The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our perception of what is normal and acceptable. It has forced us to re-examine our health and societal welfare systems, and reinforced the importance of the vital systems at the heart of our economies.
Green energy is now at an all-time high, with the UK achieving its longest period ever without coal – 2 months and counting! This year, renewables have generated more electricity than fossil fuels and there is real hope that by the end of 2020, renewable energy will have overtaken fossil fuel generation for good.
Tanjent’s PowerBanx X battery storage, in pale grey enclosure (Image: Tanjent)
Global disruptions have always fostered booms in innovation and COVID-19 is no different. Now, the innovators at the forefront of energy and green technologies must create solutions faster than ever to help to solve this monumental global challenge and Build Back Better.
‘Building back better’
As the conversation now turns to how we can recover economically, we must also address the other burning global disruptor; the climate emergency.
COVID-19 has exposed the brittleness of a global economy built around the excessive burning of fossil fuels and a linear consumption model of use, discard and replace. Now the discussion is turning to ‘Building Back Better’, a movement focussed on redesigning the global economy in the wake of this crisis, which prioritises sustainability and empowers us with the ability to tackle climate change. But what does ‘Better’ really mean?
Fortunately, there is a ready-made model that we can look to – the circular economy. Circular principles enable products to be reused, updated or repurposed rather than replaced, ensuring greater resilience, huge waste reductions, financial savings and, most of all, long-term sustainability.
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