The world is fast approaching its tipping point for climate change and current indications suggest this will happen sooner rather than later. A key target set in Paris in 2015 at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21), aiming to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, now seems like a pipe dream with scientists predicting that the limit will be reached in the 2030s. This will trigger an irreversible domino effect of change - from extreme weather events to loss of biodiversity, food and water scarcity, and major health and economic impacts.

Technology has a role to play in this complex and ‘wicked’ problem but it is more important who uses the tech, said Winston Chow, Associate Professor of Urban Climate, at the ‘Beyond the Tipping Point’ panel discussion held on 24 August 2023. He is also the Co-Chair for Working Group II on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s Seventh Assessment Report (AR7) Cycle Bureau. 

He was joined on the panel by Pui Yan Leung, partner at Vertex Ventures SEA and India, Jeffrey Adie, Principal Solutions Architect at NVIDIA AI Technology Centre and Kousik Toppe, Innovation Lead at Asia Digital Lab (Oybayashi Corporation). Based on their unique insights, the panel discussed the foundational challenges that must first be addressed and the supporting systems that must be put in place before technological solutions can be of any significance in the climate crisis.  

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Here are four key takeaways from the panel discussion: 

1. By empowering vulnerable populations, technology can alleviate the effects of climate change

When asked about technology’s role in achieving inclusivity in climate adaptation, Assoc Prof Chow emphasised that technology should only be viewed as a means to an end. The focus should be placed on ‘who’ it affects - in particular, women, the young and the old in communities that contribute least to climate change but who bear the heaviest and the most damaging consequences of climate change.

Once these groups have been identified, technology can then serve multiple purposes: by giving them a platform to voice their thoughts and concerns, providing access to education and other possibilities such as direct financial aid. He said, “The gender factor is very large in the equation of reducing vulnerability. This is where technology plays a significant role as a leveller, in terms of giving them agency and giving them a voice in organisations like the United Nations (UN) and the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC). Giving them a seat at the table is the first step towards levelling the climate playing field.”  Armed with first-hand accounts and localised insights from these frequently overlooked communities, the IPCC can make better and more holistic assessments that eventually lead to targeted and effective solutions.

2. Market and business intelligence are key to scaling technology for the greatest impact

Jeffrey Adie, Principal Solutions Architect at NVIDIA AI Technology Centre, shared that while there are many interesting technologies on the horizon for climate mitigation and adaptation, scaling these solutions on a planetary level remains the biggest challenge. Pui Yan Leung, partner at Vertex Ventures SEA and India explained that market nuances are the central reason for this problem, especially within diverse regions like Asia. Nevertheless, she encouraged entrepreneurs to tackle the challenge of scaling head-on by first focusing on a niche, iterating quickly, and growing organically before adapting the technology’s base architecture to fit other sectors and markets.
  

Assoc Prof Chow called market and business intelligence an “underrated aspect” in building technological solutions for climate action. Citing carbon capture and carbon dioxide removal technologies as examples, he said, “At some point, the market will make them profitable. The question is when, and that’s where the intelligence comes in.” 

By staying tuned into broader governmental and economic trends, such as existing technologies and ongoing discussions at major conferences like COP 28, entrepreneurs and their financiers stand a better chance at creating solutions that can effectively reduce vulnerability and enhance adaptation. 

3. Effective collaboration is essential on both individual and institutional levels 

Assoc Prof Chow shared that when tackling a multifaceted problem like climate change, one needs to go beyond an interdisciplinary approach, where experts from different domains come together to address the problem. Instead, a transdisciplinary approach must be taken, whereby barriers between the disciplines are broken down in order to develop a more holistic understanding that can lead to creative solution-finding. 

“It is no longer possible to operate in silo in one particular discipline,” shared Assoc Prof Chow. He explained that Institutions of Higher Learning must reflect this paradigm shift by moving away from single-discipline mindsets and instead help students develop the skills needed for collaborative problem-solving, especially as graduates go on to work for different stakeholders: namely the public sector, private sector and what he calls the ‘people sector’. 

Mr Adie shared that on an institutional level, academia, industry and government must work together to create an ecosystem where innovation can thrive. Singapore stands as an example of how these three stakeholders can work effectively together, with academia providing the domain expertise, big-name tech organisations providing the resources and the government creating a favourable regulatory environment. Its efforts so far demonstrate how even the smallest players can drive technological innovation and make a global impact.  

4. The importance of developing empathy to spur action and achieve a ‘just transition’  

Kousik Toppe, Innovation Lead at Asia Digital Lab (Oybayashi Corporation) discussed how a systems-thinking approach can help future leaders and innovators develop the right strategies for addressing multi-layered problems such as climate change. He reminded the audience that any solution to a problem of this magnitude takes time to develop, especially since a mindset shift around the world has to be achieved. 

It is therefore why he would focus on making progress rather than achieve perfection overnight, as is the case when convincing people to change their thinking. He explained that by helping individuals, from smallholder farmers to top business leaders, find their personal connection to the larger problem at hand, we can achieve empathy, leading to action. Ms Leung echoed this sentiment, stating that technological solutions need to be balanced with good business models, policies and processes that address the needs and concerns of those affected, especially for those who are not digitally savvy.

Assoc Prof Chow stressed the need for a ‘just transition’ in climate action strategies, by ensuring that the burdens of climate change and mitigation responsibilities are distributed fairly and equitably. He shared that traditional understandings of ‘development’ need to be challenged and replaced with a greener approach, especially for cities in developing countries like Lagos in Nigeria, which is on track to becoming the largest city in the world. This means shifting away from coal and oil energy production to renewable technologies, while also helping their citizens and workforce adjust to this drastic shift. 

Empathy must play a role if the transition is to be considered ‘just’ and lead to sustainable results. Assoc Prof Chow says, "The most vulnerable have contributed the least in causing global warming; how we listen to communities from these regions and enable solutions (including technologies reducing their vulnerability) is a needed step in combating climate change."