This week’s ten biggest climate innovation stories — 14 September

Posts 14 Sep 2017

How does Barcelona connect cleantech with democracy? Which country is experiencing an astounding 137 per cent increase in electric car sales? And, what on Earth is a fatberg and how can we prevent it?

This, and more, in the week’s ten biggest climate innovation stories.

1. The game-changing cars and concepts at the Frankfurt Motor Show

This year, the Frankfurt International Motor Show included a bevy of electric concepts by renowned automakers. Here’s a roundup of the stand-out models.

The game-changing cars and concepts at the Frankfurt Motor Show https://t.co/8LVRhvegsZ pic.twitter.com/IC76n2GMGS

— Bloomberg (@business) September 13, 2017

2. Barcelona explores how technology and data can help solve environmental challenges

Albert Cañigueral interviewed Francesca Bria, chief innovation officer of Barcelona, about the city’s transition towards renewables, smart grid, and circular economy, among other topics.

3. Amsterdam is transforming a prison into a green energy-generating neighbourhood

The architecture practice OMA, in collaboration with FABRICations architects and LOLA Landscape, designed a new masterplan to transform Bijlmerbajes, a former prison complex in Amsterdam, into an energy-neutral development powered by renewable energy. It will also be built largely from recycled materials.

4. Swiss e-bike startup offers high-powered café racers, board-trackers, and enduro models

Switzerland’s Düsenspeed (“jet speed,” according to Google Translate) makes limited runs of eye-catching e-bikes, each of which can be customised with motor outputs as high as 2000W and battery capacities as large as 4,500 Wh. The bikes are all built around carbon fiber monocoque frames, which are both light and strong, and which allow for a completely new kind of bike-building, with no tubing or brazing or welding necessary.

5. Jaguar Land Rover expanding its use of recycled aluminum in car bodies

In a bid to reduce waste and associated greenhouse gas emissions, Jaguar Land Rover Automotive is now working to expand its use of recycled aluminum in car bodies as part of a €2.2 million project dubbed “REALITY”.

6. IKEA’s SPACE10 lab is bringing a pop-up vertical farm to London

IKEA’s SPACE10 lab is working on making food production smarter and more efficient—and they’re bringing a pop-up vertical farm to Shoreditch. Set to launch during the London Design Festival next week, the six-day LOKAL pop-up will let the public “enjoy a taste of the future” with a high-tech hydroponics farm and gastronomic workshops that serve up delicious and nutritious food, right where it’s grown.

7. Rammed-earth walls clad an observation tower to blend into a Belgian nature reserve

De Gouden Liniaal Architecten designed a small observation tower—the first public earthen building in the Benelux region—within a 2,500-hectare nature reserve. The tower blends into the landscape with its rammed earth walls and is built of locally excavated materials.

8. Electric cars up 137 per cent in Germany, approaching two per cent market share

Sales numbers from August show that nearly two per cent of new vehicle sales in Germany were plug-in vehicles, with fully electric vehicles up by 137 per cent. That’s a higher percentage share of new vehicle sales than in the United States.

9. EU lawmakers back including forest absorption to balance CO2 emissions

The European Parliament backed a proposal on Wednesday under which EU countries would balance out their carbon dioxide emissions with absorption of greenhouse gases by forests and agricultural land. The plan requires member states to achieve a balance by 2030.

10. Flannels not fatbergs! The eco-friendly alternatives to wet wipes

A ‘monster’ blockage has been discovered in London sewers and wet wipes are a major contributor. But from makeup removal to household cleaning, what should we be using instead?

This week’s ten biggest climate innovation stories — 14 September

1.

The game-changing cars and concepts at the Frankfurt Motor Show

2.

Barcelona explores how technology and data can help solve environmental challenges

3.

Amsterdam is transforming a prison into a green energy-generating neighbourhood

4.

Swiss e-bike startup offers high-powered café racers, board-trackers, and enduro models

5.

Jaguar Land Rover expanding its use of recycled aluminum in car bodies

6.

IKEA’s SPACE10 lab is bringing a pop-up vertical farm to London

7.

Rammed-earth walls clad an observation tower to blend into a Belgian nature reserve

8.

Electric cars up 137 per cent in Germany, approaching two per cent market share

9.

EU lawmakers back including forest absorption to balance CO2 emissions

10.

Flannels not fatbergs! The eco-friendly alternatives to wet wipes

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