Amid soaring global energy prices, calls are growing to speed up the push towards greener alternatives to fossil fuels. So it is a timely moment for London to host its first Climate Technology Show.

Perhaps predictably, two Teslas stand prominently in the front entrance to the event hall in Kensington Olympia this week. The headline acts in the energy transition are household names these days. 

But while the presence of the world's most valuable car company might give the inaugural event clout, many of the concepts lining the exhibition hall are lesser-known. Perhaps one day though, they may be just as important.

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As many an environmentalist will note, the battle to change our ways will be fought in almost every aspect of our daily lives. Solutions must be found not just on highways but in our offices and homes, in the skies, even on our plates. 

And with Europe's fossil fuel prices soaring, potentially for the foreseeable future, the need for alternatives has become suddenly and unexpectedly more urgent, after Russia's attack on Ukraine.

Using less of what we have is a good start, of course. 

Seeking efficiency

A few rows back is the stand for MyGlobalHome, a British company offering to install intelligent systems in new and and existing homes, to track and improve efficiency. That is a particular challenge in Britain as it seeks to meet its net zero climate goals, with its ageing housing stock hampering its efforts. 

MyGlobalHome has piloted 200 houses so far, so it's very early days. But exhibitors here talk of a shift in momentum these past few months. 

"I think it will take time," says the firm's CEO Lee McCormack, who adds that the next stage will be to expand the pilot to 2,000 units. After that, McCormack believes, "there's nothing stopping us... from scaling up rapidly."

Even those pushing brand new ideas seem to believe that this moment of crisis can present opportunities. EPC Energy wants to use gravity to generate electricity, the kind of unproven concept that could have taken many years to bring to market a few years ago. 

But EPC's representative Tamar Geliashvili says that because of the current energy crisis, the company has decided to speed up its timeline and go public by attending this year's event. With more investment secured, "maybe our research will take [only] three to five years and can be launched faster" than originally planned, Geliashvili says. 

Many so-called 'climate tech' products require a whole eco-system around them to be practically possible. With cars, for instance, it takes a network of charging stations and a whole new generation of vehicle engineers. 

Cutting aviation emissions

The same applies to the aviation industry, whose share of global emissions has risen in recent years. The mission of another UK firm, NEBOair, is to speed up the sector's transition by bringing different parts of the industry together to develop those foundations. Higher fossil fuel costs are becoming an increasingly important part of the pitch. 

Standing behind the first fully-certified electric plane, the two-seater Pipistrel Velis Electro, NEBOair's Kerry Wilmot explains users can save money compared to flying in a traditional aircraft.

"Based on the use of a continental engine and [an average usage of] 500 hours annually, fuel consumption will cost you about £28,000 ($31,172)" in a comparable-sized jet fuel plane, says Wilmot. "For this aircraft, it's going to be £1,500 ($1,670)."

Few of the stands at this show can offer an immediate solution to Europe's energy crunch. But there is a sense here that the current emergency is also driving change towards a faster green transition.