Two fast-growing Nova Scotian companies have been named to the 2019 Global Cleantech 100, an international list of companies deemed most likely to solve clean technology challenges.

Dartmouth-based CarbonCure Technologies, which is working to reduce the carbon footprint of the concrete industry, and Halifax-based Metamaterial Technologies, which has developed a new class of smart materials, were selected from over 13,000 innovators from more than 90 countries. They were among 12 Canadian companies named.

It’s the fourth consecutive year that CarbonCure has made the list, the company said in a statement. CarbonCure has become a leader in the global CO2 Capture and Utilization (CCU) industry. The sector is estimated to be valued at $1 trillion by 2030.

“The Global Cleantech 100 award recognizes successes achieved by our team and partners at making concrete more sustainable and prosperous,” Rob Niven, Founder and CEO of CarbonCure, said in a statement.

“This prestigious recognition will play a critical role in helping us realize our goals of technological advancements and geographic expansion, with the ultimate vision aimed toward reducing up to 500 megatonnes of carbon dioxide annually.”

Concrete is the second most abundant man-made material in the world, and cement, its key ingredient, is responsible for an estimated seven percent of global carbon dioxide emissions.

CarbonCure’s technology is already being used by more than 120 concrete producers across North America and is expanding into Asia. The company is also one of 10 finalists in the $20 million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE challenge.

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George Palikaras, Founder and CEO of Metamaterial, said the team is proud to have made the Cleantech list for the first time.  The company is working with Airbus to produce metaAIR, a transparent screen that fits onto cockpit windshields to filter out laser beams.  Metamaterial also recently announced it will work with Dalhousie University and Mitacs on a $1.62 million project to explore light manipulation for use in a range of commercial applications.

The project will be the largest ever financed in Atlantic Canada by Mitacs, a national non-profit organization that finances research projects between industry and universities.

“Our mission is to master light through disruptive technology to improve life on earth,” Palikaras said in a statement. “Our innovations have the potential to revolutionize multiple industries towards a sustainable future.”

Cleantech Group was established in 2002 and is headquartered in San Francisco with a presence in London. A statement from the group said this year’s list—the tenth—was made by an international 87-member panel comprised of leading investors and experts active in technology and innovation scouting.

“Our tenth edition is dominated by innovations for the future of food and mobility, and a decentralized and digitized future not only for energy, but for the industrial world more generally,” said Richard Youngman, CEO of Cleantech Group.

“This is a far cry from the dominance of hardware, solar and biofuels in the inaugural Global Cleantech 100 in 2009.”