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Carbon reduction

CARBON-NEUTRAL CEMENT

Cement manufacturing is responsible for around 5% of global carbon emissions – more than aviation. This innovative cement absorbs and stores carbon dioxide (CO₂) during the manufacturing process. With every tonne of cement made, it absorbs 100kg more CO₂ than its production emits.

Sequestering CO₂ in the built environment has enormous potential, helping to meet the growing global demand for housing and infrastructure development, and pressures to improve carbon capture and storage.

Benefits: carbon reduction
Innovators: Calera, Novacem (Watch interview)

RENEWABLE POWERED CARGO SHIPS

Cargo ships that are powered on 100% renewable energy. These ships typically combine modern sail technology to generate thrust from wind with biofuel-powered engines. Other examples include solar or hybrid powered boats and ferries, whilst some ships will go even further and actually generate energy themselves, store it and transfer it back to the grid.

Emissions from shipping account for around 3% of global totals - exceeding that created by the entire UK. For the shipping industry to be truly sustainable, sustainability efforts will need to encompass the entire value chain, including how goods are transported. With increasing risks from carbon taxes and legislation, this approach mixes old methods with new technologies to offer a low carbon and commercially competitive transport option.

Benefits: carbon reduction, energy efficiency
Innovators: B9 Shipping, Fairtransport shipbrokers; Planet Solar; Fraunhofer Centre for Manufacturing Innovation; Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology; Ferguson shipbuilders (hybrid ferries).

INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS THAT REGULATE THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

Adaptive buildings use less energy by regulating their own heating, cooling and lighting with intelligent sensor networks and motorised systems that automatically respond to changes in temperature and weather. Higher levels of self-optimisation can significantly reduce the amount of energy that large buildings consume, through intelligent shading and ventilation. The technology can enable buildings to harvest renewable energy and rain water.

Benefits: energy efficiency, water efficiency, carbon reduction
Innovators: Adaptive Building Initiative

See it in action: Campus of Justice (Madrid), Pearl River Tower (Pearl River Tower movie)

CITY BIKE RENTAL SCHEMES

Bike rental schemes in major cities around the world provide locals and tourists alike with a cheap, eco-friendly way to get around.

Paris was the first city to introduce a public cycle scheme in 2007. The scheme offers over 17,000 bicycles in 1,202 stations across the city. With one station every 300 metres, it’s the largest system in the world.

London followed suit in 2010 with a self-service, 24-hour system where riders pay online or at a docking station to use the bikes. Similar schemes exist in Copenhagen, Germany, Luxembourg, Canada, Mexico and Dublin.

Find out more about London’s scheme

Benefits: carbon reduction

TRACKING CARBON EMISSIONS FROM SHIPPING

With 90% of world trade being transported by sea, efficient shipping can make a big difference to global energy use and greenhouse-gas emissions.

Richard Branson's non-profit Carbon War Room has created www.shippingefficiency.org, a site that ranks approximately 60,000 container ships, tankers, bulk carriers, cargo ships, cruise ships and ferries with greenhouse gas efficiency ratings.

The site helps shippers, operators, ports, insurance companies and charterers to factor vessel efficiency into their decision-making. If shipping companies see that they can gain extra business by improving their efficiency ratings, it will influence the industry to start getting cleaner.

Benefits: carbon reduction
Innovators: Carbon War Rooms

EUROPEAN SUPER GRIDS

Imagine your home powered by the sun from Spain or the wind from Scotland.

That’s what could happen with a European supergrid– a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power grid connecting Europe and the regions around its borders.

Renewable energy supplies can vary at a local level – sometimes the wind doesn’t blow or the sun doesn’t shine. But sharing energy across national and regional boundaries makes it easier to balance supplies and cope with peaks of demand or sudden shortages.

Development of renewables at scale also requires the deployment of smart grids, which can also accommodate a much larger proportion of electricity from renewable sources, enabling homes and businesses to become renewable energy providers.

We also need a mix of policy reform, alliance building, new technologies as well as societal innovation - to think differently about the way we live, the way we design our energy markets and our businesses.

Benefits: carbon reduction, energy generation
Innovators: Renewable Grid Initiative, set up by WWF and now involving many of Europe’s grid operators, including the UK National Grid, and other partners.

WORLD'S FIRST ENVIRONMENTAL PROFIT AND LOSS RESULTS

Puma has become the world's first major corporation to publish details of the cost of its impact on the environment. It has calculated that the combined cost of the carbon it emitted and water it used in 2010 was 94.4m euros ($134.3m; £82.8m). The figure includes the company itself and its suppliers.

The organisation wanted to find tangible ways it can consider nature and environmental impacts in their decision making and inform them to create a more resilient and sustainable business model. Since ecosystem services are vital to the performance of most companies, integrating the true cost for these services in the future could have significant impacts on corporate bottom lines.

Read more

Benefits: carbon reduction, water efficiency
Innovators: Puma

REDUCING BUSINESS TRAVEL THROUGH VIDEOCONFERENCING

New technology means it’s possible to be present at a meeting almost anywhere in the world without actually having to travel there. Videoconferencing technology is well established and easily accessible, and is improving all the time. Substituting telepresence for business travel saves time and money, and substantially reduces carbon emissions. This combination makes a very appealing business case. If large UK and US businesses implemented 10,000 telepresence units – 5.5 million metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions will be saved from reduced business travel.

Benefits: carbon reduction
Innovators: Cisco, HP, Polycom, AT&T

BOOSTING ELECTRIC VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

Electric vehicles (EVs) present a major opportunity for low carbon transportation to be adopted by the mass market. A current barrier to greater use of EVs is the lack of infrastructure and support services. EV infrastructure providers, such as Better Place, provide a network of places where drivers can charge or switch their batteries. They also offer systems such as GPS journey planners that show drivers can reach their destination with ease. These services can aid the adoption of EVs and Better Place already has projects planned in Israel, Australia, Denmark and North America.

Benefits: carbon reduction
Innovators: Better Place

Watch a video

CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER

Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) uses mirrors or lenses to focus the sun’s rays onto a small area. The heat this produces can then generate electricity – for example, by heating water to run a steam turbine.

Solar energy can be stored in the form of heat for several hours, then used to generate electricity when it’s needed – CSP systems are being developed that can store energy for up to 15 hours.

North Africa and the Middle East receive huge amounts of solar energy. A project called DESERTEC aims to connect CSP plants in the desert to a European supergrid – meaning that on a dark December night, your home could be powered by sunshine from the Sahara.

Benefits: carbon reduction, energy generation
Innovators: DESERTEC

The foam soaks up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and generates sugars that can be converted into biofuel

CAPTURING CARBON WITH FROG FOAM

The foam nest created by a tungara frog appears to be nature’s most efficient way of harnessing the sun’s energy. Inspired by this discovery, engineers have mimicked the way the foam functions. They’ve created ‘artificial photosynthetic foam‘, injected with frog enzymes. Using the power of the sun, the foam captures and converts carbon dioxide (CO₂) into oxygen and sugar.

This process captures more CO₂ than natural photosynthesis, and it doesn’t rely on natural resources such as soil and water. It’s currently being tested for large-scale applications in urban areas and pollution from manufacturing plants. The sugar it produces can be used to make biofuel.

Benefits: carbon reduction; energy generation; biodiversity
Innovators: David Wendell

PLANT-BASED PLASTICS

Most people associate oil with petrol that fills our cars, but it’s also a major component in everyday materials – such as plastics used for packaging, furniture and consumer goods. By using polymers based on natural and renewable resources such as plants, it has the potential to significantly game-change how plastic - based products are made today. Not only do they offer a more environmentally friendly option at manufacture, they also can be biodegradable.

Emerging policies to reduce demand of oil-based products and decreasing supplies will force a rethink of entire value chains in the petro-chemicals industry.

Benefits: carbon reduction, biodiversity
Innovators: Amyris , Natureworks, Reluceo

REDUCING CARBON AND BUILDING VALUE IN PROPERTY PORTFOLIOS

Greenprint Foundation is a worldwide alliance of leading real estate owners, investors and financial institutions that provide carbon reduction strategies to the property sector to create value in their portfolios for tenants and investors.

The built environment is responsible for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Greenprint Foundation uses cross-sector collaboration to catalyse change by giving members access to latest technologies from lighting, smart meters to environmental management systems. Its future projects include green leases, new-build comissioning, regulatory trends and procurement to create a one-stop shop for sustainable solutions.

Benefits: carbon reduction
Innovators: Greenprint Foundation

SHARING YOUR CAR WITH OTHERS

Think about how often you use your car everyday? Despite from taking you to work, to the shops or to see your friends - in most cases they are left unused 90% of the time.

When you think of the materials and energy needed to produce a car, that’s a huge waste. With schemes like ZipCar, you can rent your car to other people when you’re not using it. Or you can choose not to own a car, but to rent one only when you need it.

Services like this have the potential to dematerialise the automotive sector, and encourage people to use cars more efficiently. To encourage take-up of these schemes, California passed a law that assures car owners that their insurer can’t drop them or hike their rates simply because they participate in a personal car-sharing programme.

Other examples include Car Share that connects people with similar journeys to take on passengers.

Benefits: carbon reduction; reduce, reuse, recycle
Innovators: Zip Car, Whip Car, Relay Rides, Car Share

RENEWABLE ENERGY SERVICE FINANCING FOR THE 'BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID'

Millions of poor, rural households worldwide still use polluting and health-damaging fuels like kerosene. The health and environment of the ‘bottom of the pyramid’ – the 2.5 billion people who live on less than $2.5 a day – would benefit hugely from access to clean, renewable energy alternatives like solar PV panels. Indian social enterprise SELCO is one organisation providing finance for this – and proving that it could be a viable investment. Since 1995, SELCO has financed, sold and serviced 115,000 solar systems in partnership with Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank, a rural Indian bank.

Benefits: energy generation, carbon reduction
Innovators: SELCO, Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank

SOLAR-POWERED LIGHT BULBS

The world’s first solar-powered light bulbs will help improve the lives of people in the developing world who live without reliable access to electricity. While traditional kerosene lamps are toxic and polluting , these are clean, affordable, long-lasting and durable.

The bulbs last more than six hours on a single charge, and automatically switch off in bright light to save energy. They’re already used in Pakistan and Kenya, and will soon arrive in Iraq, where they will help people in the war-torn country avoid the high cost of running diesel generators.

See the bulbs in use

Benefits: energy efficiency, carbon reduction
Innovators: Nokero

COMMUNITY-OWNED RENEWABLE ENERGY PROVIDER

Community-owned renewable energy plants, such as solar panel arrays and wind turbines, generate renewable energy for local businesses and people. In several countries government feed-in-tariffs mean they also provide income to local investors. Community social enterprise Ouse Valley Energy Services Company, set up by Transition Town Lewes in the UK, is reaping the benefits of a community renewable energy plant. It has partnered with solar installation firm Southern Solar and local brewery Harveys to create a 98kW solar PV panel array. Harveys will use some of the electricity generated in exchange for the lease of its roof space. The remainder will feed back into the national grid, generating income for the local community.

Benefits: energy generation, carbon reduction
Innovators: Ouse Valley Energy Services Company, Southern Solar, Harveys

MIMICKING NATURE IN DESIGN

An increasingly popular process, known as biomimicry, is taking inspiration from nature’s genius to improve the way buildings and many products are designed. For example, the design of marine turbine blades was inspired by the shape of a humpback whale’s flipper. Nature offers billions of years of design ideas that can be replicated to solve human challenges.

AskNature has developed a comprehensive, free online database of biomimicry ideas for designers and engineers. It also provides advice to encourage the application of sustainability principles throughout the life-cycle of any product or project.

Benefits: biodiversity; carbon reduction, water efficiency, energy generation
Innovators: AskNature; Biomimicry Institute

Watch a video

CHINA'S ELECTRIC BICYCLE REVOLUTION

China’s aim to build a world-beating electric vehicle industry is clear. The State Grid Corporation of China has announced a target of manufacturing 500,000 electric vehicles by 2015. But the rapid uptake of electric bicycles is less well reported. Thirty six million electric bicycles were sold in China during 2010, according to Luyuan, the country’s largest manufacturer. If electric bicycle use replaces car journeys, the uptake of electric bicycles could have a significant impact on air quality and greenhouse gas emissions from China’s rapidly urbanising 1.3 billion population.

Benefits: carbon reduction
Innovators: Luyuan

100% RENEWABLE ENERGY CHARGING FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Partnerships between electric vehicle charging infrastructure firms and renewable energy retailing firms are an important step in cementing an emerging renewable energy system, allowing people to travel on 100% renewable energy. We’re seeing the first partnerships fall into place. For example, in July 2011 in the UK, Ecotricity, a renewable energy retailer, and Welcome Break, which runs service stations, launched a network of free electric car charging points, powered by renewable energy. This will eventually span 27 motorway service stations.

Benefits: carbon reduction
Innovators: Ecotricity, Welcome Break

TRANS-EUROPEAN LOW CARBON TRANSPORT NETWORK

To meet greenhouse gas reduction targets, electrification of transport needs ‘major and sustained investment’ according to the EU’s Roadmap for moving to a low-carbon economy in 2050 report. The European Commission is helping Europe move towards this by awarding a coalition of organisations, businesses and cities €4.95 million to analyse, test and pilot electric vehicle charging and rail infrastructure. These pilot projects will help make the case for a renewable energy-powered transport network across Europe.

Benefits: carbon reduction
Innovators: Betterplace, ActewAGL, Green Mountain power, eVgo

CARBON CAPTURE STORAGE VIA BIOCHAR

Biochar is an approach to carbon sequestration via Bio-energy with carbon capture and storage. It is a charred organic material that’s buried to enhance soil and act as a carbon store, improving soil fertility and crop yields. Many entrepreneurial firms and social enterprises are working to develop biochar production and burial models, as archaeological evidence indicates that charred biomass has potential to store carbon for a long time. These include re:char, which aims to improve soil conditions and capture carbon in sub-Saharan Africa. More scientific research is needed to accurately quantify the carbon capture benefits of biochar and ensure the source of the carbon used to make biochar is sound.

Innovators: International Biochar Initiative ; re:char; biorecro

SOLAR THERMAL AND WASTE HEAT AIR-CONDITIONING

Most commercial and public sector buildings around the world power their heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems using electricity. China’s Hangzhou Integration of Solar, Air and Water Technology Corporation has developed air-conditioning powered by solar power and waste heat. This system uses no electricity from fossil fuels, creating a significant opportunity for energy and carbon savings. The corporation estimates that China could save 30 million tonnes of CO₂ if their products made up 5% of the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning market.

Benefits: energy efficiency , carbon reduction
Innovators: Hangzhou ISAW Technology Corporation

ENERGY GENERATING ROADWAYS

The drive for sustainable energy has seen solar panels embedded in everything from phones to window panes to insect traps. So how about generating electricity by covering our roads, car parks and pavements in solar cells?

A mile of dual carriageway could generate enough power for 500 homes, as well as street lighting and traffic systems. ‘Electric roads’ could also include LEDs to display road markings and warning messages to drivers, heaters to clear ice and snow, and charging points for electric vehicles.

Panels are expensive, so we’re unlikely to see largescale electric road networks in the near future – but small pilot projects are already in the pipeline in Holland and the US.

Watch a video

Benefits: carbon reduction, energy generation
Innovators: TNO , Solar Roadways

AIRBORNE WIND TURBINES

The Airborne Wind Turbine (AWT) is ten meters in diameter and floats thanks to helium. The idea is that winds are stronger the higher one travels and this model was sent up to 100 meters high and generates nearly two times more power from up there. This invention is an innovative way to use open space for energy. The Airborne Wind Turbines will be able to travel across skies, not having to take up land area that could be useful for other purposes.

Benefits: energy generation, carbon reduction
Innovators: Clean Future

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR ELECTIC VEHICLES

Nissan is set to develop a centre of excellence for electric vehicles in the North-East to link up with the company's Sunderland plant, where all-electric LEAF models will start to roll off the production line next year. The company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Gateshead College to establish the Zero Emission Centre of Excellence (ZECE), which it hopes will act as a "business incubator for the electric vehicle industry".

Benefits: carbon reduction
Innovators: Nissan

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