10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health 2025

Finance lens Incentives for bi-directional-ready vehicles, smart inverters and distributed energy programmes can help scale the technology. Without mechanisms to defray battery degradation costs, uptake may be limited to wealthier markets or EV fleets with dedicated energy managers.Equity lens Bi-directional systems could enhance energy resilience and reduce peak costs in underserved communities if integrated into affordable housing, public infrastructure or microgrid programmes. If left to market forces alone, however, benefits may concentrate among private EV owners and high-income users.Policy lens Regulatory clarity around grid participation, compensation schemes and equipment standards can accelerate adoption. Pairing an economic framework to address costs with market mechanisms that incentivize participation would further support uptake. Without consistent frameworks, deployment may remain fragmented and inaccessible to most consumers.Make or break The success of bi-directional charging may depend on coordinated regulation, targeted incentives and equitable integration into homes, fleets and communities. Planetary boundaries supported by bi-directional charging → Climate change: Lowers greenhouse gas emissions by reducing demand for fossil-fuelled backup generators and enabling more flexible, higher renewable energy uptake through increased grid capacity and ancillary services for short- to medium-term storage. → Novel entities: Minimizes air pollution and toxic byproducts by limiting fossil fuel combustion during peak demand and emergency power use.→ Biogeochemical flows: Eases pressure on nutrient cycles by reducing reliance on centralized fossil infrastructure, fuel transport and associated land and water impacts. CO 2- concen- trationRadiative forcing P cycleGreen waterFunctional integrity Blue water N cycle Modification of biogeochemical flowsGenetic diversityChange in biosphere integrityOverloading with novel entitiesClimate change Land-system change Increase in atmospheric aerosol loading Ocean acidificationFreshwater changeStratospheric ozone depletionPlanetary boundaryHigh-risk line 10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health 24