In a world where “buy now, pay later” dominates the retail landscape, the pressure to accumulate more has never been greater. But at what cost? Overconsumption of cheap, disposable goods is not only unsustainable but also impractical. The recent release of Patrick Grant’s book, Less: Stop Buying So Much Rubbish, Netflix’s Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy & Black Friday approaching, this seems perfect timing for me to voice thoughts on this issue which has been burning within me for as long as I can remember.

Over the past decade, the UK has seen a massive surge in fibre infrastructure projects. Billions have been invested, kilometres of cable laid, and thousands of fibre engineers trained to handle this rapid rollout. But now, as the country works to meet its ambitious net-zero targets and scale up renewable energy efforts, we’re faced with a new challenge: a critical shortage of electrical engineers.Research from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) highlights that 71% of UK engineering employers report skills gaps, specifically due to a lack of necessary technical and engineering capabilities within their teams.

The conversation has shifted from whether to switch to EVs, to how we can support their widespread use. For many people living in the UK’s apartment blocks, however, the big issue isn’t buying the car—it’s where to charge it. Right now, charging infrastructure in residential blocks is almost non-existent. EV owners are stuck relying on public charging points at supermarkets or shopping centres, and it’s far from ideal.

Solar and wind are the champions of clean energy. But there’s a catch: the sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow. So, how do we keep everything running when nature takes a break? That’s where large-scale battery storage comes in. Companies like Field are leading the change, making sure we can store and use energy whenever we need it.

Imagine a world where your food is grown just around the corner, unaffected by erratic weather and free from long journeys across the country. We’re stepping into a future where crops thrive in vertical stacks, powered by the sun and delivered by electric vehicles. Vertical farms on the outskirts of cities, producing fresh, locally grown food with a fraction of the water traditional farms need. It’s not just a sustainable dream—it’s closer than you think, and it’s reshaping the future of farming.

With growing renewable energy commitments, both the UK and the US face challenges in balancing their electricity grids. Traditionally reliant on large, centralised power plants, grids must now manage the intermittent nature of wind and solar power, which fluctuates with weather and daylight. Electric vehicles (EVs) provide an innovative solution by acting as mobile energy storage units that can send energy back to the grid. In the UK, where V2G is already being piloted, this concept offers immense potential to create a stable, flexible grid. Similarly, in the US, where grid capacity struggles during peak demand, V2G technology could play a transformative role.