Getting New Climate Tech out of the Lab

To become embedded, carbon removal technologies will need to adapt to each countries’ unique circumstances, resources, challenges and priorities. Envisioning these innovative, tailored solutions for local conditions can be far less of a challenge than commercialisation and scale up. The Think Negative Pavilion audience collectively holds a wealth of knowledge and experience, shaped by success and failure, so this interactive session aims to tap into experiential lessons by using a specific example.

Facilitator Olivia Wannan will introduce the session’s Dragon’s Den-inspired format and desired outcome. Audience members will be asked to form small groups of 2-4 – with people they do not know – introduce themselves, their connections to climate technology and discuss the question: “What stops innovative climate tech getting into the real world?”. As people chat, each group will be given four cards labelled ‘Pilot plant’, ‘More R&D’, ‘Commercialisation program’ or ‘Other’, a box to provide written advice and pens. The facilitator will ask volunteers from groups to summarise their answers.

The groups will then listen to a short presentation from technology expert Karan Titus about a tailored carbon removal technology – relevant to COP31 in the backdrop of expanding geothermal power and zero-waste policy in Türkiye – that uses organic waste, geothermal brine and Earth’s natural convective currents to generate energy and store emissions, based on research out of New Zealand universities.

As an example for groups, expert Andrew Lenton will then offer his perspective on the technology’s strengths and weaknesses, and commercialisation advice.

Then, groups will be invited to discuss the advantages and barriers they foresee in bringing this tech out of the lab, share their own wider experience and offer guidance. As the session wraps, each group will be asked to submit one card best representing the group’s advice for display at the pavilion (until clean up).

Given a specific topic to focus discussion and highlight professional experience, this session will facilitate networking connections amongst policymakers, delegates, investors, companies, standards bodies and civil society. Audience members will leave informed by a shared knowledge of best-practice commercialisation and scale up within the industry.