As the world celebrates a new year and continues the journey towards meeting emissions target, we can’t help but see an amazing year for sustainability as more people become aware of climate change, the loss of biodiversity, and the role they have to play to resolve the climate crisis.
Below are 5 trends in the sustainability and clean energy landscape that we want you to watch out for:
Carbon offset will become common
We see companies and organizations funding carbon-offset projects (projects aimed at removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere or preventing some greenhouse gases from being released).
This could be in form of planting trees or investing in carbon capture technology.
Renewable energy will get cheaper
Gone are the days when fossil fuels were much cheaper than renewable energy.
Now, wind and solar plants have become cheaper in the past few years and their capacities are expected to exceed coal and gas in less than five years. As a matter of fact, solar power is currently cheaper than coal.
This is because renewable technology costs get cheaper capacity increases. So, when renewable energy sources are deployed, costs are lowered so that people can purchase them and the technology is made accessible for everyone globally.
Sustainable products will go mainstream
Sustainable products were at the top of everyone’s list last Christmas. This is an indication of what is to come. We see consumers demanding sustainable products in the coming months and this will for manufacturers to prioritize sustainability in their production processes and products.
These sustainable products will mostly be seen in the food, fashion, and lifestyle sectors.
Remote working will increase
No doubt, working from home is very good for the environment because it reduces the number of vehicles that would ordinarily be on the road if everybody was to go to work physically and reduces the energy that would be consumed by office buildings. This, in turn, will reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption.
Since the work-from-home concept has been proven to be an easier, quicker, and cheaper way to reduce carbon footprint in terms of reducing commuter travel and lesser energy consumption, we are not surprised that it will become even more popular this year.
Electric utilities will be forced to reinvent
As extreme heatwaves become frequent and test the reliability of grids in various communities, utilities are prioritizing resilience.
We expect utilities to explore new business models that combine smart grid technology microgrids, distributed energy resources (DERs), and energy storage to build stronger and more intelligent services.
