1,600+ Ways to Make Money From Combating the Climate Crisis
Think Being Environmentally Sustainable Always Comes At a Cost? Think Again.
Want to see up close what climate innovation can look like?
Take a look at the 1,650 ways that environmentalist Bertrand Piccard has identified to make money from decarbonization. (If that name is familiar, he’s the guy who circumnavigated the globe in a solar-powered airplane).
His primary point:
If society is going to successfully decarbonize and tackle the climate challenge, there has to be money in it. Some of us might act out of concern for the future of the planet, but all of us will act if it’s in our financial best interest.
From the article:
“The goal is really to show that we can be much more efficient, that we can develop the economy, but in a clean way,” Piccard says. It’s going well. Since the foundation started its project eight years ago, it has logged 1,650 solutions—processes, products, materials, and devices—that can make an environmental difference at a profit. They encompass nearly every field—from water and energy to agriculture and IT—and the foundation is working to bring them to governments, cities, and businesses.
What his team’s research highlights is that decarbonization solutions exist in every field and every industry—the problem is that they’re not being adopted quickly enough.
Why?
Often the innovations themselves need innovation. And that’s where creative business leaders can profit.
One example Piccard gives: A manufacturer of electric freight trucks who, instead of trying to sell more expensive electric trucks to freight companies, sells them miles driven. Their customers, the freight haulers, only care about cost per mile. The EV manufacturer helps them lock in a lower cost per mile than their current diesel fleet—while the EV manufacturer makes more, over the life of the vehicle, than they would have had they sold the vehicle outright.
Innovative business model. Everyone wins.
Ready to start innovating on climate and sustainability to increase your firm’s profitability? Let’s chat!