Ever since predictions by Thomas Robert Malthus, the 18th century English cleric with some gloomy ideas about how the world would end, proved inaccurate, we have learned it is important to keep an open mind.
Malthus set out that the population on earth would grow exponentially but that food production would not keep pace, setting the scene for a ‘Malthusian catastrophe’ as demand outpaced supply with tragic consequences.
Luckily for humanity, Malthus’ neat equation was not a complete picture, as it failed to take into consideration the natural slowing of population growth, the impact of technology on our ability to increase crop yields and the growth in global trade. However, the influence of his theories should not be underestimated as they were among the first to highlight the concept of sustainability and may have even sparked some of the changes that helped to avert his predicted outcome.
Scientific thinking has come a long way since Malthus. Consensus is now that we are on the brink of a climate catastrophe. What the world truly needs now is the sort of ingenious solutions that emerged in the wake of Malthusian theory to change the course of human history.
So it was refreshing that there was an inkling of the sort of ingenuity we require on show last week at the All-Energy Exhibition in Glasgow. The annual event is a showcase for the technologies and the people that are ushering in a future where our energy needs are increasingly met by low-carbon sources.
The recent report from the Committee on Climate Change has galvanised policy makers and put the wind in the sails of renewable energy technology, from on- and offshore wind, tidal and wave conversion to hydrogen, as well as the means to store and distribute renewable energy that is required to ensure a low carbon future.
Clearly there is more to be done. For example, the Scottish Government must do everything in its power to work with counterparts in the UK to ensure that proposals to create a carbon capture and storage facility in Scotland – plans which were well developed until they were put on the back burner a few years ago – are put into action.
The urgency of the impending climate crisis means it is time to pull together – policy makers, engineers, energy companies and technology experts – to come up with solutions. But also, government at all levels needs to ensure that it creates the optimum conditions for the ingenuity required to thrive and scale.
This is not just Scotland’s problem, but a global one, and Scottish companies are playing their part. In fact, many are exporting their expertise in renewable technology to over 70 countries. This is just one reason why we need to maintain a trade-friendly policy regime and why we are calling for the private sector to be around the table with Scottish Government and climate change campaigners to deliver policy that not only ensures the right way forward but also its successful delivery.
The onus – on all of us – is to complete the picture that has been drawn up by the likes of the Committee on Climate change to overcome these challenges. To show how human ingenuity and resourcefulness ensures we avert and overcome the climate change crisis.
Liz Cameron is chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce.
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