In the wake of COP27, ClimateTech is the new buzzword around the world. It brings with it the well-known debate on whether this industry is driven by impact or financial returns for investors. However, a general trend is that impact investment is on the rise.
Here are some trends in climate tech to look out for:
Clean Energy
SMART grid technology has taken a significant portion of the investment. These are small-scale renewable energy power plants that feed into the national grid, contributing to the decarbonisation of the energy sector. Additionally, energy procurement services have also seen their fair share of investment. Reel a Danish startup, ensures the construction of renewable sources according to the demands of their customers. In other words, the larger the demand for energy Reel will ensure that a Solar or Wind park will be built to meet those demands.
Low Impact Farming
At present, the agriculture industry has been a major contributor to climate change. Food production, farming and animal husbandry require reform to meet new climate-friendly goals. One startup Klim seeks to make novel practices of regenerative agriculture accessible to farmers. This knowledge exchange seeks to reduce resource consumption whilst maximising profitable output.
Circular Economy
Remember the Reuse, Reduce and Recycle mantra taught in schools, Start-ups are now taking that seriously though the circular economy. End-of-life product are saved from disposal by maximising material recovery and up-cycling. This has additionally created a the waste management sector through the market of recovered materials. TripleE has done just this but for electric vehicle batteries. Their platform tracks and traces the life of the batteries through metrics such as its life expectancy and environmental impact. Therefore ensuing transparency over the batteries in circulation so that they are used to their optimum potential.
Building Management Solutions
The increasing demand for housing in inner cities has resulted in the construction of large residential apartments and buildings. These buildings contribute a significant amount of carbon emissions that come from heating and cooling the building. Therefore there is a demand for a sustainable methods of keeping building at the right temperature without polluting the environment. Caeli Energie has developed energy efficient air conditioners that do not require refrigerants or outdoor units that can cause pollutants to leak into the atmosphere. Instead it uses Maisotsenko’s cycle to naturally cool buildings down. Reducing energy as well as carbon emissions.
Carbon and Data Analytics
In order to address the problem one must be able to measure it. There has been a rise in startups seeking to accurately measure and predict carbon emissions as the UK looks to reduce emissions by 2030. Sylvera has developed a data-driven platform to track and grade carbon emissions. This UK-based startup seeks to use machine learning and geospatial data with a refined user experience to provide a quick evaluation of a project.
Sustainable Construction
When thinking of a polluting industry construction comes to mind. It uses plenty of resources, and heavy machinery and contributes significantly to waste. It is estimated that Cement production alone accounts to 3% of all Green House Gas emissions. Start-ups such as MAA’VA have solved this. They have created a Carbon negative cement that recycles, primary plastic waste into sand for construction. Addressing the issue of waste, Beoi integrates the circular economy into the planning phase of a development. Beoi uses Virtual Design and Construction to efficiently construct as was as demolish developments ensuring recovery and reuse of materials.