There is urgent need to remove and manage carbon levels in our atmosphere in order to slow climate change. Energy production’s contribution to climate change is measured by the intensity of its carbon emissions. Many countries and companies have been diversifying their energy sources including by investing in solar and wind power. Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates that two-third of the world’s population now live in countries in which solar or wind are the lowest-cost ways of generating power.

Solar power represents a vast and sustainable energy source which could be used beyond the traditional solar panel. For example, researchers at Linköping University in Sweden are attempting to mimic photosynthesis using energy from sunlight to convert CO2 to renewable fuel. 

Similarly, NASA has developed technology which uses low-cost nanomaterial devices to convert CO2 to fuel using solar power. NASA's technology is powered by a photoelectrochemical cell made from thin metal oxide films. Using such devices, CO2 produced in industrial processes could be captured before it is emitted to the atmosphere and then converted to fuel such as methane.

Clyde & Co is running a virtual legal hackathon between 1 July and 4 August 2020 in partnership with The Chancery Lane Project. This post is part of a series of updates posted during the hackathon on business-relevant climate initiatives and innovative solutions to some of the challenges arising from climate change.