Solutions in Science

Climate change and increases in oil prices have resulted in ever-increasing need for innovative energy solutions. The Chinese solar power company Suntech has succeeded in carving out a significant portion of the global market.

Danish firm Novozymes is the world's leading producer of enzymes, biological catalysts that can help all manner of industrial processes run more efficiently. By helping to reduce the need for energy and water, enzymes can be a cost-effective means to reduce industrial CO₂ emissions.

In two Tokyo train stations, steps are under way to generate electricity from the floors of the ticket gates and staircases. If successful, passengers could help provide the train stations with 1,400 kilowatts per second each day.

In Abu Dhabi, construction has begun on the world's first carbon-neutral city. The plan is for Masdar City to become the Silicon Valley of clean-tech, and to create the foundation for a post-oil Middle East.

In the face of depletion of oil resources and transportation being one of the biggest contributors to the climate change problem, American-Israeli company Better Place has found a sustainable – and profitable – solution: Electric cars that are powered by renewable energy.