Never in human history has a ton of coal cost more. Governments and utilities across the globe are willing to pay record sums to literally keep the lights on. That’s the bruising reality that global leaders must face at the high-stakes climate talks in Glasgow this month as hopes fade for a deal to end the world’s reliance on the dirtiest fuel.
IN JACK’S SOLAR Garden in Boulder County, Colorado, owner Byron Kominek has covered 4 of his 24 acres with solar panels. The farm is growing a huge array of crops underneath them—carrots, kale, tomatoes, garlic, beets, radishes, lettuce, and more. It’s also been generating enough electricity to power 300 homes. “We decided to go about this in terms of needing to figure out how to make more money for land that we thought should be doing more,” Kominek says.
Over the past two years, the World Economic Forum – working in close collaboration with a diverse group of experts – has been working on advancing the field of ethics in technology. This project, titled Responsible Use of Technology, began when more than 40 leaders from government, civil society, and business, some with competing agendas, met in The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in San Francisco. This group agreed on the important goal of providing tools and techniques that leaders can use to operationalize ethics during the lifecycle of technology.
UK-based insect mini-farm innovator, Better Origin, uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to convert local food waste into high-quality animal feed in the form of insect larvae. It aims to help the food industry achieve its net-zero targets, create a sustainable food chain, and improve food supply and the welfare of livestock.
Technology has been critical to the pandemic response – from allowing us to work, learn, shop, socialize and even see a doctor from home to helping the world safely reopen with tools like vaccine passports, rapid testing, and contact-tracing apps.
In 2019, the United Kingdom legislated a net-zero emissions target. A small step that paved the way to achieving their objective of being carbon neutral by the year 2050. In due time, they envision a quarter of Britain covered in trees, quieter roads, and the air clear from harmful fumes — a picture that pushes everyone to make a concerted effort leading towards the goal.
