Innovations that can help tackle the climate crisis

Heating and driving are the biggest contributors to most Britons' carbon footprints¹, but everything from the packaging we throw out to the clothes we wear can fuel the climate crisis.

So it’s good to know that innovators across a range of industries are moving away from the current cycle of pollution and waste, instead taking inspiration from nature and technology to take action for climate. 

But some packaging is necessary as plastics – or more sustainable alternatives – can extend the shelf life of foods such as cucumbers³, helping to reduce food waste.

This is where bio-based products come in. Many cassava and potato plastics compost easily at home and seaweed is another option too. Regenerative ocean farms typically farm both seaweed and shellfish on ropes, which helps to reduce ocean acidification. And these sustainably grown seaweeds can produce plastics that aren't just compostable but are even edible.

For centuries humans have dressed in natural materials such as fur, flax, wool, silk, jute, hemp, cotton, leather and rubber. At the end of a material's useful life, which could span many decades, it would biodegrade in the soil.

Synthetics have changed all that. A pair of synthetic leggings sent to landfill may take centuries to decompose⁴ — and much unwanted western clothing lands up in the developing world, clogging sewers and creating landfill mountains⁵.

Today's designers want to turn the clock back to an era where nothing is wasted, but without losing the benefits of synthetic fibres, which tend to be both wrinkle-proof and stretchy.

Traditional materials, like the fast-growing hemp plant, have their part to play. But innovators are also working with a whole new palette. New fabrics include textiles made from algae, seaweed and mycelium, the root network of mushrooms, as well as waste products.

Transport makes up almost a quarter of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions⁶ and driving diesel or petrol fuelled cars produces harmful and polluting caron dioxide. With the 2030 ban on the sale of new diesel and petrol cars, many are making the switch to electric vehicles.

With no internal combustion engine (ICE) and no exhaust pipe, electric vehicles are better for the environment as there are no exhaust emissions. While the future of driving is electric, there’s more that can be done to reduce the amount of pollution associated with our cars.

Due to heavier vehicles and torque, tyre wear is expected to increase⁷ with the rise of electric vehicles. Tyres wear down through normal driving - every time a vehicle accelerates, brakes or takes a corner - and these particles can easily make their way into the air and waterways⁸.

Despite being virtually invisible, tyre wear is the second largest microplastic in our oceans⁷ and a considerable contributor to global air pollution. 

With the potential for climate change to wreak further devastation on parts of the world, it makes good sense to consider future proofing innovations now. Anticipating the dramatic changes that environmental evolution will one day bring to our daily lives and devising new technologies to help us better manage them, should help to minimise the shock and stress of adapting.

Increasing global temperatures is causing sea levels to rise and is exacerbated by the melting of glaciers. With populations and economies often concentrated along coastal areas, the consequences of rising sea levels could impact us all.

Countries and communities across the globe are taking climate action right now to mitigate the impact of coastal flooding, from relocating populations and erecting sea defences to raising roads above sea level. But if we accept that sea levels rise and the resulting flooding of at least some cities is inevitable, it makes sense to consider how to cope with an amphibious future. 

Want to discover more inspirational stories from people who are taking action for climate? Check out our Change Maker hub.

^{1. WWF: Carbon Footprint - Exploring the UK's contribution to climate change}

^{2. National Geographic: 7 Things You Didn’t Know About Plastic (and Recycling)}

^{3. National Library of Medicine: Effect of shrink wrap packaging for maintaining quality of cucumber during storage}

^{4. Stacker: How long it takes 50 common items to decompose}