By David Britton, Operation Noah Campaign Officer 

Given that one of Operation Noah’s main areas of focus is Church investment in climate solutions, we thought we would share some of the interesting climate solutions – some with significant investment potential – that we’ve come across in the last few months. We continue to make the case that green investment is not only a good use of money to care for God’s creation, but potentially a smart financial move, with plenty of ways for this money to be beneficially invested. 

Our 2022 report Church Investment in Climate Solutions identified investment opportunities for faith investors which not only addressed the climate crisis but had the potential to yield positive financial returns; these included renewable energy generation; energy storage (crucial to accelerating the decarbonisation of the electricity grid); buildings and energy efficiency; public transport and electric vehicles; sustainable land use and forestry; and clean cookstoves, which help tackle global poverty while also reducing planet-heating emissions.

Three years later we have seen remarkable progress in some of these sectors – particularly the amount invested in wind and solar power – with other areas showing some green shoots. 

Energy
We are now in the midst of a global energy revolution. In the UK, solar generation in 2025 has already surged ahead of 2024. As a recent article by Bill Mckibben highlighted, the sun, after 4.6bn years, is having a moment.  Wind is also having a moment, and the UK is currently building the largest offshore wind farm in the world. Researchers have also been working on bladeless technology which has potential to be utilised in urban and domestic environments. And for those who doubt whether the UK can get by on renewables, an Oxford University report has argued that there is ample energy from wind and solar to far exceed the UK’s energy needs.

‘Vortex Nano 2020’ bladeless wind turbine. Source: Vortexbladeless.com 

However, wind and solar are not the only forms of renewable energy available. In fact, one interesting development that recently caught my attention is osmotic power, or salinity gradient power, which generates energy from the salinity gradient when sea water mixes with fresh water. A small scale project has recently been launched in Japan.  

Energy Storage
A challenge for renewables has always been how to store energy to address both fluctuating demand and intermittent supply; this makes effective batteries critical to the success of renewables. 

The lithium-ion battery has enabled the widespread use of mobile power, from mobile phones to cars. However, lithium extraction and other minerals like cobalt come at a cost – both environmentally and socially. There is work to be done, and additional investment needed, to ensure just supply chains and to reduce the environmental impact of mining these materials. 

This is why there is research going into alternatives to lithium for grid storage, and why old ideas are being looked at again. The sodium-ion battery, invented by British firm Beta Research in the 1970s, is making somewhat of a comeback. Sodium-ion technology has the potential to address grid storage capacity, where size and energy density is less important. Whilst there are limitations compared to lithium based batteries, there are many benefits: sodium is much more readily available and so is cheaper to produce with less of a negative environmental impact.  

There are other innovative ways of storing energy for the grid, such as using compressed CO2, alongside ‘old tech’ such as pumped storage hydro-electric. And let’s not forget the amazing Dinorwig power station in North Wales which is, essentially, a giant battery.

A compressed CO2 battery from Energy Dome. Source: energydome.com

Building & Infrastructure
The building industry is a significant source of emissions. Concrete alone accounts for 8% of global carbon emissions with most of those emissions produced by the formation of clinker, an essential component in cement. There are some alternatives emerging from the traditional portland cement – for example, using calcined clay. 

A fascinating video from Cambridge University explains how researchers have been able to produce what could potentially be zero carbon cement from recycled concrete if it employed the use of electric arc furnaces powered by renewable energy. Electric arc furnaces are also a way of producing low carbon steel, another high emitting industry, with recent innovations showing it can be used for a whole variety of steel products. 

Transport
Demand for EV vehicles continues to rise, particularly among emerging economies, and sales of electric cars in 2025 are expected to exceed 20 million worldwide, representing 25% of the total market. And the industry is innovating with different types of batteries. Chinese battery giant CATL has developed an EV sodium-ion battery which they claim has a range of 500km. If a sodium based battery was to be developed as a viable alternative to lithium that would answer a lot of the concerns that people have with lithium. 

While the uptake of EVs is important for eliminating emissions generated by petrol and diesel vehicles, Operation Noah believes there should be more investment into improving public transport and encouraging walking and cycling. These are not only more environmentally friendly ways of getting around, but they are also better for our health and wellbeing. 

Land use
One of the biggest impacts on the environment is our food system. Globally, we waste one third of all food that is produced, making addressing food waste one of the most impactful actions we could take for the climate. The way we produce food seriously damages the planet, contributing significant emissions and leading to nature and biodiversity loss. Encouraging progress has been made in the national conversation about protecting nature and biodiversity. Since 2022, we have seen the Climate and Nature Bill draw a huge coalition made up of MPs from all parties and organisations across the country demanding further action. And a recent report by the Food Foundation highlights how investment in nature is urgently needed and is crucial for food security.

The Green Investment Declaration

Church investments are an opportunity to use our money to make a positive impact for the climate.

The Green Investment Declaration is an initiative developed by Operation Noah and JustMoney Movement to support Churches and other faith institutions across the globe to increase their investments in climate solutions and lead the way in building a greener future. 

We are encouraging churches, dioceses and faith institutions to sign the Green Investment Declaration and help build a greener, sustainable future.

Check out our Green Investment Declaration page for more information.