Decarbonising cities: The role of upcoming technologies

The call for firm action on climate change has never been louder. The world is finally in consensus about limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, but current policy targets are missing the mark by a wide margin. The latest global climate report details irreversible changes in the event of a temperature overshoot – a state no one wants to reach.

Huge technological strides in clean energy solutions have been made in the past decades, resulting in the widespread adoption of wind and solar power. Now, research has widened to more potential solutions that could help in the fight against climate change. Two hot topics are carbon capture and low-carbon hydrogen fuel. These are technologies that could, in the eyes of innovators and governments, help to slash emissions from power generation and hard-to-abate industrial sectors.

However, large-scale deployment of these technologies may still be some years away – a time frame incompatible with the urgency of tackling climate change. What innovations are required to help accelerate the time to market? Can costs be lowered enough for regions with high carbon footprints, such as tropical cities, to adopt carbon capture and hydrogen fuel at scale? What are main roadblocks to clear?

Hear from clean energy experts on what's in store in the second episode of Lunch and Learn.

Key talking points:
- Status of carbon capture and clean hydrogen development
- Overview of challenges and opportunities in Southeast Asia
- Areas for technological and business innovations