10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health 2025

Finance lens Early-stage investment, blended finance models and incentives for modular manufacturing can help overcome high upfront costs. If financing continues to favour wind, solar and hydrogen, geothermal may remain underutilized despite its complementary role.Equity lens Repurposing oil and gas infrastructure and workforce capacity offers a chance to diversify clean energy jobs and expand access to energy. Without attention to affordability, land rights and local capacity, benefits may remain concentrated in well-resourced regions.Policy lens Clear permitting frameworks, risk- sharing mechanisms and public procurement standards can accelerate deployment. Without coordinated support, projects may face delays, inconsistent approvals or exclusion from clean energy targets.Make or break The success of modular geothermal may depend on clear policy frameworks, targeted investment and inclusive planning in regions new to geothermal development. Planetary boundaries supported by modular geothermal → Climate change: Provides stable, low-emission energy for heating, cooling and electricity, displacing fossil fuels across sectors. → Land-system change: Requires minimal surface area and enables energy production without large-scale land transformation or habitat disruption.→ Freshwater use: Operates with limited water requirements, especially in closed-loop configurations that avoid groundwater extraction or contamination. → Atmospheric aerosol loading: Eliminates combustion- related air pollution and associated health and climate effects common to fossil fuel and biomass energy systems. CO 2- concen- trationRadiative forcing P cycleGreen waterFunctional integrity Blue water N cycle Modification of biogeochemical flowsGenetic diversityChange in biosphere integrityClimate change Land-system change Increase in atmospheric aerosol loading Ocean acidificationFreshwater changeStratospheric ozone depletionOverloading with novel entitiesPlanetary boundaryHigh-risk line 10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health 30