Given the scale of many sustainability challenges ahead, and the limited time left to address them, C21 seeks technological solutions that may lead to far reaching, ‘exponential’ innovation.

For this work, we take a technology- and provider-neutral approach, and pay close attention to technology learning curves and system dynamics.

We see specific opportunities in the application of fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technology, and in particular what we call the ‘disruptive troika’ of the Internet of Things (IoT), Distributed Ledgers (DLT, ‘Blockchain’), and Artificial Intelligence (AI). In 2018, C21 has written a white paper on this.

Our specific contribution to technological innovation for sustainability in essence includes 3 main activities:

1. Raise awareness among regulators: Particularly with respect to digital technology, innovation can occur very fast, involve considerable degrees of complexity, and may lead to far reaching, disruptive new solutions. For regulators it can thus be challenging to stay on top of technological developments and fully comprehend the extent of potential innovation. However, understanding new and improved digital solutions is critical to setting the right framework conditions. It is particularly relevant for getting the level of ambition right – as new approaches may allow for much greater scaling, or much improved measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV). C21 has therefore invested considerable resources in raising awareness on digital technologies. This includes different publications, webinars, and presentations (such as the first on DLT with UNFCCC in 2016 and to World Bank’s CPLC in 2017), as well as our Climate Ledger Initiative (CLI).

2. Mobilise digital talent for sustainability: As there are challenges to keep regulators on top of technological innovation, there are also challenges in mobilising the technology community for sustainability-related action. Many in tech are quite focused on their domain and concentrate on the actual technology rather than its real-world application. Often, the ‘low hanging fruit’ in terms of applying technology solutions are not in the complex domains most relevant to sustainability. For C21 it is however crucial to win those ‘technology brains’ for sustainability-action. They are masters of new tools with great relevance to addressing sustainability challenges. We thus seek to mobilize leading developer-talent globally for projects with purpose. Key in this respect is our Hack4Climate initiative , an innovation program focused on 4IR. It is designed to raise attention to the climate crisis in technology communities, and to identify and scale exponential climate solutions. It provides access to experts and data, and it facilitates pilot implementations in cooperation with the public and private sector.

3. Advocate for rapid technology implementation: To assure that new technologies can actually be implemented and find a market, regulation is key. Often, new solutions may offer much better results but do not yet conform with the currently applicable policy framework regulations and standards. When drafting new legislation, it is vital to account for innovation and to set the policy framework such that emerging technological approaches are already accommodated for. Innovation mostly beats regulation in terms of timing. Both are necessary and have to be compatible with each other. Our work on technological and policy innovation takes account of this, and we actively advocate at their intersection.