10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health 2025

Finance lens Combining public and private capital can help reduce early-stage deployment risks. If funding continues to favour conventional desalination, regenerative systems may struggle to scale. The economic value of recovered chemicals also depends on access to complementary infrastructure or nearby users. Without integration into local value chains, co-products may have limited financial return, weakening the business case for regenerative systems.Equity lens Locally tailored systems and inclusive governance models could help regenerative desalination improve water access without exacerbating energy competition or affordability barriers. Without attention to community needs and operating costs, deployments may widen existing disparities in clean water access.Policy lens Regulatory support for chemical recovery, brine reuse and integration with renewables could accelerate adoption in environmentally constrained regions. Recent investments illustrate how renewable energy integration remains optional88 and without clear standards or permitting frameworks, systems may face delays or be excluded from large-scale planning.Make or break The success of regenerative desalination may depend on supportive regulation, integrated financing strategies and equitable access to affordable, sustainable water treatment. Planetary boundaries supported by regenerative desalination → Climate change: Replaces fossil-fuel-based systems with renewable-powered alternatives, lowering emissions associated with water treatment. → Freshwater use: Reduces demand on overdrawn freshwater sources in drought-prone and arid regions by expanding access to sustainable seawater treatment.→ Novel entities: Minimizes the release of synthetic compounds and hazardous waste into marine environments by recovering chemicals and limiting brine discharge. → Biosphere integrity: Protects coastal ecosystems and marine species by limiting chemical and thermal pollution from desalination outflows. 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 33