pest damage or plant disease is estimated to be between 20 and 40 per cent. And at the same time, increasing extreme weather is putting additional pressure on growers. With the global population continuing to rise, the agricultural industry needs to find effective and sustainable ways of building resilience. One way of doing this is taking advantage of technology. Data science company Fermata has created an artificial-intelligence-powered (AI) solution, called Croptimus, that helps growers spot disease early and track plant changes over time. With the technology, farmers can cut labour costs and reduce pesticide usage by 25 per cent. Read more
One study conducted by Oxfam in 2021 that analysed the investments of 125 of the world’s wealthiest billionaires discovered that up to 70 per cent of their emissions come from investments in polluting industries, resulting in an average of 3 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year. As much as we may be trying to fight climate change with daily actions, there needs to be a drastic change in where the world’s money is going and what it is funding. Enter Goodvest, a fintech that makes sure your savings are not going towards harmful sectors, such as the production and extraction of fossil fuels, armaments, tobacco. Goodvest analyses the entire carbon footprint of a user’s investments in order to limit the global warming trajectory of funds, helping individuals invest responsibly without contributing to climate change. Read more
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) estimates that a staggering 931 million tonnes of food are thrown away in households, retail, and the food service industry every year. Not only does this mean resources are wasted with the growing of this food, but when it’s not disposed of properly and ends up in landfill, food products break down and release methane, which is detrimental for climate change. To help reduce the volume of food being thrown away unnecessarily, Ryp Labs developed StixFresh. Once placed on produce, these food-grade stickers make items last up to twice as long, reducing the chances of food getting thrown away due to spoilage. Read more
Springwise is a proud partner of ChangeNOW, which takes place in Paris 25-27 May 2023. As the world’s largest event for the planet, the three-day international summit brings together entrepreneurs, businessleaders, and policymakers to accelerate change. Tickets are available now and Springwise readers can get a discount of 20% by using the code: SPRINGWISECN23
