Sustainability
Sustainability
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Basic Sciences has gone to Avelino Corma, John F. Hartwig and Helmut Schwarz for fundamental advances in the field of catalysis that have made it possible, in the words of the awards committee, to “control and accelerate chemical reactions” and obtain products across multiple industrial processes”, thus “improving efficiency and reducing energy consumption.” Their work has had a profound impact on sectors such as pharmaceuticals, energy and food.
Neustark, founded just five years ago, has developed a technology that captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it within concrete, which is capable of retaining it for hundreds of thousands of years. This is a novel contribution to the fight againstclimate change.
Reducing carbon dioxide emissions is crucial to combating climate change, but achieving net zero will also require carbon capture technologies.
For Ismael Olmedo, CEO of Captoplastic, seeing clean, vibrant waterways is priceless —a value he cherishes more with age. He finds his company’s work particularly gratifying; they have developed technology to capture microplastics as small as one micron (0.001 mm), which are otherwise elusive and harmful to nature and health. We spoke with Olmedo to learn how this technology cancleanse ecosystems of these tiny pollutants and protect the environment.
Clothing is much more than something to keep us warm: it is a powerful expression of our identity, culture and ideas. Brands are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of creating quality clothing that is not only attractive, but also sustainable, and that showcases their commitment to the planet and the future.
The global energy sector has been through extremely turbulent times in recent years. Many consumers around the world are feeling the bruises from high and volatile fossil fuel prices, especially for natural gas, which led to major pressures on the cost of living.
Helios was established over six years ago as a project to produce oxygen on the Moon, but in its first steps it discovered by chance a responsible way to obtain iron as a by-product. It all started with a question. Jonathan Geifman —CEO of this Israeli tech company— and friends wanted to know why human beings had not returned to the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972.
The European Union (EU), spurred by Spain and Portugal, stands poised to lead in clean technologies. Years ago, Europe’s pledge to reach net zero emissions by 2050 marked a visionary call to action. Since then, concerted efforts have advanced this goal.