Growing concerns over climate change driven by manmade carbon emissions is prompting governments world-wide to look at ways of stabilising or reducing their carbon footprint. The United Kingdom unveiled plans to set a ‘legally binding’ target to cut carbon emissions by 60percent by 2050 and the European Union has agreed to cut emissions by 20percent between now and 2020. New, more energy-efficient technologies will play a large part on achieving these targets, with the emphasis being on making better use of existing resources in the short term while planning for new forms of energy in the longer term.

A new study by London-based Cientifica, the first in the Nanotech: Cleantech series, identifies six key ways in which nanotechnology is contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions. The six technologies discussed are all available now or are expected to be available within the next two years, and some have already been used globally for as long as a decade.

Tim Harper, Cientifica’s chief executive, comments: “All of the key applications are related to our enhanced control of materials at the nanoscale, whether lighter, stronger materials for transportation, better thermal insulators or more efficient ways of storing energy. The key players read like a 'Who's Who' of global industry.”

For more information, visit www.cientifica.com