02. Responsible Consumption

“Cement, the key ingredient in concrete, is responsible for about 8% of the world’s CO2 emissions”

This story has been taken from the multimedia report Top 10 Frontier Technologies for Climate Action. Find it here.

From single use plastic bags that end up in the oceans, to gas emissions from the concrete that builds our office blocks, the way we extract, produce and use resources has a climate impact.

But even more important are the hidden processes in industries and supply chains. There is scope to reduce waste and emissions at all stages.

Further, the way we extract and use resources is not equal around the globe. A significant proportion of the world’s population still consumes far too little to meet even their basic needs, while others produce vast amounts of waste. At the moment, many communities are locked in to certain consumption patterns as there is no viable, cost-effective alternative available. But with good financing and training, that could change.

The developed world has made mistakes, especially with high reliance on single-use plastic and high-carbon construction materials. There is potential for the developing world to avoid repeating these mistakes, instead moving straight to more sustainable environmental practices. This could mean food supply chains that have been improved to reduce waste, helping to shore up food security. Or using machine learning for better resource extraction. It might mean using low-carbon concrete, or alternatives to plastic.

At the moment, these methods are still being worked out, and in many cases they are expensive. In order to become viable, costs must be reduced. Many tech solutions are being worked on in the developed world, and must be transferred to the places that could benefit most.

Plastic Alternatives

Single use plastic can be discarded in an instant but remains in the environment for hundreds of years. Plastic production is also dependent on fossil fuels — most of which is made using petroleum. Both the greenhouse gases of the plastic industry and the pollution of the world’s oceans could be countered by using plastic that is biobased, biodegradable, or both. This could revitalise and protect the oceans, and improve the livelihoods of coastal communities, which suffer as a result of plastic pollution. At the moment, bioplastic only accounts for 1% of the 335 million tons of plastic produced annually — and all of it is produced in the developed world. More work is needed to reduce the cost and the time it takes to produce these more sustainable plastic alternatives.

Low-GHG Construction Materials

Concrete is the most widely used man-made material in existence — second only to water as the most consumed resource on the planet. Cement, the key ingredient in concrete, is responsible for about 8% of the world’s CO2 emissions. The production of other traditional construction materials is similarly polluting. Once they’re no longer in use, they produce heavy, non-recyclable waste. More sustainable alternatives include materials that use less carbon-intensive manufacturing techniques, or new materials altogether.

ECOncrete is a company trying to reduce the eco-footprint of concrete, using additives and industrial byproducts, and making 3D-printed reef structures. Other companies are working on prefabricated buildings, or timber.

Construction companies are often fragmented and resistant to change, and costs need to come down for new materials to be appealing in countries in development. But shifting away from carbon-intensive construction could also mean using local materials rather than importing materials at great cost.

Low Carbon Food Production

Growing food is a big and messy business. The fertilisers and pesticides needed for crops, and food for livestock, are bulky and offer a low profit margin for the companies producing them. That means they tend to be produced in large, centralised facilities. Currently, fertiliser production alone accounts for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Enteric fermentation produces around 14.5%.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Distributed production of ammonia for fertiliser could help — Atmonia is one of these companies, developing small-scale, local production of carbon-neutral ammonia. Other exciting technologies include processing seaweed for animal feed, or using fermented or pheromone-based pesticides. These methods are not widely adopted yet, but if their effectiveness can be shown, they could both increase the yield for farmers in countries in development, and reduce emissions globally.

Want to explore the other nine Frontier Technologies for Climate Action? Click here.

Is there a technology here that captures your attention? Put your thoughts in the comments section below or get in touch at ftlenquiries@imcworldwide.com