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Hey everyone, welcome to FutureProof - my Tech and Sustainability Digest.
Another week has flown by, and there are some excellent stories this week - I particularly loved the renewables surpassing fossil fuels one - so much so that, I wrote a whole blog post about it (see below)!
And as always this newsletter is dedicated to surfacing and sharing good news stories across tech and sustainability. If good news sounds like something you need, read on. And please share this newsletter with anyone/everyone else you feel could do with a little cheering up!
AI News
Sardines, Cyclones, and AI: The Nerdy Side of Saving the Planet
From forecasting cyclones to identifying bumblebees, AI is now the lab assistant science never knew it needed, and it doesn’t even demand coffee breaks. Despite legitimate fears about power consumption and statistical fibbing, generative AI is proving to be a force multiplier for climate research, slashing grunt work and accelerating discovery in fields from marine biology to meteorology.
Key highlights:
Spanish marine researchers are feeding 30 years of data into AI models to speed up analysis of fish populations and ocean health, enabling quicker policymaking on fishing quotas and marine reserves.
Microsoft’s Aurora weather AI beats the gold-standard ECMWF forecasts in 91% of cases, and does it using far less energy. Cheaper, faster, better… cue climate scientists drooling.
Citizen scientists are teaming up with AI to identify bee species and recommend bee-friendly plants, helping biodiversity bloom, literally.
Why This Matters: In a world where every second counts - whether you’re tracking a hurricane or trying to save sardines, AI’s speed could mean the difference between informed action and too-late regret.
Kismet: One early citizen science AI model got so good at identifying bees, it eventually learned to identify the plants they were visiting,making it the world’s first digital entomologist-slash-gardener hybrid. Alan Turing would be buzzing. 👉 Full story here
Google’s AI Just Became a Satellite… and It’s Watching Everything
Google’s jumping in on this trend! It’s new AlphaEarth AI isn’t just flexing machine learning muscle, it’s digitally skinning the planet to expose the unseen scars of climate change, and maybe even help heal them. Think of it as a climate nerd’s dream: satellite-scale surveillance meets algorithmic clairvoyance. And no, it won’t spot your sunbathing neighbour, just your deforested backyard.
Key highlights:
AlphaEarth compresses terabytes of satellite data into colour-coded ecosystem insights, down to 10m accuracy. That’s a lot better than I can remember!
It can spot ideal zones for crops, solar panels, or climate-resilient construction, before you even reach for a shovel.
Already used to map Antarctica’s complex terrain and reveal invisible changes in Canadian farmland. No snowflake nor soybean safe from scrutiny.
Why This Matters: This isn’t just another AI gimmick, it’s a tool that could radically improve how governments, companies, and climate scientists plan for a hotter, messier future. And yes, it might just save a few rainforests while it’s at it.
Kismet: Google’s AI is helping Brazil’s MayBiomas map the rainforest—ironically using a tool fuelled by the same cloud infrastructure that eats up a shocking 1–2% of global electricity annually. Climate karma, coded in Python. 👉 Full story here
Google’s ‘Deep Think’ AI Is Basically the Maths Nerd of Your Dreams
Google just unleashed its brainiest AI yet, Gemini 2.5 Deep Think, and it’s already scoring medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad. That’s right: we now have an AI that doesn’t just generate text or summarise docs, it thinks. And not in a vague, vibes-based way. We’re talking long, careful, deliberate, coffee-fuelled PhD-dissertation-style thinking.
Key highlights:
Deep Think uses extended “thinking time” and parallel reasoning to tackle complex problems like coding, scientific modelling, and design, piece by logical piece.
It achieved gold-medal performance at the 2025 IMO (yes, the real one), and is now available to Google AI Ultra subscribers for daily use.
The model’s been trained with reinforcement learning to prefer better reasoning paths, which basically means it’s learning how to learn.
Why This Matters: This isn’t just another LLM, it’s an early glimpse at AI that can meaningfully support deep research, creative problem solving, and scientific discovery. Your next research assistant might not even need a desk.
Kismet: Deep Think performed so well on the delightfully named benchmark Humanity’s Last Exam (a test of high-level reasoning across domains) that it’s now ahead of every other non-tool-using model. Yes, Google built an AI that could probably outscore you in Leaving Cert Higher Maths and code you a snazzy website while it’s at it. 👉 Full story here
Electromobility
EVs Just Hit the Tipping Point (and It’s All Downhill for Petrol Now)
EV adoption isn’t a slow crawl anymore, it’s a cascade. New research from RMI and Systems Change Lab lays out the 5 stages of the electric vehicle tipping point… and spoiler: we’re already on stage 3. The car industry isn’t changing - it’s transforming, and the floodgates have officially opened.
Key highlights:
Countries like China, Norway, the Netherlands and the UK have all crossed the 5% EV adoption threshold, the point at which mass-market acceleration kicks in.
Once this threshold is crossed, EV sales tend to grow exponentially, doubling roughly every 2-3 years in the early stages.
Policy, investment, and cultural perception all reinforce the change. Think infrastructure rollouts, battery price drops, and that one neighbour who won’t shut up about their EV (guilty!).
Why This Matters: The tipping point isn’t just coming, it’s here. The dominoes are falling, petrol cars are ageing out, and the EV future isn’t just likely… it’s inevitable.
Kismet: In Norway, EVs didn’t just hit the tipping point, they took over. By 2023, over 90% of new car sales were electric, driven by a blend of incentives, policy nudges, and collective momentum. 👉 Full story here
Nepal’s EV Revolution: From Zero to 76% in Just 5 Years
While everyone’s busy watching Norway, China, or the US, Nepal just casually redefined what a “tipping point” looks like. 76% of new passenger vehicles sold last year were electric, and they did it without a domestic car industry, without billions in subsidies, and without the breathless headlines. Their secret? Hydropower, smart taxes, and a flood of affordable Chinese EVs.
Key highlights:
Nepal’s clean grid is powered almost entirely by Himalayan hydropower, making EVs a natural fit, and 15x cheaper to run than petrol.
EVs are taxed at just 40% vs. 180% for ICE cars, flipping the sticker price dynamic: electric SUVs are now cheaper than their fossil cousins.
Chinese brands (especially BYD) have taken over the market, offering “Tesla-tier features at half the price,” according to local dealers.
Why This Matters: Nepal shows that you don’t need to be rich, massive, or car-manufacturing to lead the EV transition. With the right mix of policy and pragmatism, even a small, mountainous country can leave ICE in the dust.
Kismet: Nepal’s EV boom began not as a climate move, but as a response to a 2015 fuel blockade. What started as an energy security pivot has turned into one of the world’s fastest EV transitions. Necessity, meet electric innovation. 👉 Full story here
China’s Electric Truck Boom: One in Four Heavy Trucks Now Battery-Powered
China isn’t just leading on EVs for consumers, it’s now hauling the clean transition into heavy transport. In a stat that would’ve sounded ridiculous five years ago, 23% of all heavy truck sales in China this June were battery electric. That’s not a trend. That’s a freight-sized disruption. And it is a pointer to where the rest of the world is headed.
Key highlights:
BEVs made up 23% of new heavy truck sales in June 2025, up from just 5.8% a year earlier.
Electric trucks are gaining traction in key sectors like construction, sanitation, and port logistics, where short-range driving makes them ideal.
Leading cities like Shenzhen, Beijing, and Chengdu are rolling out strict emissions zones, giving zero-emission trucks a competitive edge.
Why This Matters: Heavy-duty vehicles are climate bruisers, guzzling diesel and spewing CO₂. China’s rapid pivot to electric freight shows the sector can flip fast, with the right incentives and infrastructure.
Kismet: In Shenzhen, electric trucks are now mandated for deliveries in certain zones, but interestingly, the trucks are cheaper upfront than diesel rivals thanks to local incentives. Clean air and cost savings? That’s one hell of a tailwind. 👉 Full story here
Clean Energy
The Pope’s New Solar Farm Is Bigger Than Vatican City (Yes, Really)
The Vatican just went full solar, and not in a dainty, tokenistic way. They’re building a 100-megawatt solar farm on a former military airfield, making it literally larger than Vatican City itself. It’s clean energy with a side of divine ambition.
Key highlights:
Pope Francis ordered the solar plant to help make Vatican City carbon neutral by 2050.
The farm will be built at Santa Maria di Galeria, a 430-hectare site already owned by the Vatican, and will serve both the Vatican and Radio Vatican’s energy needs.
This follows the Pope’s increasingly vocal stance on climate, including his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ and last year’s Laudate Deum, which directly challenged climate deniers.
Why This Matters: When the smallest country on Earth starts generating solar power at national scale, it’s more than symbolic. It’s a theological mic-drop.
Kismet: The site of the solar farm, Santa Maria di Galeria, is technically Vatican territory, meaning this holy solar array will be the world’s first sovereign microstate solar empire. Call it God’s own grid. 👉 Full story here
China’s Renewable Buildout Is Now in Ludicrous Mode
In just six months, China added nearly as much new renewable energy capacity as most countries dream of in a decade. Wind and solar installations nearly doubled year-on-year in H1 2025, and the pace shows no signs of slowing. Forget slow and steady - this is a sprint, and China’s grid is lacing up for a world-beating lead.
Key highlights:
In H1 2025 alone, China added 290 GW of new power, including 210 GW of solar (+107%) and 50 GW of wind (+99%).
Total installed capacity is expected to reach 3.9 terawatts by end-2025, with non-fossil sources making up 61%.
Demand is booming too: EV charging grew +42%, and data services +27%, pushing peak power demand to a record-breaking 1.5 TW in July.
Why This Matters: This isn’t just about climate - it’s about grid dominance, energy security, and future-proofing the world’s biggest economy. China’s clean energy machine is moving faster than many predicted… and possibly faster than the rest of us can catch up.
Kismet: The EV charging and battery swap sector alone now guzzles more electricity than most countries’ entire national consumption growth. That’s right - electric car refuelling is now a grid-scale driver of demand in China. 👉 Full story here
EU Court Greenlights Wind Projects in Spain — Despite Fossil-Backed Resistance
In a major win for clean energy, the EU’s top court just threw out lawsuits attempting to block 92 wind farms in Galicia, Spain - many of which have been mired in legal limbo for years. The ruling restores legal clarity and paves the way for €3 billion in investment. But here’s the twist: a good chunk of the so-called “environmentalist” opposition has been traced to fossil fuel–adjacent influence campaigns designed to stall renewables under the guise of local concern.
Key highlights:
The European Court of Justice ruled that Spain’s public consultation process for wind projects in Galicia was lawful and robust.
86 of 92 wind farms had been halted due to lawsuits, representing 2.5 GW of clean capacity now cleared for takeoff.
Groups behind the opposition have been criticised for spreading misinformation and, in some cases, receiving support from fossil fuel–linked interests aiming to delay the energy transition.
Why This Matters: Legal sabotage has become a go-to tactic for slowing down renewables, but this ruling cuts through the fog. If Europe wants a shot at hitting its climate targets, courts can’t become dumping grounds for fossil-fuel-backed disinformation.
Kismet: Spain’s northern Galicia region is one of Europe’s best wind corridors, and yet, local courts had frozen nearly all new wind development there. One ruling later, 2.5 GW of renewable power just got uncorked. Think of it as a judicial windbreak collapsing, and the turbines spinning freely again. 👉 Full story here
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Latest Publications
Coal Falls, Renewables Rise — and the Grid Will Never Be the Same Again
In my latest blog post, I unpack the IEA’s Mid-Year Electricity Update and the historic, underhyped milestone it contains: for the first time ever, renewables have generated more electricity globally than coal. Not just in a single country. Not in a single month. Globally. In 2025. It’s the kind of chart-flipping shift that changes everything, from emissions curves to investment flows.
Key highlights:
The first half of 2025 saw renewables overtake coal as the world’s primary source of electricity, solar and wind leading the charge.
China accounted for a jaw-dropping 60% of all new global solar capacity, helping push coal into structural decline.
The fossil lobby is still spinning myths about grid reliability and baseload needs, but as I point out, this shift is happening despite them, not because of them.
Why This Matters:This isn’t just a symbolic turning point, it’s a clear signal that the energy transition is now led by markets, not politicians. And coal? It’s not just dirty. It’s done.
Kismet:One quiet stat buried in the IEA report: for every 1 MW of new coal added in H1 2025, the world installed nearly 10 MW of renewables. The economic tide has turned - and coal’s boat is sinking fast. 👉 Read the full post here
Procurement 3.0: From Cost Centre to Strategic Powerhouse
This week on the Sustainable Supply Chain podcast, I spoke with Conrad Snover, CEO of ProcureAbility, about why procurement is long overdue for a radical rebrand - from cost-cutting sidekick to value-creating lead actor. If you think procurement’s just about issuing POs, you’re missing the plot entirely.
Key highlights:
Conrad argues procurement must earn its seat at the strategic table by moving beyond order-taking and into category planning, supplier resilience, and profit generation.
With infrastructure strained by electrification, especially in utilities, supply chain leaders must prioritise early supplier collaboration, demand transparency, and diversified sourcing.
Digital tools like field-based work acceptance apps are reshaping construction procurement, making contracts smarter, faster, and more auditable.
Why This Matters: Procurement isn’t just about getting stuff cheaper, it’s about making the whole business smarter, more resilient, and yes, more sustainable. But none of that happens if procurement is stuck in the past.
Kismet: Conrad’s procurement hero? Dwight Eisenhower. Why? Because the man pre-wrote a letter taking full responsibility for D-Day’s failure, just in case. That’s the kind of radical accountability procurement needs to lead in the age of transformation. 🎧 Listen to the full episode
Climate Confident Podcast:
How to Fight Climate Despair in an Anti-Climate Era
This week on the Climate Confident podcast, I spoke with Chris Moyer, president of Echo Communications Advisors, about how to stay effective, even hopeful, in a time when US federal climate leadership has gone backwards. From greenwashing in politics to the grassroots fight for clean energy projects, Chris brings sharp insight into how to communicate, advocate, and adapt when progress is under siege.
Key highlights:
The new administration is gutting federal climate action, but states, cities, and private investors are stepping up to fill the vacuum.
Permitting bottlenecks, misinformation campaigns, and political fear are real challenges, but grassroots efforts like Greenlight America are flipping the local narrative.
Emerging tech like geothermal, EV air taxis, and compact SUV batteries show innovation hasn’t slowed, even if Washington has.
Why This Matters: When national leadership falters, momentum has to come from everywhere else, cities, courts, companies, and yes, communities. The energy transition is still on… just not in a straight line.
Kismet: Chris picked Ronald Reagan as his unlikely climate champion - because in today’s political climate, a conservative voice advocating for clean energy might actually move the needle more than a thousand scientists ever could. 🎧 Listen to the full episode
Coming Soon to the podcasts
In upcoming episodes of the podcasts I will be talking to Saskia van Gendt, Chief Sustainability Officer of Blue Yonder, and Heikki Pöntynen, CEO f NorsePower.
Don’t forget to follow the podcasts in your podcast app of choice to ensure you don’t miss any episodes.
Featured Chart
This chart shows graphically what I talked about above. China rolled out in the first six months of 2025 264 GW of renewables (roughly 264 nuclear power plants worth of renewables)
Renewables have led to enormous savings for the countries above just in avoided fossil fuel costs!
India is making enormous strides when it comes to renewables as well - kudos!
Misc stuff
Loved this one - took me a sec!
This is me.
This one too!
Engage
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Finally, since being impacted by the tech layoffs, I'm currently in the market for a new role. If you know someone who could benefit from my tech savvy, sustainability, and strong social media expertise, I'd be really grateful for a referral.
If you have any comments or suggestions for how I can improve this newsletter, don’t hesitate to let me know. Thanks.
*** Be aware that any typos you find in this newsletter are tests to see who is paying attention! ***
Should I change this email's format?
And Finally
And finally, when looking at charts, always remember to check out the y-axis!!!
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