Spotlight Series: Sustainable Cities
Written by Alex Shapiro
The combined effects of urbanisation, population growth and climate change are converging in dangerous ways. Urban areas account for about 75% of global GHG emissions, thanks in large part to inefficient transport, buildings, energy usage and waste management. In the UK almost 85% of people live in urban settings, and urbanization is only speeding up across the globe. Air pollution in cities is having a detrimental effect on our health – 36,000 deaths a year are attributed to long-term exposure in the UK. The climate impact of the built environment alone is alarming – contributing 39% of all global GHG emissions.
The bottom line: most of us live in one, and most CO2 and CO2e is made in one. If you want to make improve outcomes for people or planet, it is critical to focus on cities. In fact, there is no route to 1.5 degrees, net zero or any other climate target that doesn’t run through cities.
However, cities are incredibly complex — with every small change creating ripple effects for the rest of the system. The public sector is beginning to drive change, with policies like low emission zones and embedded carbon reduction regulation for our buildings.
These regulations mean that traditional providers of energy, construction services, transport, and heating will no longer be able to operate. In the UK, over 60% of the housing stock is already ‘technically’ illegal to rent due to carbon inefficiencies. This creates opportunities for high tech startups who can adapt to and drive change. Technology can and indeed already is improving urban environments. E-bikes are making cities more accessible on two wheels to a wider group of people — and improving health outcomes and congestion levels at the same time. PropTech companies are making it possible for construction companies to design for sustainable, and visualise, track and reduce the embedded carbon within their buildings.
At the Conduit Connect, we believe that the growth opportunities presented by creating smart and sustainable cities, including decarbonising the built environment, are truly endless. This is why we focus our attention on finding and investing in the most innovative companies solving this problem in different but interconnected ways.
Transport
Fin is a London-based logistics and delivery company using an electric fleet of cargo bikes, vans, and lorries combined with a network of micro fulfilment hubs to deliver parcels for the ‘last mile’ and ‘middle mile’. Fin’s mission is to make cities more livable, meet customer demand for speed and convenience, and to help companies and cities achieve net zero targets. The Conduit Connect believes Fin is the differentiated in a busy space as it has decarbonised not just the last mile (as most competitors do) but also the middle mile (from out of town distribution centres into urban areas).
Residential
Kamma is a geospatial data company creating AI and ML powered data and SaaS products to help real estate companies and mortgage lenders meet and exceed net zero targets. Kamma is launching a retrofit platform to optimise the retrofit journey for any residential property.
Construction
Qualisflow is a construction tech company helping contractors and developers manage environmental impact. Qflow tracks materials and waste data onsite which provides a real-time embedded carbon dashboard and verifies sustainability claims.
Citizen Engagement
Commonplace is an engagement software platform that helps governments and developers reach local communities to receive feedback on proposals surrounding sustainable development, climate positive initiatives, public safety, transport planning, and more. Commonplace has over 150 customers ranging from homebuilders to local governments to major developers and has successfully engaged 6.5 million people.