Published 06 April 2022
The climate crisis demands drastic and innovative action. Future-facing design, technology and material advancements present promising solutions enabling a holistic climate-positive revolution. We highlight projects that restrict emissions, protect against extreme weather events and limit natural resource eradication – with insights that will impact on every industry.
Switch to New Power Players
Improve Personal Protective Equipment
Rebuild How We Live
Preserve Natural Resources
Fossil fuel combustion is a leading emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs). As renewable energy sources gain technical maturity and market accessibility, it is time to adopt eco power. Innovations in solar cells, hydrogen fuel, wind tech and even carbon recycling drive the transformation into a greener, more adaptive energy industry.
Fossil fuel combustion is a leading emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs). As renewable energy sources gain technical maturity and market accessibility, it is time to adopt eco power. Innovations in solar cells, hydrogen fuel, wind tech and even carbon recycling drive the transformation into a greener, more adaptive energy industry.
Summary
Switch to New Power Players | Fossil fuel combustion is a leading emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs). As renewable energy sources gain technical maturity and market accessibility, it is time to adopt eco power. Innovations in solar cells, hydrogen fuel, wind tech and even carbon recycling drive the transformation into a greener, more adaptive energy industry. |
Improve Personal Protective Equipment | If the world continues on the trajectory of 1.5°C warming by 2030, almost half of the global population will be exposed to a climate hazard (McKinsey, 2021). Protecting our bodies against temperature variance, pollution and environmental change will soon be a daily reality, necessitating the development of future-facing defensive products and services. |
Rebuild How We Live | Some 38% of carbon emissions are generated by the global building sector (Unep, 2020), driving the need for new climate-conscious construction. From carbon-sequestering projects to temperature-regulating materials and disaster-centric design, sustainable adaptations in the built environment can create notable impact. |
Preserve Natural Resources | While technological progress has ravaged organic materials and ecologies, digital techniques can also be used to monitor and protect the natural world. Think algorithms identifying potential resource savings, agritech for climate-stressed areas, and preservation transparency platforms. |
At A Glance
Innovation Platforms
Topics
Regional Focus
Key Stats
Switch to New Power Players |
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Improve Personal Protective Equipment |
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Rebuild How We Live |
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Preserve Natural Resources |
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Switch to New Power Players
Fossil fuel combustion is a leading emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs). As renewable energy sources gain technical maturity and market accessibility, it is time to adopt eco power. Innovations in solar cells, hydrogen fuel, wind tech and even carbon recycling drive the transformation into a greener, more adaptive energy industry.
- Solar Solutions: More solar energy reaches the Earth every hour than the total energy consumed globally per year, incentivising the exploration of renewable photovoltaic (PV) energy. The geographic footprint of this energy also encourages adoption; repurposing just 1% of US farmland would yield 20% of the country’s electricity (Anthropocene, 2021). A new photo project from German artist Tom Hegen captures global solar power plants, demonstrating their efficacy and aesthetics across landscapes.
For countries unable to sacrifice land – or simply wishing to maximise their solar panel footprint – floating PV projects are reaching market maturity. The cooling effect of floating on water can boost solar panel efficiency by 5-15%, encouraging their adoption (EESI, 2021). Thailand’s Sirindhorn Dam farm, which commenced operations in October 2021, boasts almost 150,000 solar cells, generates 45MW of electricity, and aims to reduce the country’s GHG emissions by 47,000 tons a year – all while accounting for just 1% of the reservoir’s surface area.
Tom Hegen
Tom Hegen
 Tom Hegen |  Tom Hegen |
Tom Hegen
Tom Hegen
Tom Hegen
 Tom Hegen |  Tom Hegen |  Tom Hegen |
Sirindhorn dam farm
Sirindhorn dam farm
 Sirindhorn dam farm |  Sirindhorn dam farm |
- Solar cell manufacture is also becoming more sustainable. AuReus, a novel material developed from waste crops by engineering student Carvey Ehren Maigue, harvests ultraviolet (UV) light, converting it into visible light for electricity generation. The technology can produce energy in low light and clouds, improving yield.
Solar cell technology is slowly replacing batteries and charging power in small consumer goods, representing incremental steps towards more sustainable personal electronics. For example, Dutch audio brand Mayht’s prototype portable speaker, featuring Swedish brand Exeger’s Powerfoyle solar-cell material, converts solar and ambient light into electricity.
Carvey Ehren Maigue
AuReus
Exeger / Mayht
 Carvey Ehren Maigue |  AuReus |  Exeger / Mayht |
- Hopes for Hydrogen: Hydrogen presents a potentially green alternative to fossil fuels. It emits only oxygen and water as waste, making it an obvious replacement for carbon-producing fuel consumption. Transportation brands lead hydrogen adoption, potentially transforming a historically consumptive industry. Over 90% of transportation fuel is currently petroleum-based.
For the 2022 Beijing winter Olympics, event organisers opted for a fleet of over 800 hydrogen-powered cars and buses due to their superior performance in cold weather compared to electric vehicles (EV). And in February 2022, East Japan Railway unveiled a green passenger train powered by a Toyota-designed hydrogen cell and battery. It began testing in March 2022 and expects commencement of commercial operation by 2030.
Hydrogen energy could also potentially clean up air travel, an industry responsible for 3% of global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels (WEF, 2021). Swiss aerospace company Destinus recently raised $29m to fund the creation of a hydrogen-powered hypersonic aircraft, which has the potential to travel anywhere in the world within two hours, emitting only water as waste. The future is near; insiders estimate hydrogen-powered planes could dominate short-haul flights by 2040 (Deloitte, 2021).
Cruise ships are also adapting to lessen their impact on the environment. In December 2021, Norwegian brand Northern Xplorer unveiled its concept cruise ship, the MM 130. Boasting electric power, hydrogen fuel cells with wind-and-solar power integration, the boat is designed to adhere to Norway’s zero-emission regulations, which come into effect in 2026 to protect its heritage fjords.
I strongly believe that the use of hydrogen – both in synthetic fuels and as a primary power source for commercial aircraft – has the potential to significantly reduce aviation’s climate impact.
East Japan Railway hydrogen train by Toyota
Northern Xplorer
Destinus hydrogen-powered hypersonic aircraft
 Northern Xplorer |  Destinus hydrogen-powered hypersonic aircraft |
Olympic hydrogen buses
Olympic hydrogen buses
 Olympic hydrogen buses |  Olympic hydrogen buses |
- Repowering Wind: Harnessing natural, renewable resources – like wind – will help the sustainable transformation of the energy industry. New turbine designs make wind power harvesting more efficient and reliable, factors that previously stymied adoption.
Almost 80% of global offshore wind blows in areas of deep water (60m+), making wind farm construction difficult. To capture the stronger, more consistent winds found in these areas, Norwegian company Wind Catching Systems is developing floating wind catchers, which feature 126 turbines stacked and arranged to efficiently capture wind power. The pontoons can produce energy comparable to 25 conventional turbines, despite taking up a fraction of their space. The first commercial windcatcher is due for North Sea deployment in 2023.
Spanish company Vortex Bladeless is currently working on a new wind turbine prototype better suited to urban environments. The design lacks traditional turbine blades – instead oscillating to collect kinetic wind energy, making it quieter and less of a risk to the local birdlife.
Repurposing Carbon: Accounting for almost 80% of US GHG emissions, CO2 is the most prevalent – and therefore most concerning (EPA, 2021). However, breakthrough research from Sweden’s Lund University has developed a system to convert waste CO2 into fuel using solar power, reducing GHG levels.
With this development, we should anticipate future technologies that not only capture carbon but use it in a planet-positive way.
Wind Catching Systems
Wind Catching Systems
Wind Catching Systems
 Wind Catching Systems |  Wind Catching Systems |
Water electricity crop co-production
Vortex Bladeless
Vortex Bladeless
 Vortex Bladeless |  Vortex Bladeless |
Improve Personal Protective Equipment
If the world continues on the trajectory of 1.5°C warming by 2030, almost half of the global population will be exposed to a climate hazard (McKinsey, 2021). Protecting our bodies against temperature variance, pollution and environmental change will soon be a daily reality, necessitating the development of future-facing defensive products and services.
- Anti-Pollution Products: By 2019, 90% of people worldwide lived in areas with air pollution above what the World Health Organization deemed safe (WHO, 2021). The same year, 6.7 million people globally died prematurely owing to air pollution (GBD, 2021). To improve health outcomes, brands are developing innovative products which shield users – especially children – from harm.
IF 2021 award winner Dymla One is the world’s first carry-cot designed to protect babies from air pollutants, UV radiation, bacteria and viruses. It features an electric filtration system on the hood which creates enough air pressure to stop unclean air circulating around the baby.
In September 2021, UK energy supplier E.On collaborated with British kids fashion label Scamp & Dude to create an air-pollution-fighting cape. The garment features a proprietary fabric mesh that traps and disaggregates pollutants. While currently a novelty, pollution-protective materials could easily be adapted into school uniforms.
Dymla One
Dymla One
Dymla One
 Dymla One |  Dymla One |  Dymla One |
Biotlab
- The Future of Face Masks: Inspired by widespread face mask adoption during Covid-19, tech companies are developing face masks that provide next-level protection. US start-up Biotlab has created a wearable air purifier that provides users with a personal stream of clean air, featuring HEPA filters, UVC and photocatalytic sterilisation and carbon filtration.
- Designing for Temperature-Adaptivity: If the planet warms to 2°C above pre-industrial levels by 2050, one-sixth of the projected global population (around 1.4 billion people) will be exposed to severe heat stress, compared to only 1% today (McKinsey, 2021). Already, extreme weather events are driving the need for temperature-regulating products.
US apparel brand LifeLabs, launched in 2021, has developed two patented textiles that help humans live in extreme weather. Garments made with its CoolLife fabric can reduce body temperature by 4°F. Meanwhile, its WarmLife solution can increase body temperature by 18°F, using 30% less material than comparable thermal clothing.
Team USA’s 2022 winter Olympics jackets likewise featured smart fabrics that help wearers' body temperature adapt to rapidly changing climates.
Skin is particularly vulnerable to changes in ambient heat, and cosmetic companies are rising to the challenge. US skincare researchers and manufacturers Twincraft have developed a line of products for extreme weather such as cold, wind and heat, using ingredients derived from extremophiles. Similarly, Spanish biotech developer Algaktiv uses microalgae in its active ingredients owing to its cell wall resilience to extreme conditions.
Eon Aircapes
LifeLabs
 Eon Aircapes |  LifeLabs |
LifeLabs
LifeLabs
 LifeLabs |  LifeLabs |
- Environmentally Bespoke Solutions: South Korean cosmetics company Amorepacific has collaborated with MIT to create a sweat-proof wearable measurement device to continuously monitor skin health. The company plans to use findings from the device to formulate environment-specific skincare for global consumers.
Rebuild How We Live
Some 38% of carbon emissions are generated by the global building sector (Unep, 2020), driving the need for new climate-conscious construction. From carbon-sequestering projects to temperature-regulating materials and disaster-centric design, sustainable adaptations in the built environment can create notable impact.
- Testing New Environments: Simulations are a great way to explore best practices when constructing new urban environments. In May 2021, construction was completed on London university UCL’s Person Environment Activity Laboratory (Pearl). The lab can test construction scenarios to design effective urban systems and boost their sustainability credentials. Pearl is the first building to achieve an ‘outstanding’ rating under updated Breeam sustainability standards.
UCL Pearl
UCL Pearl
 UCL Pearl |  UCL Pearl |
- Zero-Carbon Construction: In September 2021, the world’s first direct air capture (DAC) and carbon storage plant Orca came online in Iceland. The plant consists of eight ‘collectors’, which capture CO2 in filtering material. The filters are heated to remove the CO2, which is pumped into local volcanic rocks, forming carbonite materials. While the air-purifying and carbon sequestering technology is a monumental step in CO2 removal, urban solutions are needed to tackle pollution at its source.
US architecture firm Som unveiled Urban Sequoia, a concept tower block, at Cop26. Designed to absorb carbon and purify air, much like trees do in the natural world, the prototype high-rise can sequester an estimated 1,000 tons of carbon per year. The project reimagines the potential for the built-up environment to become planet-positive.
Carbon-capture cladding is already a reality. Berlin-based start-up Made of Air has created a bioplastic derived from farm and forest waste that can be used for everything from construction to furnishings. The added bonus? It locks in carbon, turning potential CO2 emissions into a stable, carbon-negative material. The bioplastic was used in the façade of Audi’s April-opened Munich showroom.
New buildings are not the only solution. In January, climate-conscious NGO Carbon180 published renderings imagining how DAC technology can be applied to existing buildings, effectively retrofitting existing infrastructure.
Orca
Orca
SOM Urban Sequoia
 Orca |  SOM Urban Sequoia |
SOM Urban Sequoia
- Temperature Management: As we discuss above, heat stress is becoming a threat to large swathes of the global population. Making buildings withstand and respond to temperature variance will help humans continue to live and work in comfort.
January-published research from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Oxford explores the potential for smart window technology in commercial and residential buildings, which harvests solar energy to heat them, and reflects sun rays to cool them. The windows are coated in phase-change material, which can be adjusted to absorb or reflect as much heat as required, depending on the season. The prototypes saved up to 34% annual energy usage compared to double glazing.
CES 2022 Innovation Award Honouree Xandar Kardian’s CT500 is a radar sensor that analyses human occupancy within a space, i.e. an office or home. When vacancy is detected, the device switches off ambient heating like air-con to save energy.
Made of Air cladding
Made of Air cladding
 Made of Air cladding |  Made of Air cladding |
Carbon 180
Carbon 180
Carbon 180
 Carbon 180 |  Carbon 180 |
Carbon 180
Carbon 180
 Carbon 180 |  Carbon 180 |
- Designing for Disaster Preparedness: Extreme weather events and climate disasters are becoming more commonplace. But responsive building design accounts for such negative eventualities to minimise destruction.
Opened in September 2021, Rotterdam’s Global Center on Adaptation is the world’s largest floating office, designed to withstand daily tide fluctuation and climate-caused sea-level rises by floating, not flooding. Likewise, designs for Rotterdam’s Feyenoord City Masterplan anticipate and accommodate the city’s vulnerability to rising water levels with a tidal park and flood plains.
And Australia’s new Bundanon art museum – which opened in March 2022 – has been designed to withstand climate threats today and in the future. Its Creative Learning department is constructed on a 530ft-long bridge, built high to allow floodwaters to flow beneath it. The building is also carved into a hillock, protecting the subterranean galleries from the country’s infamous wildfires.
Feyenoord City Masterplan
Bundanon
Rotterdam Global Centre on Adaptation
 Bundanon |  Rotterdam Global Centre on Adaptation |
Preserve Natural Resources
While technological progress has ravaged organic materials and ecologies, digital techniques can also be used to monitor and protect the natural world. Think algorithms identifying potential resource savings, agritech for climate-stressed areas, and preservation transparency platforms.
- Greening Agritech: A third of global GHG emissions are produced by agriculture and the food industry (Nature, 2021). However, a 2021 study suggests that combining digital agriculture innovation, adapted crop and microbial genetics and electric farming techniques could reduce agriculture’s GHG emissions by up to 71% in the next 15 years.
- Capturing Airborne Water: Increased temperatures threaten food production in already arid regions. However, researchers have discovered that using solar panels to harvest freshwater from atmospheric vapour can support crop growth. The proposed system, called water-electricity-crop co-production, yielded a 95% survival rate from its trial crop in Saudi Arabia.
- Space Crops: Experimentations in space can yield learnings for earthly farming. French start-up Space Cargo Unlimited sent grapevines (and bottles of wine) to the International Space Station (ISS) for 10 months. The experiment is in aid of developing hardy crops that can withstand harsh conditions – like that of the ISS – here on Earth.
- New Food Favourites: Under a moderate climate change scenario, some 55-60% of highly suitable coffee-growing areas are set to shrink by 2050, threatening the current abundance of this consumer favourite (Plos One, 2022). Preparing for this dearth, US brand Voyage Foods uses alternative ingredients from waste streams to develop ‘imitation’ foods like coffeeless coffee, and peanut-free peanut butter.
Space Cargo Unlimited
Space Cargo Unlimited
Space Cargo Unlimited
 Space Cargo Unlimited |  Space Cargo Unlimited |  Space Cargo Unlimited |
Voyage Foods
Voyage Foods
Voyage Foods
 Voyage Foods |  Voyage Foods |  Voyage Foods |
- Algorithmic Life: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms can help uncover ways to minimise ecological impact and maximise yield for agricultural industries.
Pakistani start-up CropX uses sensors, satellite images and crop modelling to identify issues with crop yields such as invasive pests or too much fertiliser. It also sends its members a weekly water ‘prescription’, highlighting how they can lessen water use in areas of resource stress. The technology is proven to reduce water use by up to 30%.
A 2021 study used algorithms to identify nutritious – but more sustainable – diets for all of India’s states. The research explored environmental data on emissions, water use and local chemical element abundance, and proposed diets that could cut food-related GHG emissions by 35%. While an encouraging result, the more sustainable diet option costs 50% more, demonstrating the need for investment in sustainable eating.
CropX
CropX
CropX
CropX
 CropX |  CropX |  CropX |
- Digi-Preservation Projects: Technology platforms are helping to support and visualise conservation efforts. In January 2022, Samsung pledged to plant two million trees by the end of March. The company collaborated with blockchain platform Veritree for the project to provide transparency, real-time data collection and impact monitoring.
Portuguese start-up Blue Oasis Technology is trialling an underwater ‘city’ to help boost coral growth, constructed from food waste materials such as rice husks. Livestream sensors monitor the project, gathering data for use across agricultural, tourism, academic and marine life industries to minimise the destruction of global coral reefs.
And scientists in Australia are using robotic predators to prevent invasive species from damaging local ecosystems, hailing the potential for positive technological intervention.
By enabling macro visualisation, technology has the power to identify and implement micro adaptations across the globe to help limit the impending climate crisis.
We have better technologies to predict storms, wildfires and floods; infrastructure to protect ourselves; and networks to co-operate and recover when a disaster does strike.
Blue Oasis Technology
Blue Oasis Technology
Blue Oasis Technology
 Blue Oasis Technology |  Blue Oasis Technology |  Blue Oasis Technology |
Robot fish designed to scare mosquitofish
Pursue Green Power
Conduct Resource Use Analysis
Explore Proactive Protection Products
Build Better – If At All
It is time to stop using fossil fuels for the sake of the planet; recent hikes in power costs owing to socio-political events add further incentive to adopt renewable energy. In the meantime, brands would be wise to explore initiatives that capture waste CO2, and recycle it into planet-positive products.
It is time to stop using fossil fuels for the sake of the planet; recent hikes in power costs owing to socio-political events add further incentive to adopt renewable energy. In the meantime, brands would be wise to explore initiatives that capture waste CO2, and recycle it into planet-positive products.
Future Insights
Pursue Green Power | It is time to stop using fossil fuels for the sake of the planet; recent hikes in power costs owing to socio-political events add further incentive to adopt renewable energy. In the meantime, brands would be wise to explore initiatives that capture waste CO2, and recycle it into planet-positive products. |
Conduct Resource Use Analysis | Technology can capture what the human eye can’t see. Use algorithms to identify where resource use can be reduced or replaced to help preserve organic matter. Agriculture brands especially need to anticipate climate stress issues – emulate Voyage Foods and create new products that use abundant waste ingredients. |
Explore Proactive Protection Products | Generic SPFs and thermal clothing are not enough for consumers who will soon be experiencing climate stress as the norm. Brands need to formulate products and services that protect against impending realities. Amorepacific is set to become a market leader with learnings from its wearable skin-monitoring project. |
Build Better – If At All | Adapting the built environment can limit climate change – and save lives. Look to initiatives such as Made By Air’s carbon-sequestering material to retrofit existing infrastructure. Future building projects must acknowledge and accommodate climate realities. Rotterdam’s Feyenoord City Masterplan demonstrates how this can be effectively achieved. |
Past
Present
Future
Past
The industrial revolution kick-started our current climate crisis, with excessive use of fossil fuels and global mass consumption changing our climate and natural environment for the worse in stealthy, damaging increments.
Present
We are now fully aware of man’s impact on the planet, and energy supply forms the focus of the issue. New green power solutions are evolving rapidly – but the climate emergency time bomb is ticking away, and positive global action is needed.
Future
New green energy solutions will emerge as the saviours of our climate crisis. Impacting on every industry, they have the power to reverse the damage done. Likewise, cross-industry carbon-sequestering innovations will make for a cleaner, greener planet.
Trend Evolution
Past
Present
Future
The industrial revolution kick-started our current climate crisis, with excessive use of fossil fuels and global mass consumption changing our climate and natural environment for the worse in stealthy, damaging increments.
We are now fully aware of man’s impact on the planet, and energy supply forms the focus of the issue. New green power solutions are evolving rapidly – but the climate emergency time bomb is ticking away, and positive global action is needed.
New green energy solutions will emerge as the saviours of our climate crisis. Impacting on every industry, they have the power to reverse the damage done. Likewise, cross-industry carbon-sequestering innovations will make for a cleaner, greener planet.