Cleantech
The latest products, services and cleantech applications and how they are tackling some of our most pressing social and environmental issues.
74% Think Shifting to Clean Energy Will Boost Economy
Coal and oil are still the world’s main energy sources, but there’s massive public support for a cleaner energy future. According to a new survey, people across all ages, political standpoints, education and geographies are in favour of a shift to ‘green’ energy, and three out of four believe that it will boost their country’s economy. The backing for renewable energy is clear: In the largest survey of attitudes on the subject* ever conducted, 82 percent favour a change from black to green energy.
Straight to the Source: How Ørsted Is Powering Denmark's Clean Energy Revolution
On a rainy Tuesday afternoon at Sustainable Brands ‘17 Copenhagen, I caught the bus ferrying several attendees to visit Ørsted’s Avedøre Power Station. It was an eye-opening experience, especially to someone who had never been inside a power plant before!
$100K Awaits Latest, Best, Brightest Nature-Inspired Climate Solutions
Nature could hold the key to reversing or mitigating the effects of climate change — a concept that the Biomimicry Institute and Ray C. Anderson Foundation are banking on. The two organizations have issued a call to action for entrepreneurs to look to the planet’s living systems to create viable solutions to the global climate crisis.
EV100, EP100, RE100 Clean Energy Initiatives Continue to Grow
Corresponding with the launch of its updated Global States and Regions Annual Disclosure report in partnership with CDP and the 2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23), The Climate Group has announced new members and progress for its electric vehicles (EV100), energy productivity (EP100) and renewable electricity (
BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford, VW Launch Pan-European High-Power EV Charging Network
The popularity of electric vehicles is on the rise, but infrastructure constraints have largely kept a widespread EV boom from becoming reality — until now.
Alfen Launches First-Ever Smart Grid with Ability to Self-Heal
Renewable energy solutions are on the rise, particularly in the realm of efficiency and storage advancements, making emissions-free electricity more accessible and affordable for all. One drawback, however, is the pressure intermittent renewable energy puts on electrical grids, but Dutch energy expert Alfen may have found the answer. The company has developed the Cellular Smart Grid Platform (CSGriP), which divides the central grid into smaller cells that can operate autonomously and even self-heal.
Wholesale Renewable Energy Procurement: What You Need to Know
There’s no denying it: Clean energy is on the rise in America. Each year, investments in renewable sources of power continue to increase, bringing with it economic and job growth. In fact, it’s on track to deliver an increasing share of total energy supply, putting traditional energy sources to the side. That’s why organizations across the country are committing to renewable energy as a way to meet their sustainability goals and cut energy costs.
Target Commits to New Climate Policy, Science-Based Target-Aligned Sustainability Goals
Following a recent commitment to source 100 percent sustainable cotton by 2020, Target has introduced a new climate policy and Science-Based Target Initiative-aligned goals aimed at reducing its carbon footprint.
Tesla in Talks with Puerto Rico to Rebuild Power Grid
Nearly three weeks after Puerto Rico was pummeled by Hurricane Maria, the island is still feeling the storm’s disastrous effects. The destruction of transmission lines across the island has left much of Puerto Rico’s population in darkness and without access to information technologies. The problem is critical, but Elon Musk believes Tesla technology may hold the key to rebuilding the US territory’s antiquated grid.
Larta Institute Scores Contract for DOE Commercialization Assistance Program
Earlier this week, the Larta Institute, an accelerator for small businesses and startups in science-based innovation, announced that its subsidiary, Larta Inc. has been awarded an exclusive contract by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) to manage its national Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP) for as many as 450 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I and II awardees per year beginning in September 2017. The DOE granted over $224 million to SBIR recipients in 2016.
HP, IKEA, Unilever Among First to Commit to All-Electric Fleets by 2030
During Climate Week NYC, international nonprofit The Climate Group, a member of the We Mean Business coalition of nonprofits working with global businesses to take action on climate change, announced the launch of a new business campaign designed to fast-track the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) and infrastructure.
Utility Customers Affected by Irma, Harvey Unknowingly Supporting Dirty Energy
In the northwestern city where I live, when you walk out the door, the first thing you see is smoke. It blankets trees and houses, it hangs thick in the air, it covers the foothills, it seeps out from between buildings; it hangs, illuminated by streetlights at night. The shroud of smoke over the sun means less people are enjoying the great outdoors, but there’s one thing that hasn’t changed: People are still driving to work. Regardless of how much air pollution we have to contend with, the economy must go on. Yet this same economy is contributing to climate change.
Schneider Electric Expands New Energy Opportunities Network
With rising corporate commitments and shifting regulatory requirements, companies across Europe are looking for ways to quickly advance renewable energy and sustainability initiatives. To help accelerate the pace, Schneider Electric has announced an expansion of its New Energy Opportunities (NEO) Network™, a growing community of forward-thinking corporations committed to buying and developing renewable energy and cleantech around the world.
Clif Bar, Estée Lauder Among Latest Global Companies Committed to 100% Renewables
In the lead-up to Climate Week NYC 2017 next week, organizer The Climate Group has announced that The Estée Lauder Companies, Kellogg Company, DBS Bank Ltd and Clif Bar & Company are the latest to join its
William McDonough + Partners Bring C2C Design to Colombia's Universidad EAN
William McDonough + Partners are bringing the Cradle to Cradle revolution to Latin America with the launch of ‘Project Legacy’ at Colombia’s Universidad EAN in the El Nogal district of Bogotá. The project will see the construction of a 20,000 square meter building that will illustrate the possibilities of design for the circular economy and the integration of a Cradle to Cradle-focused curriculum into the university’s business and engineering programs.
Building Energy Efficiency Has Stalled — Here’s How to Spark Progress
U.S. commercial buildings could cut energy use by 29 percent on average by taking full advantage of controls technology and implementing a few other base energy-efficiency measures, according to a new study from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Commercial buildings account for 20 percent of U.S. energy use and produce 50 percent or more of a city’s greenhouse gas emissions (75 percent in New York). If we want “smart cities” to be more than just an catchy phrase, this is an opportunity we must seize.
U.S. Wind Power Gets a Boost from Startups, T-Mobile and … Big Oil
2017 marks the dividing line. This is the year U.S. companies must decide whether they will make and keep sustainability initiatives outside of any federal mandate to do so. With the current administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and weakening of the EPA, a governmental push towards environmental sustainability is virtually nonexistent.
New Natural Nutritional Supplement Could Be Key to ‘Climate-Friendly’ Beef
The realities of climate change and shifting consumer preferences for responsible, sustainable products have sparked a paradigm shift in the food industry, one that is leading food companies and farmers alike to rethink the way food is produced and manufactured. The relationship between global warming and beef production in particular has long been a hot button issue for the industry.
Meet the Company Refusing to Accept When a Lithium Ion Battery Is ‘Dead’
Have a look at the gadgets you have within reach right now. Your cell, your laptop, your tablet, a backup power source – they all have one thing in common. They are powered using a lithium-ion battery, and for good reason. These batteries offer high energy density and high voltage, meaning they can power increasingly sophisticated electronics. They last a long time. And they are relatively environmentally friendly, containing no polluting metals, such as cadmium, lead or mercury.
Revolutionary P&G Technology Restores Used Plastic to Virgin-Like Quality
Taking plastics recycling to a whole new level, Procter & Gamble (P&G) has pioneered a new technology that restores used polypropylene plastic (PP) to ‘virgin-like’ quality. Developed in P&G labs, the patented technology is being licensed to PureCycle to deploy in a new recycling plant in Lawrence County, Ohio and will allow consumers to purchase more products made from recycled plastic.
