Taking the Temperature for Tech: London Climate Technology Show 2022

Regular readers of our blog will know that a visit to Olympia, London, and the London Climate Technology Show 2022 was a must. Here’s what we found.

As a company, we take our responsibility to preserve the Earth as seriously as our obligations towards customer service. But we are just one, small-ish company and must be viewed in the context of a globe-straddling industry worth $5.2 BN.

So, how does the wider industry view the same issue? How can the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector reconcile the energy savings digital transformation can offer, but is simultaneously responsible for up to 10 per cent of the world’s total energy consumption, and more than two percent of total CO2 emissions?

While by no means unique – North America hosts many climate tech-specific conferences – the London Climate Technology Show 2022 is a first on these shores. It aims to be the go-to event for those of us looking for usable, practical and meaningful innovations in climate technology. The sheer scale of the venue, soon to be subject to a 1.3bn transformation of its own, proves this is no niche audience. 

A hybrid event, the climate show was split between an exhibition and conference. The specialist speakers at the conference grappled with hot-button topics such as leadership and climate change, carbon capture and storage, alternative energy, smart cities, and the road to net zero 2030. 

Meanwhile, we focused on the huge exhibition space. It proved how technology touches many stakeholders along the sustainability value chain and, therefore, our responsibility as tech companies at the forefront of the digital revolution to maximise opportunities.

Exhibitors included governments, companies from across the globe and closer to home, the academic institutions that give us the data we need, the entrepreneurs who have the spark to achieve big things without a huge ship of enterprise to turn round first, and the investors who must fund opportunities that balance the greater good with a decent return. New tech blue chips such as Tesla and climate change advocates Volvo put out impressive exhibits. 

What we found

There were many interesting green energy sustainability innovations in the farming and agriculture space. Farmio, for example, ‘provide a research-driven climate tech ecosystem that drives economic and social responsibility, builds resilience, and mitigates climate risks in a commercially thriving community.’ We are working with a client in this area and will have more detail in a forthcoming case study. 

Interestingly, we noted that several companies now offer new software to small and medium sized businesses to enable them to measure rehire carbon emissions. We feel this monitoring is crucial to support the scrutiny that underpins our own, wider corporate philosophy and company strategy. 

Something for everyone?

Much like the tech industry itself, the Show was a broad church that attempted to offer something for everyone. For example, tech talks included broad brush approaches such as Optimistic Innovations Leading Us Towards A Sustainable Future, right down to the more esoteric, and clearly specialist discussions such as Researchers Develop Cement with Shrimp Shells to Lower Carbon Output From The Overall Cement Industry.

Our overall impression?

While some of these ideas, and companies, may not prosper the overall direction of change is overwhelmingly positive and the visit helped fuel our own commitment to continuing on our path to sustainability.

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