Technology and Climate Change: part of the problem or part of the solution?
That we, as a species, have a problem with the wellbeing of our planet is more than apparent. Climate change science is beyond dispute, our scientific leaders have determined what needs to be done (limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius prior to industrial levels). Good ideas are emerging on how we can achieve this important goal. Our political leaders are starting to get to grips with a way forward, and the majority of our population agree something has to be done. Momentum is starting to build!
But how did we get here? Some say it doesn’t matter and we should just concentrate on solutions. But I think we need to understand how we got here in order to evolve our solutions and to ensure we don’t make the same mistakes again.?
The problem is partly due to our success as a species. We have proliferated across the planet so successfully that we are on the brink of having 8 billion individuals living on the same planet at the same time. Our thirst for ‘more’, our need to be ‘better’, to accumulate ‘things’ is innate in the problem. Wealth and power has, at least for some, played a part in our predicament. And fundamentally, the way our political and economic systems have evolved have played a significant role.
But it is not just our numbers, political infrastructure and instinctive need for survival and procreation that are the causes. The mushrooming growth of, and advances in, our technologies have had a huge influence on both what we can do, and how much of it we can do per individual.
Most of us equate technology with electronic devices or internal combustion engines, so it's worth a quick segway into a broader definition. The word ‘technology’ is Greek in origin and directly translates as ‘systematic treatment’, from tekhnē ‘art, craft’ + -logia. Taking this, more base definition as a starting point, the sense of technology expands dramatically. A plough, roads, horse carts, education, sail ships, farming and animal husbandry, antibiotics, language, concrete, books and writing, slippers, large scale fishing and textiles are all examples of technologies. And each has had an impact on the planet we live on and therefore are collectively responsible for the situation we find ourselves on the precipice of.
Of course, it is not the technologies themselves that have created global warming and the climate crisis, but rather our use of and command over them that has. Guns don’t kill people, people kill people - is a parallel irrespective of whether you agree with different nations’ gun laws or not.
These technologies won’t go away, at least until better, more efficient and less harmful versions are created or our appetite removed either by choice or taxation. Alternatively we could collectively decide that some are so harmful they should indeed be banned (a very good idea but almost impossible to fulfil).?
Technologies, when designed and rolled out well, can be hugely beneficial and offer solutions. Consider wind turbines, solar panels, bioenergy and tidal technologies. Energy produced by the UK’s renewable sector outpaced fossil fuel plants on a record 137 days in 2019.? And in 2020 the UK had its longest run of coal-free power, with a total of 68 days between 10 April and 16 June. The movement towards electric vehicles is increasing, electric car sales have been growing strongly and as of autumn 2022 there are over 590,000 battery-electric cars on UK roads, plus a further 430,000 plug-in hybrids. This technology is coming along in leaps and bounds and there have recently been significant developments in electric HGV propulsion, aviation and who knows, maybe even container ships can be electrified in the future.?
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These examples are all large scale and though they do reduce carbon emissions, do not resolve the underlying issues of inequality and fairness, of which the climate crisis is a symptom. But it is important to recognise that we as individuals and a species are on a journey, and the migration of large scale technologies to less impactful versions are an important step on the pilgrimage towards planetary sustainability.
Of course, the problem with larger scale tech is that it takes time to engineer and implement. Conversely, smaller scale technologies are easier to effect but have a lower impact. However when adopted en-mass, can have a significant influence. Examples include the choices we individually make in areas of our lives such as diet, travel, shopping and consumerism.?
As an individual, these actions can feel daunting and overwhelming. Every one of us is at a different point in our journey. We have individual needs, responsibilities and capabilities that influence our decisions. For some it’s easy to go meat free and for others it’s easier and more effective to change how and when we travel.?
When it comes to individual choice there are no ‘one size fits all’ answers, and we at Cogo recognise this. In fact this reality is at the heart of the behavioural science research we have spent years investigating. This individual led approach is deeply embedded into our tech solutions. At Cogo, we work with banks and individuals in order to enable them to recognise where they are on their journey, and the next steps that are most relevant and effective for them. This is achieved by automatically analysing transaction data, augmenting localised carbon footprint information to the transactions and suggesting next step changes to individuals and organisations.
We are working hard with banks and other financial institutions to enable users to Measure, Understand and Reduce their carbon footprint. If your bank hasn’t yet adopted the tech yet, you can still access it via the Cogo app.
So in conclusion, and to answer the question posed, technology has most certainly played a role in the climate crisis. Not only affecting our planet negatively, but also by exacerbating the situation by doing so more and more efficiently. But it is equally important to recognise that technology is also a significant part of the solution. To effect change, we as individuals and business owners have to take responsibility for our actions, and in some cases for the actions of those that came before us.?
There is no getting away from this truth. Some changes come with pain attached, but with the help of current and yet undiscovered technologies, on both large and smaller scales, we can build a new normal. Hopefully one that puts people and the planet before profit.