7 steps to solving climate change with clean technology
This article is published in collaboration with Solar Impulse Blog.
Join Bertrand Piccard’s pioneering approach to show that solving climate change is not an expensive problem requiring financial and behavioral sacrifices, but rather a unique opportunity for profit and job creation.
Add your vote on futureisclean.org/solutions to decide which solutions we will bring to COP21!
1. Highlight the solutions instead of the problems:
How can we motivate people against climate change if we continue to focus on the amplitude of the problem? The current discourse is depressing and makes the situation seem insurmountable. Mobilization will only become possible if we emphasize the tangible benefits of existing clean solutions: we can already cut CO2 emissions by half, when replacing old polluting devices in the field of industry, construction, heating, cooling, lighting and mobility with today’s energy-efficient technologies.
2. Stop threatening human mobility, comfort and economic development in order to protect nature:
Asking people to make sacrifices for no immediate return only creates resistance. Who would renounce driving their car because of sea levels rising in 30 years ? On the contrary, let’s demonstrate that every one can maintain and even improve their standard of living thanks to affordable and accessible clean technology solutions, while at the same time reducing the impact of their lifestyle on the environment.
3. Speak of profitable investments instead of expensive costs:
Protecting the environment should not be perceived as expensive. Because there is a need for more environmentally friendly products and processes, fighting climate change is opening-up new industrial markets and offering an opportunity for economic development, job creation and profit.
4. Offer both rich and poor countries a share in the returns on investment:
If fighting against climate change is presented as a financial sacrifice for rich countries and a threat for the economic growth of developing countries, we will face opposition from the entire world. Investing in solutions, for energy efficiency and renewable energies, is profitable for investors and consumers in both rich and emerging markets.
5. Refrain from setting goals without demonstrating how to reach them:
When we hear politicians wanting to reduce CO2 emissions by X% or limit temperature increases to 2°C, it comes across as wishful thinking. Nothing will ever happen if they don’t also set out very clear legal framework, procedures and concrete technological solutions to realize these goals.
6. Combine regulations with private initiative:
The unpredictability of legislations and the risk of competitiveness distorsion too often prevent the industry from spontaneously investing in a cleaner production. Our society has regulations for education, hygiene, health, justice, etc., but not for preventing the waste of energy and natural resources. This must change!
7. Act in the interest of today’s generation and not only for future generations:
Very few people will change their current behavior in favor of those living in the future. Let’s demonstrate that the changes we need can already deliver a favorable result on today’s economic, industrial and political development.
Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.
To keep up with the Agenda subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Author: Dr Bertrand Piccard is an Initiator, Chairman and Pilot of Solar Impulse.
Image: Splinters of ice peel off from one of the sides of a glacier in a process of a unexpected rupture. REUTERS/Andres Forza.
Don't miss any update on this topic
Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.
License and Republishing
World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.
Stay up to date:
Future of the Environment
Related topics:
Forum Stories newsletter
Bringing you weekly curated insights and analysis on the global issues that matter.
More on Emerging TechnologiesSee all
Michele Mosca and Donna Dodson
December 20, 2024