Written By:
Sarah Dickins
Sustainable Economics Adviser and former BBC Wales Economics Correspondent
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Wales Tech Week has been designed to help organisations keep pace with rapid change, and showcase Welsh technology on a global stage. One of the themes is “Tech for the Planet” and the summit features a “Net Zero” stage, hosted by Sustainable Economics Adviser and former BBC Wales Economics Correspondent Sarah Dickins.
Here she discusses how technology can play a role in creating a sustainable way of life and solve some of our environmental challenges.
It's generally recognised that we're living beyond our planet’s means. We are consuming too much of the world’s resources, depleting soils and polluting water and air.
Eight years ago, the Governor of the Bank of England warned “climate change will threaten financial resilience and longer-term prosperity” – in other words this is no longer just about the environment but also threatens the prospects for the global economy. Our over-use of fossil fuels in energy, agriculture, consumer goods and more has severely damaged our future stability.
Wildfires, flooding and rising sea levels also have a financial impact. The re-insurers Swiss Re Institute calculated that storms with lightning, hail, heavy rain and strong winds resulted in insurance losses of $35 billion in the first six months of 2023. The overwhelming scientific evidence supports the conclusion that these storms and more volatile weather are a result of the climate crisis caused by the way in which we have used the earth’s valuable assets.
Think of it as a “bank account” of natural resources – for decades we’ve been on a wild spending spree and are now seeing the results of poor “budgeting” – increasing floods, fires, rain “bombs”, ocean warming and reduced biodiversity. To get ourselves back in the black and on a more stable footing environmentally, we need to change our collective and individual approach to waste, water use, food production, soil health, energy generation and use, and more.
It’s a massive challenge that threatens us all. The good news is that there are many ways in which we can reduce our impact on the planet that will benefit all of us in the long run – and some actually save money in the short-term.
Harnessing technology
Technology is making a significant contribution to tackling the climate crisis, but it also has limitations. The solution needs a combination of innovation and behaviour change.
Tech can help us in many ways to use resources more efficiently, re-purpose waste, and shift behaviour.
There are many challenges but also good examples of businesses and university researchers working on ways to make our economy and behaviour more sustainable.
Tech-enabled design
New ways of designing products can bring down the cost of materials and create goods with a longer life, reducing waste and cutting environmental impact.
For example, Orangebox, which was set up in Hengoed just over 20 years ago and is now American-owned, makes office chairs. From the very beginning sustainability was at the core of its business. Most office chairs have different materials moulded together – so if a wheel breaks the whole chair is dumped. In contrast, Orangebox furniture is designed to be repairable. The company has also set up a “Remade” line, restoring furniture coming to the end of its commercial life.
Energy conservation
There are many simple measures businesses can take to save energy – such as supermarkets switching from open chiller shelves to refrigerated cabinets – but tech can help with energy conservation. Tech-enabled metering, adjustable radiators, machine sensors and smart timers are all small steps that can make a huge difference to energy use at home and in the workplace.
Changing our approach to waste
The idea that “It’s not rubbish, it’s a resource” underpins the idea of circularity, which contributes to sustainability.
Many companies are already working on innovative ways to convert “food waste” into other products – for example, using waste bread to produce beer, or turning the water from cooking chickpeas into an egg alternative for vegan ice cream.
As a society and as individuals, we still use large amounts of single-use plastics which traditionally have been made from polymers, usually originating from fossil fuels.
In the world of packaging, researchers have developed polymers from carbon dioxide.
There are also companies turning waste carbon dioxide from industry into material for clothes for a high street fashion chain, and fabric for trainers.
There are many examples of companies and universities developing sustainable alternatives but there is a long way to go.
A note of caution
There are many exciting advances – new clothing materials, new “plastics”, and new ways of powering vehicles and heating our homes.
However, there can be an environmental cost to manufacturing these new products. The long-term ecological, social and ethical implications of each innovation must also be calculated.
For example, electric vehicles are an important move away from fossil fuel-powered cars, but they are dependent on lithium for the batteries that are in effect the car’s engine. Lithium is also a vital part of our mobile phones and laptops.
Much of the lithium in use has been extracted from hard rock mines in Australia and underground reservoirs in South America. Plans for a lithium mine at St Austell in Cornwall have this summer secured an initial investment of £53.6m from the UK government’s UK Infrastructure Bank and private investment.
But mining lithium uses a lot of energy and water.
New inventions, while crucial, also need to be combined with behaviour change so we use less energy.
Enabling behaviour change
Tech can also be used to enable behaviour change. The shift to hybrid working and remote healthcare, reducing carbon emissions from travel, is a good example (although cloud data storage, websites and online video calls all have a carbon footprint too).
Tech is also stepping up to help support day-to-day improvements in our lifestyles to reduce waste and emissions. “Smart” fridges can reduce food waste by alerting us to food nearing its use-by date. Tech can help us monitor and reduce energy use.
We may take the rain for granted in Wales, but water scarcity is a growing concern globally. In the UK we are wasteful of water without even realising. Producing drinking-quality water uses energy – and then we use it to flush the toilet, clean our windows and even wash our cars! Water conservation apps are available to help people track their use.
In terms of consumer goods, we need to buy fewer things, purchasing better quality longer lasting clothes, and second hand, “vintage” or “pre-loved’ clothes or tools. As an antidote to “fast fashion”, apps are helping consumers to buy and sell second-hand clothing, or borrow items instead of buying them.
Sustainability as the basis of the economy
As we try to slow the climate crisis, we need to resist the temptation to rely solely on technological breakthroughs. However, we can harness the potential of innovation to help us become more sustainable.
In the long run, sustainability is the key to a stable future – being able to meet our basic needs and enjoy a good quality of life.
There are huge opportunities for innovators and tech start-ups to support this essential transition in how we live.
Wales Tech Week takes place 16-18 October at the International Convention Centre in Newport and will host an exhibition, expert panels, demonstration zone, “Start up Alley” and more. Find out more about the Net Zero Stage and other expert panels and register for a free ticket at Walestechweek.com.