Unlocking Opportunity in Any Sector
Samuel Temidayo Osinubi
Avian Behaviour and Conservation Scientist
Discover how a remote archipelago became a renewable energy leader. This Step offers practical tips to help you navigate the sustainability transition. Gain essential skills for a rapidly changing world and turn challenges into opportunities.
Discover how a remote archipelago became a renewable energy leader. This Step offers practical tips to help you navigate the sustainability transition. Gain essential skills for a rapidly changing world and turn challenges into opportunities.
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Unlocking Opportunity in Any Sector
14 mins 57 secs
Key learning objectives:
Outline the key challenges and innovations in the energy, transportation, industrial, and built environment sectors for achieving sustainability
Recognise the importance of staying informed, gaining certifications, and networking to navigate and contribute to the evolving sustainability landscape
Overview:
In this Step, Samuel Temidayo Osinubi explores how different sectors are navigating the sustainability transition, with a focus on renewable energy, transportation, industry, and the built environment. Orkney's success in renewable energy sets an inspiring example, but the journey is complex, requiring innovation, resilience, and a focus on the biggest carbon emitters. Dayo emphasises breaking down challenges into manageable parts and provides practical advice for learners to stay ahead in this evolving landscape, acknowledging the twists and turns life often presents.
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Summary
What are the key challenges and innovations in the energy sector?
What career advice is recommended for those pursuing a future in transportation?
What career advice is recommended for those pursuing a future in the built environment?
What are the overarching trends shaping the path to sustainability?
How can understanding sector-specific challenges help in the sustainability transition?
Breaking down the sustainability transition into production, consumption, and transportation helps tackle complex problems. Each sector faces unique issues like environmental and human exploitation and waste generation. Focusing on key sectors like energy, transportation, and industry is crucial for reducing emissions and driving sustainability.
What are the key challenges and innovations in the energy sector?
The energy sector is crucial for sustainability, with renewable energy sources like wind and solar becoming more cost-competitive. However, the intermittent nature of renewables makes energy storage a key challenge. Innovations in battery storage, pumped hydro, and hydrogen technologies are being developed, but scalability and cost remain hurdles.
What career tips are valuable for those interested in the energy sector?
- Stay informed: Follow the latest developments in renewable energy technologies and policies
- Get certified: Obtain certifications in energy management or renewable energy
- Network: Join professional organisations and attend industry events
What are the major sustainability challenges in the transportation sector?
Transportation, especially aviation, presents significant challenges for sustainability. While electric vehicles (EVs) are transforming road transport, infrastructure and affordability issues remain. Aviation faces bigger hurdles, with sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) and electric aircraft still years from widespread adoption.
What career advice is recommended for those pursuing a future in transportation?
- Focus on EV technology: Expertise in EV technology, battery development, and charging infrastructure is in demand
- Sustainable aviation: Knowledge of sustainable aviation fuels and electric aircraft technology is advantageous
- Policy and regulation: Understanding the regulatory landscape is crucial. Stay updated on transportation policies and regulations that impact sustainability
What are the key challenges and innovations in the industrial sector?
Industries like steel, cement, and chemicals are difficult to decarbonise due to their reliance on fossil fuels for high-temperature processes. Carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) offers potential solutions by capturing emissions at the source, but high costs and energy requirements are significant barriers to widespread adoption.
What career tips are valuable for those interested in the industrial sector?
- Learn about CCUS: Specialise in fields like chemical engineering or environmental engineering to work in carbon capture technologies
- Focus on energy efficiency: Understand energy efficiency measures in industrial processes, which are critical for sustainability
- Obtain industry certifications: Pursue certifications in industrial sustainability to enhance your qualifications
What are the key challenges and innovations in the built environment?
The built environment, including residential and commercial buildings, is a major source of energy use and emissions. Retrofitting buildings with energy-efficient technologies, improving insulation, and integrating renewable energy sources are essential strategies. However, these efforts require significant investment and coordinated action across governments, businesses, and homeowners.
What career advice is recommended for those pursuing a future in the built environment?
- Green building certifications: Consider certifications like LEED or BREEAM to demonstrate expertise in sustainable building practices
- Retrofit skills: Develop skills in retrofitting and energy auditing to meet the growing demand for energy-efficient buildings
- Policy knowledge: Stay informed about government initiatives and funding programs aimed at improving building energy efficiency
What are the overarching trends shaping the path to sustainability?
- Growth of renewables and energy storage: The adoption of renewable energy is accelerating due to declining costs and technological advancements. Improved energy storage solutions are making renewables more reliable and feasible on a large scale
- Enhanced data gathering and reporting: Improved data collection and reporting are essential for tracking sustainability progress, extending beyond environmental metrics to include social and governance aspects
- Social sustainability: Sustainability now also encompasses social well-being, with corporate strategies increasingly focusing on fair labour practices and community engagement
What are the major challenges in achieving sustainability?
- Energy storage: The intermittent nature of renewable energy sources makes developing cost-effective and scalable storage solutions critical for maintaining a stable energy supply
- Transition to clean fuels: Hard-to-abate sectors like aviation and heavy industry face significant challenges in adopting clean fuels, requiring substantial investment in research and development
- Retrofitting the built environment: Retrofitting existing buildings to meet energy efficiency standards is a massive and costly endeavour that requires coordinated efforts across multiple stakeholders
The opinions and viewpoints expressed in this video are those of the creator and do not necessarily reflect the views of any affiliated organisations.
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Samuel Temidayo Osinubi
Samuel Temidayo Osinubi is an avian behavioural ecologist who has worked in a variety of roles across multiple continents. His academic background includes a postdoctoral fellowship at the Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology in Cape Town, South Africa, a PhD from the School of Biological Sciences in Christchurch, New Zealand, and an MSc from the AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute in Jos, Nigeria.
He has worked in various capacities with BirdLife International, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Birds, Fauna and Floral International, the UN Convention on Migratory Species, and also enjoys time on cruise ships as an expedition lecturer. His core values are centred around achieving set conservation project objectives and opening doors for wider collaborations. He sees himself as a bridge between diverse points of view and backgrounds.
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