Climate Technology: The Path to Net Zero and Sustainability
The Gist
Climate technology, or climate tech, refers to technologies that reduce the impact of climate change.
The climate tech market is set to witness massive growth, with studies predicting its value to reach around USD 149.27 billion by 2032
Despite Trump's policies against climate crisis mitigation efforts, many organisations do not seem to budge or back down.
Sustainability is the present, the future, and a never-ending catchphrase, which has become ingrained in the atoms and molecules of human decisions today — whether it concerns personal choices, discussions in corporate boardrooms, or even geopolitics and diplomacy. Without it, the survival of humankind is at stake.
To a great extent, particularly post-COVID, sustainability has spread like an indelible green ink to almost all major sectors of the global economy, accumulating a wide range of emerging concepts, including sustainable investing and carbon emissions, under its umbrella on the path to a bright, sustainable future for all.
Among those topics, climate technology is currently in vogue, with many startups and businesses floating ideas to decarbonise the global economy through innovative, inclusive collaborations. For example, farmers use satellite data to manage crops more sustainably, and in cities, smart grids are deployed to cut energy waste.
So, what does it actually mean? Read on to discover more.
What is Climate Tech?
The term climate tech refers to innovative solutions or ideas that pop up in human brains and act as solutions to the most pressing issues we are facing today, such as global warming, wildfires, droughts, floods, and earthquakes, among other climate events.
Simply put, climate tech is a product or service that climate tech startups or companies develop to mitigate the impacts of climate change for a sustainable future where people, animals, and other forms of life thrive and live happily.
For example, direct air capture (DAC), biochar, and enhanced weathering are all associated with removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Another example would be the production of electric vehicles (EVs), sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and other innovations in transportation aimed at promoting smart, low-carbon transport.
For a deeper understanding, look at this example where a partnership between two climate tech companies is working to turn biogas from wastewater into clean hydrogen. This is one of the best examples of climate technology, and there are many more.
Since transitioning to a net-zero future is the responsibility and collective effort of all industries globally, climate tech comes in varied shapes and forms, offering numerous ways to mitigate the climate crisis.
Climate Tech Investment: The Need of the Hour
Climate tech investment refers to financing a new idea for a business or startup. The idea could be reducing greenhouse gas emissions or any other concept discussed above, like carbon capture technology, helping the energy transition.
Investors, from venture capital firms to large corporations to governments, are the top stakeholders who help fund a startup to bring its climate tech solutions to the mainstream for real-world application. These types of investments for startups by potential investors are called climate tech investments.
For example, here, a consortium is applying for funding from the Danish Energy Agency’s CCS Fund to decarbonise the energy sector in Denmark.
As more investors come forward and back emerging new climate tech startup ideas, the path to a sustainable, low-carbon future is not far off. For this to happen as early as possible, governments and other policymakers should enact laws that support the climate tech market and bridge the gap between sustainable projects and investors.
What is Climate Tech Market?
It refers to a wide range of technologies and solutions that cater to the needs of businesses and other stakeholders in mitigating and adapting to climate change.
Globally, the market is poised to grow exponentially in the years to come, with estimated values reaching around USD 149.27 billion by 2032 from USD 25.32 billion in 2024.
Despite the U.S. president's policies against climate crisis mitigation efforts, many organisations do not seem to budge or back down. Investors remain keenly interested in supporting startups that come to the fore with innovative, impactful ideas. One example, among many, is a carbon-capture startup conducting a pilot project to capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) from moving diesel trains and trucks to decarbonise the freight industry.
Now that you have a general understanding of the market and other aspects with respect to climate technology, it's important to note that it is classified into different sectors. Let's go through each of them one by one.
Before we continue, a quick question: Are you a business or an individual looking to scale sustainability in your operations but unsure how or where to start? Don't worry — our ESG Marketplace connects you with the right climate tech providers who can guide you and deliver immediate solutions to your business challenges or pain points.
Climate Tech Market Sectors
Sustainable Energy
The sector focuses on developing and deploying renewable energy technologies like solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and tidal power to replace fossil fuels. The overdependence on fossil fuels has worsened the climate crisis, and this is evident through natural disasters across the world.
Featured Article: Is Wind Renewable or Nonrenewable? Get the Facts
Fossil fuels, including oil, gas, and coal, are prominently carbon-intensive; their transition to sustainable operations is the only way to reduce climate change.
To this end, sustainable energy technology has stepped forward as a catalyst to help these hard-to-abate industries achieve sustainability and reduce global emissions.
Energy Storage
Today, energy storage technologies, including batteries, store energy for later use. While renewable energy is not always available, these technologies ensure it is accessible when needed. For instance, solar power at night and wind energy on calm days.
Energy Efficiency
To save and manage energy use in homes, offices, and other buildings, we now have advanced solutions such as energy-efficient light bulbs, appliances, and smart systems. With a simple tap on your phone, you can control your appliances from anywhere.
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
CCS has been gaining momentum recently. It is a process of capturing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from factories, nuclear plants, and other industrial facilities, then storing them underground or repurposing them for other uses without releasing them into the atmosphere.
Read More: Gasunie to Invest €12B in CCS and Hydrogen Infrastructure
Electric Mobility
This sector focuses on manufacturing electric cars, buses, and bikes, as well as charging stations, to reduce air pollution and dependence on fossil fuel-powered vehicles.
Sustainable Food and Agriculture
Sustainable farming methods or agricultural practices guide food production in a way that minimises harm to the environment. Some of these practices include using less water and reducing chemical use.
Circular Economy and Waste
According to the circular economy concept, products and materials will never become waste. They will be repurposed, recycled, and refurbished to keep them in circulation so that they do not have an environmental impact. The concept eliminates waste and pollution and also regenerates nature. Composting, plastic recycling, and sustainable packaging are some examples.
Water and Climate Adaptation
The sector includes solutions that help people manage water use and protect themselves from the impacts of floods or droughts. It covers water recycling, desalination, and climate-resilient infrastructure, and is all about adapting to changes that are already happening.
Climate Data and Analytics
Many businesses now provide data tools like satellite monitoring, sensors, and AI to track climate risks and emissions. Organisations, governments, and communities can use them to make better climate decisions and reinforce preparedness.
Above are some of the top climate tech solutions available today. However, the sectors have not yet expanded to their fullest potential. To achieve this, there should be more collaborations, industry partnerships, investor confidence, government support, and cohesion in reducing environmental impact at a global level. These factors will determine their future as well as ours, and if they grow successfully, they could offer a much-awaited, long-lasting solution for a world reeling from the impacts of climate change.
Difference Between Climate Tech and Cleantech
These two terms are pretty much similar, but when we dwell at length on the topic, the nuances become much clearer.
Climate tech is more related to business models or technologies that address the elephant in the room—climate change. The objective here is to mitigate the climate crisis through emissions reduction technologies.
Recently, a UK-based company developing carbon-negative construction materials raised £2.7 million to expand its low-carbon building technology. This is an example of climate technology. We have already discussed many examples above, and if you would like to learn more, click here.
In the meantime, cleantech refers to technologies that are being developed to reduce overall environmental impact. For instance, technologies designed for clean water management, recycling and waste, and air quality and pollution are examples of cleantech.
Simply put, cleantech zeroes in on environmental sustainability, while climate tech focuses on climate change. But their distinct features blur when areas like clean energy, the built environment, supply chain, and transportation are taken into account, where the distinction is difficult to set out.
Final Thoughts
Climate technology and sustainability are here to stay as catalysts for an inhabitable future, and no potent body can dampen their spirit.
Innovative solutions that mitigate the impacts of climate change—carbon removal, green hydrogen, renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and the like—are armour for the planet in the fight against the climate crisis.
However, there are challenges. For these technologies to scale up and reach their full potential, they need more investment and awareness, collaboration, and policy support, as well as, more importantly, a shift in people's mindsets towards coming together and taking collective action for the benefit of everyone.
So, climate technology is not a one-off effort but a continuous, more comprehensive and complex—yet achievable—set of actions we undertake today for a better and sustainable world tomorrow.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the climate technologies?
Climate technologies are products or services that are developed by climate tech startups or companies to mitigate the impacts of climate change and achieve net-zero targets and other sustainability goals.
What are examples of climate change technology?
Examples of climate technology include direct air capture (DAC), electric vehicles (EVs), sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), smart grids, battery storage, and more.
How big is the climate tech industry?
Globally, the market is set to grow enormously in the years to come, with estimated values reaching around USD 149.27 billion by 2032 from USD 25.32 billion in 2024.
What is the difference between green tech and climate tech?
Climate tech's objective is to mitigate the climate crisis through emissions reduction technologies, whereas green tech or cleantech focuses on broader environmental sustainability, including activities such as reducing pollution, promoting conservation, and improving resource efficiency.
What is climate tech report?
It provides insights into the climate technology industry, includes current trends and developments, and serves as a reference for investors and companies. They are released by big names in the industry, for example, J.P. Morgan, PwC, UNEP-CCC, and Capgemini Research Institute.
