Tech Must Lead On Carbon Neutrality

This article is sponsored by Tencent.

Climate change is scary and it is impossible to predict the reality of what to expect. But we know that building a future that we and future generations will continue to live on depends on our science, our innovation, our creativity and our relentless optimism.

As a key driver of innovation, efficiency and productivity, the technology industry must play a leading role in the fight against climate change. Successfully overcoming the climate crisis will require rapid and widespread development of new climate technologies, matching or exceeding the pace set by the technology sector in recent decades. Only with this accelerated progress can we hope to effectively address the urgent and far-reaching challenges posed by the climate crisis.

That's why we launched TanLIVE on Tencent, a digital platform and tool designed to facilitate collaboration between the smartest and hardest working professionals in all areas of the climate fight. TanLIVE hopes to reduce climate change by acting as a catalyst, an enabler, and a catalyst for people and organizations to achieve community-wide climate goals.

Time flies: the 2030s and 2060s are fast approaching.

In the year By 2100, we've been on a horrendous path for predicting that the planet will warm by 4 degrees. But we have made a lot of progress. Policy changes, activism, technological advances and affordable renewable energy have achieved the goals of the Paris Agreement: limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius by 2100 and targeting 1.5 degrees.

New information about the feasibility of a 1.5 degree acceleration is slowly emerging. Our carbon budget, or RCB, is about six years if we want to have a 50% chance of keeping warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, a team of climate scientists said in a recent paper in the journal Nature Climate Change. Current carbon emissions. . Chris Smith, a climate scientist at the University of Leeds, who contributed to the report's calculations, told Tencent: "Every tenth of a degree counts. The negative effects of climate change will come from increasing temperatures and that's exactly what happens. Be it permanent changes to the Earth system, for example, the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet. It adds a few meters to global sea level rise.

Targets and dates vary. Long a leader in climate solutions, the state of California has pledged a $54 billion climate pledge to reduce air pollution by 71 percent, cut fuel consumption to less than one-tenth by 2021 and achieve carbon neutrality. 2045. Carbon footprint reduction programs in cities can play a significant role, especially for large-scale technology implementation of complex infrastructure such as sector integration and smart grids. In the year In April 2022, the European Commission announced the Cities Mission, under which 100 member cities will become "climate neutral and smart" by 2030. The power of this mission is astounding: even though cities cover only 3 percent of the Earth's surface, they are responsible. for 72% of greenhouse gas emissions.

China in 2010 It is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, when 80% of its energy will come from non-fossil fuels. Germany and Sweden aim for 2045; European Union, 2050. Hats off to Bhutan and Suriname, the only countries in the world to achieve carbon neutrality. In fact, both are carbon negative, removing more carbon than they emit.

The technology industry plays a leading role in each of these commitments, both at the grassroots level and in the transition to carbon neutrality. We will continue to work with urgency and explore the synergy between digital progress and decarbonisation. It is important to harness and maximize the full potential of ambitious and meaningful carbon neutrality programs and commitments.

At Tencent, we know that continuous improvement is essential to achieving the important and impactful climate events of this decade. In fact, we are committed to achieving carbon neutrality throughout our operations and supply chain and to produce 100% of our electricity from green energy by 2030.

Technology and death valley

When it comes to the pressures of technological progress, there is a well-known concept: the valley of death. New technology often begins with theoretical development, followed by research in laboratories or academic institutions. Early successes are characterized by practical applications and experimental projects carried out outside the laboratory. At this stage, scientists and academic institutions often lack the funds and resources to support basic and applied research. As a viable business enterprise, a technology startup attracts the attention of investors, including venture capitalists, private equity firms, and various financiers.

However, there is a critical phase when a new technology moves from laboratory success to real-world application. Today, risk and uncertainty are at an all-time high, and as a result, available resources are at an all-time low. Technologies that do not bridge this gap are at risk of withering away. This valley of death is particularly acute for climate technology, which takes longer to mature and develop than consumer technology.

The tech industry needs to work together in society.

Tencent sees this challenge as an opportunity for digital technology to help climate technology gain a foothold in the market. The carbon challenge requires major structural changes everywhere in the world; Achieving carbon neutrality depends on adopting better business models and more innovative ways of working. Our main goal is to accelerate progress towards carbon neutrality while identifying opportunities for positive social impact and social development. This means fostering collaboration across the ecosystem, including startups, investors, businesses, governments, NGOs and more.

Tencent's TanLIVE platform is designed for this. TanLIVE connects and empowers organizations working to achieve carbon neutrality through collaborative tools, including community networks, project listings, and proven technical and financial solutions for entrepreneurs, investors, and research institutions. TanLIVE strives to strengthen the climate technology ecosystem, scale solutions in countries and facilitate broad access to knowledge and training. Its mission is to cultivate green technology innovators and like-minded partners committed to accelerating the adoption of best practices, solutions and green technologies needed to reach 1.5°C.

Time is running out. From smart homes and buildings to transportation and city-wide smart grids, the technology industry brings innovation to life, supporting a sustainable future and new opportunities for all.

This device helps us achieve zero emissions.