10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health 2025

Finance lens Blended finance, green bonds and major buyer commitments can strengthen market confidence and attract investment. Clear demand signals and tools like environmental attribute certificates (EACs) can help offset high upfront costs and reduce investor risk.Equity lens When paired with local manufacturing and reuse of mineral waste (including CDW), green concrete can support circular economies and reduce construction costs. Yet, without attention to affordability, labour practices and access to training and recycled feedstocks, benefits may remain concentrated in wealthier markets.Policy lens Supportive building codes, procurement policies and infrastructure linking emitters to concrete producers can speed adoption of CO2-cured and geopolymer products. Consistent standards and third-party verification are essential to build trust in durability, safety and carbon storage claims.Make or break The success of green concrete may depend on supportive policy frameworks, market-aligned investment tools and equitable access to low-carbon construction materials. Planetary boundaries supported by green concrete → Climate change: Avoids emissions from high-temperature cement production through geopolymer binders and stores captured CO2 through mineralization in curing processes. → Biogeochemical flows: Reduces reliance on limestone and other virgin materials, lowering disruption to habitats and hydrologic cycles associated with large-scale aggregate removal.→ Land-system change: Limits land degradation and habitat loss by reducing demand for virgin aggregate mining, including sand, the most-extracted solid material on Earth, and enabling the reuse of construction and demolition waste. → Novel entities: Diverts CDW from landfills and immobilizes metal-rich fly ash, slag and CDW in concrete, which then limits releases to the environment. CO 2- concen- trationRadiative forcing P cycleGreen waterFunctional integrity Blue water N cycle Modification of biogeochemical flowsOverloading with novel entitiesClimate change Land-system change Increase in atmospheric aerosol loading Ocean acidificationFreshwater changeChange in biosphere integrity Stratospheric ozone depletionGenetic diversityPlanetary boundaryHigh-risk line 10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health 21