Smart heating systems makers, vertical farmers, carbon offsetting specialists and those involved in combatting deforestation have all made a splash at the Innovation Zero Congress.
It opened in London on Wednesday, as 7,000 policymakers, chief executives, innovators and financiers gathered for the Innovation Zero Congress.
Among the key speakers were Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development in Morocco, UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, John Holland-Kaye, the chief executive of Heathrow Airport, and numerous academics, green fund managers and, of course, innovators and inventors.
The Olympia Hall was packed with more than 200 exhibitors at the UK's biggest clean tech conference showing how their products fit into the battle against climate change.
The National met some exhibitors and highlights some of the stand-out products.
Carbon-neutral concrete
By the age of 29, Dr Natasha Boulding had achieved much - she founded a building materials company, became a finalist for the Earthshot Prize and is on the under-30 Forbes List.
She's the chief executive and co-founder of Low Carbon Materials, a company that makes building aggregates from waste materials.
It's estimated that 4 to 8 per cent of carbon emissions come from the manufacture of concrete, but Low Carbon Materials has a solution.
Its product, Osto, is carbon-negative. When it's added to concrete mix, which is carbon-positive, the resulting concrete is neutral.
"I don't think it's a case of 'OK, we've reached neutral, let's stop' - there's always more that we can do and more ways that we can innovate," she told The National.
"Our core competencies as a company are research and development, and innovation. We're materials scientists, that's how we started.
"So, our passion is to go back and really rethink the way we use materials."
Solar panels in a roll
Power Roll technology is based on microgrooves, which are 1 to 2 microns (thousandths of a millimetre) wide and 1 to 2 microns deep, through which energy can travel.
By using this, the company can create an ultra-thin solar panel that you can roll up.
"Power Roll have, essentially, completely reinvented the silicon PV solar panel," the company's business development manager Steve Quinn told The National.
"The thin film replaces the conventional solar panel and can go places conventional solar panels can't go."
Because the roll is lightweight, it can be installed on surfaces that might be deemed unsuitable for heavy traditional solar panels.
"We look to address that kind of issue, where conventional solar just can't be deployed for reasons of weight, cost and rigidity."
"Everybody sees the potential for this product, because it can go places and do things that conventional panels just can't do."
Charging from a lamppost
Across the floor of the enormous hall at Olympia, is the stand with a product that could be part of the solution for increasing the take-up of electric vehicles in the world's most crowded cities.
At the moment, public chargers for EVs in major cities tend to be scarce and confined to wealthier neighbourhoods, where most of the early adopters of the technology live.
But char.gy says its products can change that, by bringing EV charging to the masses.
It has charging units that attach to lampposts, thus tapping into the already existing power supply. Char.gy installs the software and has technical teams that maintain the units.
"We take care of everything for [local] councils to put charge points in the streets where people don't have driveways, which is one of the big barriers that lots of people have for going electric," Shayne Rees from Char.gy told The National.
"Believe it or not, lampposts have a lot more power capacity running to them that's necessary for the lighting.
"We can normally get about 5 kilowatts of charging power out of a lamppost, which is great for overnight charging."
A sense of community
All the exhibitors that The National spoke to acknowledged the tremendous sense of community at the Innovation Zero event. It was good to know, they commented, that there were others doing completely different work in completely different areas, but with the same net-zero goal.
When she walks out of the conference when it finishes on Thursday, Dr Boulding will feel inspired, but also aware of the harsh reality of "where we're at as a country, and what we need to do faster and more efficiently to reach net zero".
For Mr Rees, being surrounded by more than 7,000 participants all pulling in the same direction was humbling in itself.
"It's really inspiring," he told The National.
"There is enough of a collective consciousness and willingness to get stuff done. There are so many companies getting involved in tackling this problem, it shows that there's progress."
RESULT
Al Hilal 4 Persepolis 0
Khribin (31', 54', 89'), Al Shahrani 40'
Red card: Otayf (Al Hilal, 49')
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The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Results
2pm: Handicap Dh 90,000 1,800m; Winner: Majestic Thunder, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
2.30pm: Handicap Dh120,000 1,950m; Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
3pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m; Winner: Native Appeal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Classic Conditions Dh300,000 1,400m; Winner: Thegreatcollection, Adrie de Vries, Doug Watson.
4pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Oktalgano, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.30pm: Conditions Dh250,000 1,400m; Winner: Madame Ellingtina, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m; Winner: Mystery Land, Fabrice Veron, Helal Al Alawi.
5.30pm: Handicap Dh85,000 1,000m; Winner: Shanaghai City, Jesus Rosales, Rashed Bouresly.
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
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Company%20Profile
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Stree
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5
Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Results
Final: Iran beat Spain 6-3.
Play-off 3rd: UAE beat Russia 2-1 (in extra time).
Play-off 5th: Japan beat Egypt 7-2.
Play-off 7th: Italy beat Mexico 3-2.
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The specs: 2019 Audi A8
Price From Dh390,000
Engine 3.0L V6 turbo
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 345hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy, combined 7.5L / 100km
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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