Cleaning up the Industry: The Breakthrough Energy Summit 2024
Image Source: Breakthrough Energy, Gates Notes, Oct 29, 2021.
The new industrial revolution is here. London’s June Breakthrough Energy Summit brought together the influencers of innovation, industry and investment to tackle sustainability.
Climate change, sustainability and industry are now inextricably linked. These buzz words are everywhere. People are talking about them. However, no one more so than those who attended the Breakthrough Energy Summit in London where global leaders looking to make a difference gathered in June.
What is the Breakthrough Energy Summit?
Breakthrough Energy was launched in 2015, the same year that the Paris Agreement was adopted. It was at this time, that it became apparent that investment into driving innovation and the collaboration of industries; cross-sector was unavoidable. This was all necessary in order to yield affordable, workable solutions for the global community.
It was in 2022 that the first Breakthrough Energy (BE) Summit was held. During this Summit, novel ideas relating to manufacturing, electricity, agriculture, transportation, and buildings flourished. This June in London, the existence of viable innovative technologies was shared turning ideas into technologically disruptive solutions. Now the BE Summit is turning these solutions into emission reductions strategies.
What industries has the BE Summit helped?
The below listed are some companies that are supported by Breakthrough Energy and address in one way or another the major challenges that are faced by humanity in pursuit of the Clean Industrial Revolution.
1. Manufacturing – Contributing to 29% of global emissions
This remains one of the most problematic emissions still existing. How we make everything has everyone wondering what else can we do. CarbonCure has found a way to reduce waste carbon into fresh concrete.
Moreover, Ecocem’s ACT technology has developed technology for low-carbon cement, and has been approved in Europe.
2. Electricity – Contributing to 29% of global emissions
By 2050 it is estimated that energy needs of the Earth will triple which is why it is necessary to find an alternative source of green electricity. An alternative to assist with this issue has been proposed by Form Energy’s affordable batteries which can store energy for days creating a more consistent source of renewable energy.
3. Agriculture – Contributing to 20% of global emissions
Climate is heavily impacted by everything we grow and eat; however this is changing as new solutions are proposed such as microbial products that enable crops to take more nitrogen from the air, allowing for more efficient fertiliser such as those from Pivot Bio.
4. Transportation – Contributing to 15% of global emissions
Whilst it appears that electric vehicles are the future their batteries are limited and difficult to source. One innovator, Redwood Materials has developed an innovative solution to this problem, involving recycling. Specifically, they have sourced the metals found in batteries that are refined.
5. Buildings – Contributing to 7% of global emissions
Heat insulation and cooling requires a lot of energy, however alternatives are available and have been proposed by LuxWall who has invented an ultra-insulating window glass, that functions like a wall.
6. Carbon Management
Whilst all these innovative technologies are useful, they are alone are not enough to stop greenhouse gas emissions from being emitted. There is a necessity to manage the amount of greenhouse gases that have already been emitted. The company Graphyte is transforming waste into carbon-trapping bricks in order to bury them below ground and decrease 50,000 tons of carbon by 2025.
With innovative solutions, tangible ideas and bigger investment BE is transforming the way that climate change problems are solved. Only in collaboration with big industry and transformative technologies can we find efficient and workable solutions to reach the goal of net zero emissions.
