Climate change is one of the most urgent challenges facing humanity today. While many traditional industries have contributed to the environmental crisis, emerging technologies like blockchain, AI and robotics offer a path to solutions that were unimaginable even a few decades ago.
—
Emerging technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, and extended reality are more than just buzzwords. While they weren’t initially developed with sustainability or climate change in mind, these technologies are increasingly being leveraged to drive real, measurable impact in global environmental efforts.
Earth.Org explores how each of these cutting-edge technologies is helping us tackle the biggest crisis of our time: climate change.
Blockchain
Blockchain is a decentralized and distributed digital ledger technology that securely records transactions across a network of computers. Simply put, it is like a shared digital notebook where everyone can write entries, but no one can erase or change them once they are written.
Every transaction or piece of information is recorded in a block, and once a block is full, it is linked to the previous block, forming a secure and unbreakable chain of information.
Because this ledger is decentralized – or, in other words, it is maintained by many computers rather than a single authority – it is highly secure, transparent, and trustworthy.
History and Evolution
Blockchain technology was first conceptualized in 2008 by an anonymous person (or group) under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, as the underlying technology behind Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency.
The primary innovation of blockchain was the ability to allow peer-to-peer transactions without the need for an intermediary, such as a bank. It introduced a new level of security by using cryptographic principles to ensure the integrity and authenticity of data.
While blockchain’s association with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum is well-known, the technology’s potential extends far beyond digital currencies. Over the years, blockchain has evolved into a versatile technology with a wide range of applications in industries like supply chain management, healthcare, finance, and, more recently, in efforts to combat climate change.
Blockchain’s Role in Climate Action
Blockchain technology is gaining attention for its potential to help tackle climate change by improving transparency, efficiency, and accountability in a variety of environmental initiatives. Here’s how blockchain is making an impact.
Carbon credit and emission trading systems
Blockchain is being used to create transparent and secure carbon markets, where carbon credits can be traded. Traditional carbon markets often suffer from inefficiencies, lack of transparency, and fraud. Blockchain ensures that every carbon credit transaction is securely recorded, providing confidence to buyers and sellers. This helps companies meet emissions reduction targets while maintaining integrity in the carbon trading process.
Companies like Toucan Protocol and AirCarbon Exchange, which provide platforms for the purchase and trade of tokenized carbon credits, use blockchain to guarantee real-time settlement of verified and traceable transactions.
Decentralized renewable energy trading
Blockchain enables peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading, which allows consumers to buy and sell renewable energy directly from each other without relying on utility companies. For example, homeowners with solar panels can sell excess energy to their neighbors through a decentralized platform powered by blockchain. This fosters local energy markets and encourages the use of renewable energy sources by making it easier for individuals to generate, share, and consume clean energy.
Power ledger, an Australian company that focuses on trading renewable energy, was the first in the world to create and use a blockchain-based energy trading platform to establish and verify transparent and secure transactions.
Supply chain transparency for sustainable products
Blockchain is improving transparency in supply chains, particularly for sustainable and ethically sourced products. Businesses use it to track the journey of products from raw materials to end consumers, which allows them to verify that their products meet sustainability standards.
This transparency also helps reduce the environmental impact by identifying inefficiencies or areas where waste reduction can be implemented. For instance, blockchain is being used to trace the origin of sustainably sourced goods, such as timber or seafood, ensuring that they are not contributing to deforestation or overfishing.
Unilever, a multinational giant in consumer products, uses blockchain to trace its palm oil supply chain to ensure sourcing that is entirely deforestation free.
You might also like: The Challenges of Sustainable Palm Oil Production and Consumption
Smart contracts for green initiatives
Blockchain-based smart contracts are being used to automate and enforce green initiatives. For example, a smart contract could automatically trigger the payment of funds for a renewable energy project once certain environmental performance metrics – such as energy generation or emissions reduction – are met. This ensures that financial resources are directed towards projects that make a measurable positive impact on the environment.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans. AI systems use algorithms and data to perform tasks such as problem-solving, decision-making, pattern recognition, and natural language processing.
AI has evolved over the decades, with major advancements in machine learning and deep learning allowing machines to analyze vast amounts of data and make decisions autonomously.
History and Evolution
The roots of AI can be traced back to the 1950s, when pioneers like Alan Turing and John McCarthy laid the foundations for what would become the field of AI. Turing proposed the idea of a machine that could imitate human thought processes, leading to the development of the Turing Test, a method of evaluating a machine’s ability to exhibit intelligent behavior indistinguishable from that of a human. Early AI systems were rule-based and limited to narrow tasks, such as playing chess or solving mathematical problems.
In the 1980s and 1990s, AI research took a significant leap forward with the development of machine learning, which allowed computers to “learn” from data rather than relying on explicit programming. The breakthrough came in the 2000s with deep learning, a subset of machine learning that uses multi-layered neural networks to process data and make predictions or decisions. This technology led to advancements in image and speech recognition, natural language processing, and autonomous systems.
AI is now integrated into many aspects of daily life, from voice assistants like Siri and Alexa to more complex systems used in healthcare, finance, transportation, and entertainment.
AI’s Role in Climate Action
AI is transforming how we address climate change, from optimizing energy systems to improving environmental monitoring and driving innovations in sustainability.
Energy optimization and smart grids
AI can optimize energy use in real-time, helping to reduce waste and improve efficiency. Smart grids powered by AI can predict energy demand and dynamically adjust energy supply, integrating renewable sources such as solar and wind. AI algorithms can also forecast weather patterns, enabling more accurate predictions of renewable energy generation, which can be critical for energy providers to manage their grids more effectively.
Climate modeling, forecasting, and carbon capture
Advanced climate models use AI to analyze vast datasets, including satellite imagery, weather patterns, and historical climate data, to predict long-term trends in global temperature, sea-level rise, and extreme weather events. AI can help identify localized impacts of climate change, such as droughts or flooding, enabling targeted interventions. Researchers use AI to model and simulate different scenarios, which allows them to optimize the carbon capture and storage process and identify the most effective methods for reducing emissions.
Waste management and circular economy
AI-powered robots can identify recyclable materials in waste streams, reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills. In the circular economy, AI is helping businesses design products that are more easily recyclable and reusable, thereby reducing the consumption of raw materials and minimizing waste.
Sustainable agriculture
Using sensors, drones, and AI algorithms, farmers can monitor soil health, track water usage, and predict crop yields. AI also aids in precision agriculture, where farmers use data to make real-time decisions on irrigation, fertilization, and pest control, reducing the overuse of resources and limiting pollution.
Environmental monitoring and conservation
Through the use of satellite imagery, AI can detect deforestation, track biodiversity, and monitor pollution levels in real-time. Machine learning models can also predict the effects of human activity on ecosystems, allowing conservationists to take proactive measures to protect endangered species and critical habitats.
Recently, Google, in collaboration with Georgia Tech and the Wild Dolphin Project (WDP), made waves in this field by releasing to the world their plans for DolphinGemma, a proposed Large Language Model (LLM) that can understand and decipher how and what dolphins communicate. While Google aims to release this open source model for advancing research in interspecies communication, this research opens doors to understanding environmental threats and stressors by decoding dolphin communication.
Sustainable transportation and urban planning
AI-powered autonomous vehicles (AVs) have the potential to reduce emissions by optimizing driving patterns and decreasing fuel consumption. AI also plays a role in managing public transportation systems more efficiently, reducing traffic congestion and emissions. It can help design energy-efficient buildings and cities by analyzing data on energy use, water consumption, and air quality. Through AI-driven simulations, urban planners can optimize the layout of cities to reduce energy consumption, improve public transport, and enhance green spaces, all of which contribute to a more sustainable urban environment.
In places like Singapore and Hong Kong, public transportation is getting a high-tech upgrade. These cities are moving to use AI and predictive analytics to get ahead of passenger demand, figuring out when and where people will need buses and trains the most. With that information, they can adjust schedules and routes in real time, allowing traffic to run smoothly and efficiently.
More on the topic: the Green Dilemma: Can AI Fulfil Its Potential Without Harming the Environment?
Quantum Computing
Quantum computing is an entirely new approach to processing information, grounded in the strange and complex principles of quantum physics. Unlike classical computers, which use “bits” that can either be 0 or 1, quantum computers rely on “qubits” that can represent both 0 and 1 at the same time, a phenomenon known as superposition. This allows quantum computers to process and explore multiple possibilities simultaneously, providing an exponential boost in computational power compared to traditional machines.
History and Evolution
The concept of quantum computing was first proposed in the 1980s, but it has only been in recent years that scientists have been able to build practical, functioning quantum systems. This progress is primarily driven by companies like Google, which has been at the forefront with its Willow quantum chip.
Willow is an example of a cutting-edge quantum processor that pushes the limits of what is possible in quantum computing. It incorporates 105 qubits and has achieved remarkable feats, such as solving a problem in under five minutes that would take a classical supercomputer millions of years. This breakthrough pushes forward the vast potential of quantum computing for tackling extremely complex problems that classical computers struggle with.
Quantum Computing and Climate Solutions
Quantum computing, particularly with advancements like Google’s Willow chip, could revolutionize climate science and energy systems in several ways.
Carbon capture
Quantum computers can simulate chemical reactions at the molecular level with incredible precision. This could accelerate the development of new materials for carbon capture technologies, making them more efficient and cheaper to deploy. Traditional computers struggle with such complex simulations, but quantum systems can handle these calculations much more effectively.
Battery and renewable energy materials
Another key area is the search for better energy storage solutions. Quantum computing can model the behavior of molecules and materials to help researchers design more efficient batteries or materials for solar panels, which are crucial for a clean energy future. The ability to simulate and test vast numbers of materials and configurations could drastically speed up the development of advanced clean technologies.
Climate modeling
Quantum computing can also enable more accurate climate models. Simulating climate systems is an extremely data-intensive task, and quantum computing could help researchers model everything from weather patterns to long-term climate projections, providing insights that could lead to more effective mitigation and adaptation strategies.
In 2022, McKinsey released an article that dives deep into the power of quantum computing in carbon capture, decarbonization and batteries. The article explores how different decarbonization strategies, from electrification to food and forestry, can be advanced with the adoption of quantum computing.
Robotics
In its modern form, robotics refers to the design and use of machines (robots) to carry out tasks that are typically done by humans. These robots can be autonomous or semi-autonomous, meaning they can perform functions on their own or with minimal human input.
While it has been around for decades, recent advancements in technology, including AI and machine learning, have allowed robots to become more capable, flexible, and intelligent, enabling them to perform increasingly complex tasks across various industries.
Robotics and Climate Solutions
Robotics has tremendous potential to address climate change by enhancing efficiency, reducing emissions, and enabling new forms of sustainability.
Renewable energy installation
The construction of renewable energy infrastructure, such as solar panels and wind turbines, requires heavy lifting, precise placement, and continuous maintenance. Drones and autonomous robots are being used to install and maintain solar panels and wind turbines in remote or hazardous environments. This reduces the need for human workers to be exposed to dangerous conditions, especially in offshore wind farms or large solar fields. Robotics can also perform maintenance tasks, like cleaning solar panels to ensure they remain efficient.
Maximo, an AI-powered robot developed by AES, represents a major leap forward in speeding up solar farm construction and easing the burden on human workers. Currently, Maximo is operating at utility-scale farms in Louisiana and California, where it is being used to install solar panels and accelerate project timelines.
Agriculture and food production
Agriculture is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly due to livestock and inefficient land use. Robotics is helping to make agriculture more sustainable by automating planting, harvesting, and weeding, which improves productivity while reducing resource use such as water, fertilizers, and pesticides. Drones and robots can also help monitor crops for disease, improving yields and reducing the need for chemical treatments.
Vertical farming, which relies on controlled environments and efficient resource use, is another area where robotics plays a key role in reducing agriculture’s environmental footprint.
Disaster response and environmental cleanup
In the aftermath of natural disasters, robots can be deployed to assist in search and rescue operations or environmental cleanup. Boston Dynamics’ Spot and Wildfire Robotics’ Firewall robots are being used to inspect dangerous areas in the wake of environmental disasters like oil spills, wildfires, or nuclear accidents, helping humans to assess damage and identify contamination without risking their lives. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute conducts global research by using robots in marine environments to help remove plastic and other pollutants from oceans.
Waste management and recycling
One of the challenges of the circular economy is managing waste efficiently. Robots are helping to improve recycling processes by automating sorting in recycling facilities, ensuring that materials are properly separated for reuse. For example, robotic arms equipped with machine vision can identify different types of plastic and metals, sorting them more quickly and accurately than humans can. This helps reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and contributes to a more sustainable recycling system.
Companies, cities and organizations are actively adopting robotic involvement in waste management and segregation to improve accuracy and efficiency in the waste sorting process. San Francisco, in partnership with Recology, is using robots with high-tech optical sorters and AI to sort recyclables and segregate plastics, increasing accuracy and speed compared to manual sorting.
Final Thoughts
As we continue to confront the climate crisis, the power of innovation will remain our most valuable tool. By embracing emerging technologies and fostering a spirit of collaboration, we can create sustainable solutions that address the complex challenges ahead. While the path forward may be daunting, humanity’s capacity to innovate offers hope, transforming the greatest threat of our time into an opportunity for a more sustainable and resilient future.
This story is funded by readers like you
Our non-profit newsroom provides climate coverage free of charge and advertising. Your one-off or monthly donations play a crucial role in supporting our operations, expanding our reach, and maintaining our editorial independence.
About EO | Mission Statement | Impact & Reach | Write for us
- 0 Comments
- Climate Technology