SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT | 24 Technology perspectives Steve Evans, Director of Research in Michael de Volder, Head of the IfM’s Industrial Sustainability Nanomanufacturing Group “The 昀椀rst answer is that the most important focus “My current research focuses on the development of should be to rapidly improve what we are doing today Li-ion and other battery technologies that are likely to without buying new technology. This message shouldn’t play a very important role in climate-change mitigation, be mistaken as anti-technology; it just highlights that for instance by powering electric vehicles and storing organisations will get value from reviewing how existing renewable energy sources. technology can support meeting their sustainability goals. I’ve seen so many examples where organisations “Technology trends that will impact sustainability in this develop knowledge through this focus, making 昀椀eld are two-fold. On the one hand, we need to move them more prepared and e昀昀ective in selecting new away from battery chemistries that are unsustainable. technology solutions. Classic examples of this are the development of battery cathodes containing very little or no cobalt, “Organisations should also focus on current technology and electrolytes that do not contain any per昀氀uorinated spending plans to ensure that each purchase is as additives. On the other hand, the manufacturing energy/water/material e昀케cient as possible (and/or that processes for batteries are often energy-intensive and it allows for improvement in the future). Most of your rely on toxic solvents. Exciting new technological trends future environmental footprint is decided by existing in this area include dry processing methods that do not technology, so make sure that e昀케ciency is a key require solvents and energy-intensive drying steps. selection criterion so you make choices you are happy Finally, recycling of batteries is being studied to live with in the future. In terms of a trend that aligns more rigorously, which is critical to ensuring that with this, the best place to focus is data innovation – it batteries become a more sustainable technology for o昀昀ers the biggest sustainability improvement for the electri昀椀cation.” least cost, and technologies that support sustainability data insights are rapidly evolving.” Michael de Volder leads the IfM’s Nanomanufacturing Group, which focuses on developing scalable processes Steve Evans leads the IfM’s Sustainability Association. to arrange nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes The association produced the “Sustainable Innovation: and graphene into well-de昀椀ned superstructures. These Quick Wins in Sustainable Manufacturing” report, may 昀椀nd application in sensors, electronics, catalysis, which recommends how organisations can improve energy storage, water puri昀椀cation and smart materials. sustainability performance quickly without investing heavily in new technologies.