Promising innovations to address climate change

(Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar, Aboitiz Equity Ventures Chief Reputation and Sustainability Officer and Aboitiz Foundation President, shares her thoughts on key technologies with the potential to overcome climate change.)

Technology holds significant potential in helping us mitigate climate risks. As the Philippines’ first techglomerate, Aboitiz Group is at the forefront of leveraging technologies to help drive sustainable development for people and economies. Innovations in data science and artificial intelligence (AI), and renewable energy are transforming how we approach climate action.

Through AI, for example, we can analyze vast climate data sets, optimize resource management, and improve efficiencies, while reducing emissions from industrial processes and business operations. Within the Aboitiz ecosystem, for example, Aboitiz Data Innovation collaborated with Republic Cement in utilizing AI solutions that can predict cement compressive strength, leading to better resource management, improved product quality and significant reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Technology is a tool that helps the company achieve its commitment and accelerate actions in addressing climate change. In AboitizPower, the company utilizes renewable technology and continues to increase its capacity to have a balanced energy portfolio.

Another example is Mactan Cebu International Airport achieved its Level 1 Airport Carbon Accreditation from the Airports Council International introducing infrastructure projects to lower energy consumption, incorporating renewable energy sources, and establishing systems to minimize and recycle water consumption.

By integrating such technologies into our operations and sustainability initiatives, we not only enhance efficiency and productivity but also make substantial contributions to climate resilience and environmental conservation. These technological advancements are crucial in our collective effort to mitigate climate change and secure a sustainable future.

Emerging technologies on satellite and machine learning can be used to pinpoint emissions hotpots. For example, Climate TRACE, a Google.org-funded nonprofit that tracks and analyzes CO2 emissions from power plants, factories, controlled burns, cargo ships and other human sources using satellite imagery, infrared imaging, and nitrogen oxide sensors. This information can be analyzed using machine learning to create a publicly accessible source of real-time emissions data. Governments and other groups worldwide could use this data to spot illegal polluters, verify compliance with international climate change agreements and manage carbon cap-and-trade markets.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, including for power generation and industrial applications. CCS can help remove and store CO2 emissions, have the potential to both contribute to gigatonne-scale removal, and serve as a source of fossil-free carbon products.

Renewable energy technology remains to have greater viability and potential to address climate change. Rapid transition to renewable alongside nature-based solutions can help us increase resilience of natural ecosystems.

These technologies can offer a multi-pronged approach to tackling climate change — from pinpointing emission sources, to removing greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere, to transitioning to cleaner energy sources. However, technological applications come with cost, so a meaningful, balanced and equitable approach to climate technologies should be considered to mitigate socio-economic risks so that stakeholders at large will benefit from the solutions it provides.