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Trending in 2020: sustainable tech

Will the impact of climate change lead to sustainability becoming the new normal in 2020?
Dr Kate Raynes-Goldie
Dr Kate Raynes-Goldie
Award-winning designer & keynote speaker
Trending in 2020: sustainable tech

As the new year and new decade open with Australia’s worst bushfire season, due to a warming climate, the predicted mainstreaming of sustainability is becoming accelerated.

Last year, Stylus listed sustainability as one of the top five trends of 2019. Climate conscious consumers and savvy product designers have helped shift the sustainable from the crunchy fringe to mainstream thinking.

Hands holding stylish reusable eco coffee cup and steel straw on white wooden background
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The more sustainable life

Image credit: Getty
The more sustainable life

As more industries – including innovation and technology – are embracing the movement, could sustainable tech soon be just … tech?

The new normal

Vanessa Rauland is the CEO of ClimateClever, a tech startup based in Fremantle, WA. Their app helps homes, schools and businesses reduce their carbon footprint.

Vanessa says the bushfires have pushed climate change to the forefront of many people’s minds.

“I also believe we’ll see more people taking action in their own lives, which can be very empowering,” she says. “This goes for businesses too.”

Brands like Adidas and IKEA are transitioning towards a circular economy model where companies take responsibility for reducing waste by recycling and reusing products.

Dr Vanessa Rauland uses an tablet to teach young children about their environment
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Vanessa Rauland is the CEO of ClimateClever, a tech startup based in Fremantle, WA helping people use data to be more sustainable.

Image credit: ClimateClever
Vanessa Rauland is the CEO of ClimateClever, a tech startup based in Fremantle, WA helping people use data to be more sustainable.

Getting sustainable tech-savvy

Time Magazine’s 100 best inventions of 2019 featured a sustainability category that showcased pollution, energy, waste and food innovation.

Eviation’s fully electric airplane and recycling company TerraCycle’s platform Loop made the list.

Loop sells products such as Häagen-Dazs ice cream and Febreze air ­freshener in reusable ­packaging. Imagine getting your ice cream in a stainless steel container that’s collected, cleaned and reused instead of thrown in the bin.

Shaping a sustainable future

Vanessa’s hot tips for sustainable tech in 2020 is apps and other software that provide data people can use to change their behaviour.

“We need data instantaneously so that we can proactively make decisions and changes to our behaviour,” says Vanessa.

A woman checks her heart rate on a wearable watch app; it says 75 bpm
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Come on get ‘appy

Image credit: Getty
Come on get ‘appy

“Having access to live data can mean we don’t end up having to pay for water leak or a faulty pump, air-cons left on over holidays or a gas leak three months after it happens.”

This data helps consumers become aware of their contribution to climate change.

As this occurs, Vanessa predicts an emergence of share economy apps that allow people to further reduce their consumption across the board.

Bushfire-proof houses

Sustainable technology may also provide a solution to homes destroyed by bushfires.

Hempcrete or structural hemp is more environmentally friendly and fire resistant than regular building materials. And Mirreco, based in Western Australia, is leading the way in this space.

If 2020 is the year that sustainable technology is the new normal, let’s hope it can help tackle climate change before it’s too late.

Dr Kate Raynes-Goldie
About the author
Dr Kate Raynes-Goldie
In an age when disruption is the new normal, curiosity is the becomes the key 21st century skill. This is why Dr. Kate is an advocate for curiosity, through her work as a designer, speaker, writer and researcher. She’s written for variety of publications in Canada and Australia and is an innovation columnist for the Business News. She’s also a Certified Facilitator of LEGO® Serious Play®. As a globally recognised thought leader on innovation, Kate has been the recipient of numerous international awards and has spoken at conferences around the globe, including SXSW (Austin), NXNE (Toronto), REMIX Academy, Pecha Kucha, PAX AUS and TEDxPerth.
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In an age when disruption is the new normal, curiosity is the becomes the key 21st century skill. This is why Dr. Kate is an advocate for curiosity, through her work as a designer, speaker, writer and researcher. She’s written for variety of publications in Canada and Australia and is an innovation columnist for the Business News. She’s also a Certified Facilitator of LEGO® Serious Play®. As a globally recognised thought leader on innovation, Kate has been the recipient of numerous international awards and has spoken at conferences around the globe, including SXSW (Austin), NXNE (Toronto), REMIX Academy, Pecha Kucha, PAX AUS and TEDxPerth.
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