Adam Rodgers, UK and Ireland country director at Easee, discusses technology’s role in decarbonising transport.

Adam Rodgers of Easee

There was a lot of talk about 2024 being the first year in history to see global temperatures exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, even if this breach was temporary. In reality, last year was the first to pass the symbolic threshold and was the hottest year on record. The Paris Agreement represented a crucial step towards driving change – however, the current level of action is not turning the tide at the pace that is needed.

While policy debates and environmental rhetoric largely zeroes in on regulatory frameworks and broad systemic changes, technology’s transformative potential is often under-appreciated in climate change discussions. Despite the virtues of real-life applications of technological innovations being seen – renewable energy, AI and Internet of Things (IoT) to name a few – its role continues to be undermined.

Yet, technological advances will be essential to address the adversities of climate change and to adapt, while also reducing the responsibility being placed on the consumer. A more disruptive approach, one that places greater value on technology for tangible results and scalable change, is needed.

The automotive and transport sector is a live example of the transformative potential of technology. Recent advances currently playing out, such as electric buses and intelligent urban mobility solutions that combine electric bikes and scooters, are providing potential solutions to tackle the industry’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, EVs themselves exemplify how technological innovation can dramatically reshape an entire industry’s landscape. But more innovation is still needed even within this space.

A new dawn for transportation?

The domestic transport sector alone was responsible for producing 29.1% of all the UK’s territorial greenhouse gas emissions in 2023. At both a global and local level, EVs are viewed as one solution to reducing transport emissions. The progression of EV chargers over the past decade has evolved at a rapid rate and is continuing to do so. Developments have tackled previous limitations such as range anxiety and weak charging infrastructure. Helping to quash worries over battery performance, demonstrations have shown the ability to charge vehicles from 10% to 80% in just 10.5 minutes.

Car manufacturers are also pushing boundaries to develop the next generation of vehicles. The best recent example of this shift is Jaguar’s Type 00 concept car and the company’s shift to EVs – reinvention for a cleaner future. But clean transport isn’t just about the vehicles themselves – energy sources offer plenty of potential. From smart grid systems that optimise electricity distribution, to innovative energy storage solutions and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies that allow electric vehicles to store and feedback excess energy, no stone is being left unturned. Should a greater emphasis be placed on technological solutions, the industry has the potential to be reimagined.

But barriers to full EV adoption remain. While there are over 1.3 million fully electric cars in the UK, this figure equates to just 3.94% of the cars on UK roads. The early adopters have already made the switch to hybrid or fully electric and it is now mass consumer adoption that is needed. Broadly speaking, this is a more cost-conscious segment of the population. In October 2024, SMMT data showed that, one in five EVs costs less than its ICE equivalent. However, the SMMT has said that the level of discounting by car manufacturers, representing an estimated £4.5bn across 2024, is not sustainable in the long term. How EVs can be made accessible to all is one part of the equation that new innovations need to help solve.

Innovation, dynamism and optimism

The technological breakthroughs in EVs are remarkable, but as the industry keeps evolving, government support will continue to be imperative. Change-makers need to be given the right level of acknowledgement and investment to make the advances needed for climate change goals to be reached and, in this case, for widespread adoption of EVs.

Many technology solutions burn out at the pilot stage before they’ve had the chance to really get going. The World Economic Forum sets out three factors contributing to this outcome: the need for better alignment on incentives between governments and businesses; greater pressure from governments needing to be placed on businesses to exemplify demand and a need for industries to increase the timescales for which they can expect to gain return on investment. In fact, global investment in climate tech start-ups has dropped below 2019 levels.

To avoid the pitfalls that so many technological applications fall into at the pilot stage – and unlock the full potential innovations can offer – a collaborative approach between government and businesses is needed. Research and innovation can only accelerate with the right funding and demand.

It is not only necessary but imperative that instead of approaching the challenge through a lens of pessimism, fatalism and austerity, we must embrace a mindset of innovation, dynamism and pragmatic optimism. The entrepreneurial spirit which continues to drive technological revolutions must now be directed toward climate solutions.

What happens next?

Technology is not a secondary component to nations’ climate strategies, but a core mechanism through which meaningful and scalable change can be achieved. By fostering an ecosystem of innovation that supports technological development and maintains an optimistic mindset, the transportation sector can set an example for how technology can tackle the climate crisis. Moving forward, the key will be to celebrate technological breakthroughs, support risk-taking and experimental approaches and a view that climate challenge as an opportunity for innovation.