September 2024 Trends - The Future of Climate Innovation
Sep 25, 2024
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Trends We're Watching |
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September 2024 FutureGood is a consultancy focused on helping visionary leaders build a better future. Through DEI consulting, strategic visioning, keynotes, retreats, and online learning, FutureGood helps thought leaders (like you!) to deploy futurism. |
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We are watching so many interesting trends each month that we've decided to share them with our community. If you want us to look out for a specific subject, reach out and let us know! |
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The Future of Climate Innovation |
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Babcock Ranch, a 100% solar-powered community just 12 miles from Fort Myers, Florida, emerged nearly unscathed from Hurricane Ian in 2022 with no loss of power and minimal damage. Designed with resilience in mind, the community's streets are built to flood to protect homes, and native landscaping helps manage stormwater. With power and internet lines buried to avoid wind damage and homes constructed to Florida's strict building codes, Babcock Ranch has become a model of sustainability and disaster preparedness. Their local school is now serving as an emergency shelter as 90% of the surrounding county remains without power. |
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What this could mean for the social sector: Babcock Ranch is a testiment to the return on investment when communities adopt sustainable infrastructure. Instead of committing funds to restore communities, the social sector should be advocating to improve them. |
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Air pollution is responsible for 7 million premature deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization, making it a major environmental health risk. In response, Green City Solutions has developed the CityTree, a vertical garden that doubles as a bench and absorbs pollution. Already installed in cities across Europe and Asia, including London, Paris, and Hong Kong, the CityTree uses moss to absorb as much pollution as 275 trees, all within just 1% of the space. This innovative solution offers a practical way to improve air quality in urban areas. |
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What this could mean for the social sector: The CityTree highlights the simplicity of integrating solutions within the existing infrastructure. How can social sector organizations partner with innovative companies to integrate solutions in the communities in which they work? |
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Learn to spot trends relevant to your work |
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If you want to learn more about futurism, including how to spot and make sense of these trends, you can! Sign up for our online learning program, FutureGood Studio, and empower yourself to be future-ready! |
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Dr. Lisa Dyson, a black scientist, created a company called Air Protein, which pulls carbon out of the air and uses it to create protein that is used in as a meat alternative. An Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report found that although carbon dioxide is the most important contributor to human-induced global warming, methane is the next most significant. Cows and other ruminant livestock are the single largest source of methane, accounting for around a quarter of emissions. Her products help eliminate that pollution. |
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What this could mean for the social sector: Climate change impacts all aspects of life, so social sector organizations should begin seeking to address the issues they care about through a climate innovation lens. This is an obvious example of that intersection. How can social sector organizations focused on health equity incorporate climate innovations at the same time, for instance? |
