There are four major sources of renewable energy in the UK – wind, solar, hydroelectric and bioenergy. The technology used in these solutions includes photovoltaics basics, which are commonly found in solar panels.
Wind turbines convert kinetic energy into rotational energy. Technologies being used to enhance to capabilities of wind turbines include smart blades, 3D printing and improved blade design.
Materials
Packaging has been at the forefront of environmental issues for a number of years. Businesses have switched to biodegradable materials instead of plastics in the hope of reducing the landfill problem and have sought to limit the amount of packaging used on products.
But new and emerging technologies have opened the door to even more creative solutions. One example is using CAD design software to create sustainable products from materials that are recycled and from renewable sources.
Using this type of technology to design and manufacture products such as packaging and clothing also results in less waste due to the accuracy of computer-generated cuts.
IoT technology
The Internet of Things is being increasingly adopted by a wide range of industries, making their processes more efficient, connected and sustainable.
As well as helping to track ESG goals, IoT technology allows data sharing, and improved productivity and can monitor logistics in real-time. Creating a more efficient factory, office or site can also help reduce energy consumption and waste and support the optimisation of the workspace.
AI
Artificial Intelligence has the potential to transform industries and, when used creatively, could harness a variety of sustainable solutions. For example, the agricultural industry has seen huge developments which have paved the way for automated tractors and other machinery as well as robotics for crop optimisation.
AI has also enabled farmers to create optimal conditions for improved nutrients and harvesting which the natural environment might struggle to achieve.
Electric vehicles
Powered by electricity rather than fossil fuels, electric cars produce less greenhouse gases than petrol or diesel vehicles. However, to optimise sustainability, the manufacturing and running of electric vehicles should eventually be facilitated via renewable energy.
As the government invests in introducing new charging points and electric vehicles become cheaper and more efficient, an increasing number of businesses and individuals are likely to switch from conventional cars.
As newer and more advanced technologies continue to emerge, there’s no doubt that sustainable solutions will become more creative, adaptable and profitable.
L’Oréal is partnering with climate action platform Net-Zero Now to develop the Net-Zero Salons Programme. The new initiative helps salons calculate, track and reduce emissions by setting carbon reduction plans. The overarching goal is to certify establishments as a “net-zero salon”.
With around 31,000 hair salons on UK highstreets, L’Oréal believes the initiative can help reduce emissions across the industry. The programme estimates that the average salon appointment produces 3.1kg of greenhouse gas emissions and will aim to reduce it to a 2kg benchmark. Doing so, L’Oréal states, would reduce emissions from the industry by a third if all salons signed up.
L’Oréal and Net-Zero Now will offer guidance on improving energy efficiency, switching to renewables and revamping waste treatment and management. Water consumption, heating and encouraging employees to travel more sustainably are also key areas of guidance offered through the programme.
L’Oréal UK & Ireland’s managing director Thierry Cheval said: “As market leaders we recognise the important role we play in empowering our business ecosystem such as our salon partners to be more sustainable.
“We are committed to supporting the future of the sector and we look forward to having salons from across the UK and Ireland join the programme as the industry seeks to take climate reduction action.”
In 2020, L’Oreal unveiled a sweeping set of sustainability targets, pledging to reach carbon neutrality by 2025, halve carbon emissions, use 100% renewables and ensure all plastic packaging comes from recycled or bio-based sources.
A €100m fund for the regeneration of the natural environment has also been set up. A €50m Fund for Nature Regeneration will be used to finance marine and forest ecosystem restoration projects that also create new social and economic development opportunities for the populations that depend on these ecosystems.
The Net-Zero Salons Programme forms part of this sustainability roadmap and contributes to an existing “Hairstylists for the Future programme” that has helped salons reduce water usage and waste. L’Oreal partnered with the Green Salon Collective and will provide salons with a water-saving showerhead, which will be rolled out this year.
Commenting on the announcement, the British Beauty Council’s chief executive Millie Kendall said: “Now more than ever – especially post-pandemic – salons play an essential role on our British high streets and local communities; with the power to not only inspire confidence and promote wellbeing, but to be an advocate for positive change – not only from a business perspective but extending to influencing consumer habits on important topics such as sustainability.
“This new Net-Zero Salons Programme, coupled with L’Oréal’s new educational offerings to help upskill hairdressers on sustainability, is really empowering the salon sector to play its role and take action.”
Google announced a suite of new features that it says will help people who use their platforms make more sustainable choices. The new services focus on reducing planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions and are primarily found on Search, Maps, Travel, and Nest.
But before we get into the details of how their new tools work, a quick note of context; some environmental advocates have called out companies for shifting responsibility for the climate crisis onto individual consumers. Holding big corporate polluters accountable for their emissions far outweighs any one consumers’ individual impact. And Wednesday’s announcements from Google aren’t really designed to reduce the company’s own carbon footprint.
That being said, there’s no time to lose to the prevent the climate crisis from getting worse, and every bit of emissions-savings helps. For those who might want some new tools to rein in their own emissions, here’s a breakdown of what Google just announced.
HOLDING BIG CORPORATE POLLUTERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR EMISSIONS FAR OUTWEIGHS ANY ONE CONSUMERS’ INDIVIDUAL IMPACT.
SEARCH
Sometime this month, Google plans to switch up the way results for “climate change” appear in its Search platform. Users will be led to a dedicated results page with “high quality climate-related information,” according to Google. It plans to source content from reputable authorities on the subject, including the United Nations.
The company also says it wants to make it easier for consumers to see more eco-friendly options when shopping on Google. By “early next year,” when users based in the US search for car models and manufacturers, Google will also show results for hybrid and electric vehicles. When searching for a particular electric vehicle, users will also find nearby charging stations that are compatible with the model.
Similarly, Google users in the US should begin to see suggestions Wednesday for more energy efficient home appliances when shopping online. That applies to searches for furnaces, dishwashers, water heaters, stoves, and dryers.
Google, however, did not announce any changes to searches on YouTube, which is a big platform for misinformation and lies about climate change. Of the top 100 videos that pop up when searching for “global warming,” 20 percent of views are for videos rife with misinformation, according to one recent analysis by nonprofit Avaaz. Google has also not met its own employees’ demands that it cancel contracts with fossil fuel companies or stop funding and lobbying for candidates that derail climate action.
MAPS
Starting Wednesday, people in the US can see which driving routes are the most fuel-efficient when using Google Maps. (The company originally announced in March that this feature was on the way.) Fuel efficiency cuts down on both gas costs and tailpipe pollution. When the most fuel-efficient route is also the fastest, Google Maps will default to that option. If the fuel-efficient route is slower, the app will show users their options so that they can make an educated decision on which to choose. Users in Europe will be able to do the same starting in 2022, according to Google.
That will, in theory, help individual Google Maps users reduce their CO2 emissions. A passenger vehicle typically releases just under five metric tons of CO2 a year. And a person in the US, which has one of the highest rates of per capita emissions in the world, might be responsible for about 18 metric tons a year. Google, on the other hand, unleashed 12,529,953 metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere in 2019. That’s roughly equivalent to more than 2.73 million passenger vehicles’ pollution in a year.
Google’s new Lite Navigation for cyclists. GIF: Google
TRAVEL
When searching for flights through Google, starting Wednesday, users will now be able to see the carbon dioxide emissions associated with each flight. They’ll even be able to see how their seat choice affects their individual carbon footprint. Taking a seat in business or first class increases the amount of pollution you’re responsible for, since they take up more space and therefore a larger share of the plane’s emissions. Choosing a more fuel efficient itinerary can actually cut CO2 pollution from a given route by as much as 63 percent, recent research found.
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