- H.H. Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President & CEO of UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators, was present at the session.
- The 10 technologies were outlined in a World Economic Form report titled ‘10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health’.
Dubai, UAE – 16 October 2025 – As climate disasters continue to cause disruptions across industries, the Annual Meetings of the Global Future Councils and Cybersecurity 2025 convened experts in Dubai to pinpoint the most promising emerging technologies that can strengthen the planet’s resilience in the face of climate risks.
Her Highness Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President and CEO of the UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA), was present at the session, which was moderated by Sally Mousa, Senior Presenter at Forbes Middle East, and brought togetherMasami Onoda, Director of the International Relations and Research Department at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA); Drew Shindell, Nicholas Professor of Earth Science at Duke University, USA; Leigh Ann Winowiecki, Global Research Leader for Soil and Land Health at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in Kenya; and Yousef Yousef, CEO at LG Sonic in the Netherlands.
“This discussion couldn’t come at a more critical time,” said Sally Moussa at the start of the discussion. “Humanity has already breached seven of the nine planetary boundaries – from biodiversity loss to ocean acidification – exceeding Earth’s safe operating space. Yet, there is still hope. The latest World Economic Forum (WEF) report highlights ten transformative innovations capable of reversing this trajectory. These are not distant concepts; they are scaling now.”
Focusing on air pollution first, Masami Onoda discussed next-gen Earth observation technologies. “Earth observation gives us an extraordinary vantage point,” she explained. “Satellites capture data on carbon, water, vegetation, and atmosphere with unmatched precision. Decades ago, we had just a few hundred CO₂ observation points; now, we have hundreds of thousands collecting data. The issue remains how to deliver this information to the scientists and decision makers who need it. Partnerships ensure developing nations can use these insights. If we work together, we can combine strengths.”
Still on the topic of air pollution, Drew Shindell discussed a lesser-known culprit – methane. “Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, 80 times more potent andresponsible for 40% as much warming as CO₂,” he explained. “It comes from fossil fuels, waste, and agriculture.We can now use remote sensing to detect leakage from fossil fuel exploration, but with agriculture, you need new techniques, like precision fermentation. Meanwhile, the waste sector can capture methane and turn it into usable energy. Many of these solutions pay for themselves, but we still need capital, public-private partnerships, and the right regulations to scale these technologies globally.”
For her part, Leigh Ann Winowiecki discussed soil pollution, and revealed that this year’s event saw the launch of thefirst Global Future Council on Soil and Land Health.“We depend on soil for water regulation, food, and nutrition security; it is the most biodiverse ecosystem on Earth, holding immense potential to store carbon if managed properly,” she asserted. “There are new technologies for us to actually understand the diversity in soil. With Earth observation, we can create soil carbon maps, 90% accurate soil erosion maps, tree cover maps, etc., but investing in soil monitoring and translating data into policy is critical.”
Last but not least, Yousef Yousef shifted the focus to water, as well asbusiness scalability. “I had the idea to use ultrasound to kill algae and other harmful organisms in the water. It took us about five years after research and development to be able to scale up – now to69 countries. Going from a pilot to a large scaleis a big risk; there are three unknowns here: unknown technology, unknown company, and unknown markets. So, we need to be innovative at financing too, and blended finance models are one answer.”
The 10 technologies were outlined in a WEF report titled ‘10 Emerging Technology Solutions for Planetary Health’, namely, Precision Fermentation, whichuses microbes to create animal-free proteins with up to 97% fewer emissions and minimal resource use; Green Ammonia Production toreplace fossil fuels with renewable energy andproduce low-carbon fertiliser, fuel, and other materials;Automated Food Waste Upcycling, AI-driven systems that recycle up to 95% of food waste into compost, biogas, and new products; andMethane Capture and Utilisation, whichconverts methane emissions from waste and farms into renewable energy and materials.
The report also mentionsGreen Concrete, designed toreduce cement emissions by up to 90% through carbon capture and recycled industrial materials; Next-Gen Bi-Directional Charging, whichenables EV batteries to power homes and grids, supporting clean, flexible energy systems; Timely and Specific Earth Observation, where AI and satellite data deliver real-time climate and ecosystem insights for better decisions.
Rounding up the list is Modular Geothermal Energy, wherecompact systems generate steady, low-emission power with minimal land and water use; Regenerative Desalination, which uses renewables to recycle water and resources, cutting waste, and expanding freshwater access; and Soil Health Technology Convergence, which usessensors and analytics to restore degraded soils and boost sustainable agriculture.
The Annual Meetings of the Global Future Councils and Cybersecurity 2025are organised on 14-16 October by the UAE Government in partnership with WEF, bringing together more than 700 experts and specialists from 93 countries in 37 Councils.
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