By Kevin Chin, CEO and Founder of VivoPower

The climate crisis is arguably the most pressing issue of our time, the urgency of which has only been strengthened by a global pandemic that has laid bare how vulnerable we are in the face of global threats. A study by Climate Dynamics suggests that the threshold for dangerous global warming will likely be crossed between 2027 and 2042, so it is clear we must be doing everything we can to ensure decarbonisation is occurring – not only in our homes but on a corporate scale, too.

VivoPower is pioneering Cleantech for corporate decarbonisation
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To this effect, governments around the world have been announcing policies with ambitious decarbonisation goals. Take, for example, Boris Johnson’s announcement of a ’10 point’ net zero plan to prompt net-zero emissions by 2050 in the United Kingdom, driven by a £12bn initial investment. This is all well and good, but more must be done to avoid global climate change reaching a point of no return and I believe that the onus is on businesses to fully commit to decarbonisation.

Corporate cleantech is the answer, but how can leaders and CEOs implement this profitably and minimise disruption to their businesses? What does a corporate decarbonisation strategy look like across different industries?

The role of CEOs in driving corporate decarbonisation

Clearly, it is vital that CEOs and board members all buy into decarbonisation to ensure that companies are run with sustainability in mind, but also to drive efforts to reach net zero emissions globally.

Indeed, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) is at the top of the agenda for CEOs. A recent outlook study by KPMG among CEOs found that besides talent risk, ESG tops the list of CEO concerns amid the COVID-19 crisis. While many may have thought that the pandemic would have toppled ESG and decarbonisation from the priority list, as businesses clamour to survive the economic threat posed, this has not been the case.

While climate change remains top of mind, it is vital that CEOs and leaders in business continue to not only drive and strengthen their ESG credentials but also to encourage a business environment that focuses on reducing carbon footprint and greenhouse gases. The same study by KPMG also found that 71 percent of CEOs say they want to lock in climate change gains that have been realised during the pandemic – a trend we hope continues as we begin to emerge from the global crisis.

Environmental, Social, and Governance is top of the agenda for CEOs
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Kevin Chin is the CEO and Founder of cleantech company VivoPower

Cleantech matures

Today, Cleantech has developed to such an extent that fossil fuels can be replaced for a huge number of corporate uses cases in a way that actually saves money as well. Solar power currently makes up around 2% of total energy production in the US – but we expect that to rise as the cost per watt continues to fall. In the early 2000s, the average US solar system cost was $10/watt – today, the price hovers around the $2-3$ mark. Similar price falls in wind and hydroelectricity present an ever-weakening argument for the renewed usage of carbon-based power. Indeed, companies are now able to access purpose-built solar power and battery storage systems, as well as microgrids, to reduce costs and emissions – all managed to maximum efficiency through the collection and analysis of various usage and demand data.

Solar power makes up around 2% of energy production in the US
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One example of this is Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur, recently named the Premier League’s greenest Club. It partnered with VivoPower earlier this year to provide the club with a range of Cleantech solutions. VivoPower will supply a large, solid state battery with capacity of more than 3 MW at the stadium to balance and guarantee the venue’s power supply. A full-suite solution – including rooftop solar panels, battery storage, custom microgrid controls and electrical infrastructure – will also be designed for the club’s training centre.

Yet decarbonisation strategies can be applied across a whole host of industries – even traditionally ‘hard-to-decarbonise’ ones such as mining. Tembo, a specialist battery-electric and off-road vehicle company that focuses on designing and building ruggedized light electric vehicle solutions has made it possible for mining firms to reduce their footprint without hurting their operational capabilities. In December 2020, VivoPower announced a US$250 million distribution deal to distribute Tembo’s all-electric utility conversion kits in Australia, the biggest known conversion kit deal to date. The firm also recently announced a proposed $120m distribution deal with Tembo and Acces Industriel Mining Inc. in Canada, as well as a deal to become Toyota Australia’s exclusive partner for Landcruiser electrification.

Tottenham Hotspur was named the Premier League's greenest Club
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The electrified vehicles provide firms with an economically viable proposition to the petrol or diesel alternative. Mining is an industry that has come under intense scrutiny from an ESG point of view, and whilst merely electric vehicles will not prompt complete carbon neutrality, they highlight a position from which companies can make environmental progress in an industry that contributes between 4-7% to greenhouse gas emissions globally.

Such examples across the mining and football industries show how decarbonisation goals are logistically and economically feasible for businesses across a range of sizes.

Cleantech as catalyst for corporate decarbonisation

While VivoPower is pioneering Cleantech for corporate decarbonisation, the sector will have to sustain rapid growth in order to keep up with demand as more CEOs look to make decarbonisation a priority. Indeed, this will be pushed further by investor interest in ESG compliant companies. Four in five companies plan to introduce ESG measures, according to a global Willis Towers Watson report, and one could infer that this is partly driven by the desire not to be left behind by a global investor shift towards ESG funds, which more than doubled over 2020 – capturing $51.1 billion of net new money from investors.

The climate crisis is arguably the most pressing issue of our time
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With the pandemic helping accelerate the trend towards corporate decarbonisation, I expect that CEOs and leaders in business will continue to push the ESG agenda forward. However, it is critical that business leaders – from top to bottom – prioritise ESG and sustainability to help meet net-zero carbon emission targets.

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A father and son team plan to walk 600 miles in 60 days across the Antarctic, all in the name of green energy.

Robert Swan OBE is certainly no stranger to adventure. At 33, he was the first person to walk to both the North and South Poles. His 900-mile journey to the South Pole, ‘In the Footsteps of Scott,’ still stands as the longest unassisted walk ever made on earth.

Swan was the first person to walk to both the North and South Poles aged 33
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His eyes changed colour due to UV exposure under the hole in the ozone layer
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But the world has changed a lot since the 1980s, and nowhere is that more evident than in the extreme environments of the Antarctic, where he’s felt first-hand the impact man is having on the environment. His team survived near-death encounters as the oceanic ice melted prematurely due to climate change, and his eyes also permanently changed colour due to prolonged UV exposure under the hole in the ozone layer.

Robert Swan's 2041 Foundation promotes a broad range of global and local environmental missions
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It made him determined to try and make a difference, and he founded the 2041 Foundation to help spearhead a broad range of global and local environmental missions which have inspired youth around the world to become sustainable leaders and promote the use of renewable energy.

Swan's teams helped build the world’s first Antarctic renewable energy education station
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Their 60-day trek on foot to the South Pole started last week
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But his latest journey – a 60-day trek on foot to the South Pole which started last week – is rather more personal for Robert, as he’s taking his 23-year-old son Barney along with him. Although he’s still got some ground to make up before filling his dad’s snowshoes, Barney has led a rather colourful existence himself.

He was born in London and lived in Yorkshire before moving with his mother to Queensland in Australia, where they lived off-grid. He says that being brought up in such an unorthodox environment gave him a real appreciation for the importance of energy. Barney now lives in California and works as logistics & team manager at his father’s Foundation.

They hope this will help strengthen the case for transitioning into a lower-carbon future
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Their journey is also significant because it will be the first to be powered solely by renewables: “The greatest exploration left is our ability as humans to learn how to live on the earth sustainably,” says Robert.

The aim of the expedition is to demonstrate that if renewables can be used in such a remote and hostile environment, then they can be developed for use anywhere. They hope this will help strengthen the case for transitioning into a lower-carbon future.

“Our expedition is a small example of how we can all make choices to help us transition to a cleaner energy future,” adds Barney. “For people at home who are wondering what they can do, just making small changes like eating from sustainable sources, using less plastic cups and bags, and using solar-powered appliances to charge your phone will all help. My generation has too much information and we’re tired of the inconvenient truth but this expedition is about the convenient solutions that can address the current climate change challenges.”

Solar technology will be used to charge lithium batteries that will power cameras and communication devices, which will be used to send out video, audio and still images to social media and other channels. Robert and Barney will also take heart and pulse monitors that will send daily updates to the Swans manager.

Solar technology will be used to power cameras and communication devices
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By only using renewable sources of energy, Robert and Barney will be able to power their cooking stove and keep warm in temperatures as low as minus 40°C, as they trek through some of the most inhospitable terrain on Earth.

The pair are being supported by some of the world’s most technologically advanced companies, including NASA who are providing a state of the art solar-powered ice melter, biofuels provided by Shell and technical clothing for extreme conditions by Patagonia.

The pair are being supported by some of the world’s most technologically advanced companies
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The only other kind of fuel the explorers will carry is their meals, consisting mostly of dehydrated food, chocolate and nut bars. They’re expected to need around 5000 calories and some pretty sturdy trekking poles per day to get through the 600-mile trek.

They will need to consume around 5000 calories per day to get through the 600-mile trek
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Barney and Robert are joined in the expedition by guide Martin Barnett and documentary filmmaker Kyle O’Donoghue. Together, they will brave risks such as snow blindness, frostbite, altitude sickness and crevasse dehydration, to name but a few. It’s certainly not for the faint hearted, so we wish them luck!

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.

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