The last few decades have seen incredible acceleration in innovative technology and deployment, but it is the current convergence of these technologies which could really transform our future.
Whether your greatest concern is climate change, air pollution, plastics, food security or one of the many existential threats the world is facing today, it seems that there are technological solutions that may actually help us meet the goals of the 2015 Paris climate agreement or achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s Future Energy Company, in partnership with The National newspaper and the World Future Energy Summit at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) have launched a new report ‘The Future of Sustainability’, which highlights how innovations as disparate as carbon capture, energy storage, 3D printing, artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics could fast track the global transition to a low carbon, sustainable world.
The report examined key technological advancements that will enhance sustainability across six sectors defined as energy and climate change, water, mobility, biotechnology, space, and tech for good. These include carbon capture and energy storage, renewable energy-powered seawater desalination, electric and autonomous vehicles, nanofabrication and advanced manufacturing, gene editing and biofuels, and robotics and sophisticated software systems.
Several technologies, such as 3D printing, nanotechnology, data analytics, blockchain, and AI, impact all six sectors. These technologies and others are converging to improve efficiencies, optimise electricity consumption, and produce smart systems that will reduce our carbon footprint.
The top ten technologies identified in the research include:
- blockchain systems that enable electricity sharing such as Germany's OLI has developed;
- renewable energy-powered blockchain computing facilities like that from Soluna;
- peer-to-peer solar energy sharing platforms that extend clean energy to remote areas like that of Bangladesh-based SOL-Share;
- a waste heat recovery system that recycles industrial byproducts into a value added carbon-free energy source from the UAE's Seramic;
- a 3D printable solid-state battery powered by vegetable oil that has potential applications in energy storage from Berekotry Ltd;
- a type of char made from biomass that can reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of coal-fired power plants from Agri-Tech Producers; ‘
- 'green’ briquettes made from biomass that reduce the felling of trees and reliance on dirty coal such as that created by Kenya's Kayole Environment Management Enterprise;
- a virtual reality system that inspires more sustainable behaviour from New York's Thinc Design;
- a city water fountain that saves water and avoids the use of millions of plastic bottles from ProAcqua Group;
- environmentally-friendly paints that protect surfaces and improve energy efficiencies such as those from zero-VOC.
Energy and climate change innovations remain some of the most critical to fast-tracking a more sustainable future, and the report argues that improved energy storage, including innovations in hydrogen storage, must be achieved for a successful energy transition. Meanwhile smart networks and connectivity are expected to facilitate improved energy management and less waste overall.
There are other areas too which require increased focused if they are to have an impact, with smart city transit technologies a key innovation for developing more sustainable mobility services.
With water a critical issue, both in terms of agriculture (which consumes 70% of global freshwater every year) and in terms of use in power generation, desalination is going to need to develop rapidly.
Biotechnology will become increasingly mainstream, with the potential to solve a broad range of medical, agricultural and environmental challenges. In industries that run the gamut from medical to manufacturing, 3-D printing will continue to play an increasingly important role while space-exploration is going to move from the realm of governments to the development of sustainable practices and industries.
One area that comes out clearly in the report is the importance of young people. While in the Global North the population is ageing, globally the demographics are shifting downwards. Most of today’s young people believe that climate change will be the biggest threat to the world within the next decade and are turning to innovation to solve the challenges. This in itself links to the last major finding of the report, and that is that education is absolutely central to the achievement of improved sustainable practices.
H.E. Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said, “The world today is witnessing a shift from the business-as-usual paradigm to a more sustainability-conscious one, and the UAE is leading the way, powered by its youth and the seamless collaboration between its public and private sectors. Platforms such as Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week provide a global stage for cutting-edge sustainability concepts and solutions by enabling networking between entrepreneurs and investors and the transfer of knowledge.”
