Denying we are having a climate crisis would be foolish. There are of course differing opinions on how bad the situation really is, but it is safe to say we are destroying the planet – most importantly it is completely unsustainable. Many people are trying to do their bit to help, from reducing their carbon footprint to stopping the use of single use plastics. However whilst all of these things are very admirable in their own right they have struggled to make a real dent in the issue. In this blog I will be looking at how young leaders and entrepreneurs are making a stand for the planet and fighting back to save our home.
Climate Entrepreneurship is a rapidly growing branch of contemporary business. Arthur Wyns
The Future Mavericks: Overcoming our climate issues
There has been a seismic shift over recent years in our opinions towards our planet. None more recently than the movement started by 16 year-old Greta Thunberg – who inspired thousands of young people around the world to ‘go on strike’ on what was known as ‘Future Fridays’, when they are supposed to be at school. Again this caused a lot of controversy with some claiming it was just a way to get out of school. However when you look at this a bit deeper and through a different more positive lens, you can see just how much these young people care for their planet and want desperately for those who have the power to enact change. It attracted even support from the former president os the USA, Barack Obama;
Young people all over the world are leading the way in the fight to protect our planet because they know their future depends on it. This Earth Day, I want to celebrate the courageous, committed young leaders who are stepping up to save the one planet we've got. — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 22, 2019
The fact is that no one else is going to save the planet and clean up the mess so these young people are taking a stand and doing it themselves. What I love about this is that these young people can and will go on to become leaders in fields where they can make a difference and with their passion they will change the world. Also there is a huge opportunity for these young people to become entrepreneurs, with their burning desire and reason why behind them, they will be unstoppable. As I have said before this is what will get you through the tough times, a compelling reason to do what you do in spite of adversity – never giving up on what they believe in. What more compelling reason than to secure their own futures, I for one cannot wait to see some of the amazing entrepreneurs that are born out of this worldwide crisis.
The more experienced among you will say ‘it’s all well and good these young people going on strike but the fact is money and power makes the world go round and it has to be tackled from the top down, not just from young people taking a stand’. If you had that thought, you would be write but according to the Better Business Better World report released by the Business and Sustainable Development Commission in January this year, sustainable business can unlock up to US$12 trillion in opportunities and create up to 380 million jobs by 2030. Now if that isn’t attractive to big business and politicians worldwide I on’t know what is.
In addition to this, young people have this one thing on their side, they are getting older. So what? Well the minute they become adults they get the chance to vote, get to go to work and can start their own businesses. Meaning that the minute they are able to they will have a profound impact on the business and political world. If you are an established business and you want to attract these young people as either talent or customers, you are going to have to change you tact on the climate. Equally if you are a politician then to get eleceted the climate is going to have to be a serious part of any campaign.
As stated in this article by eco-business; the global community is realising that climate change also offers a big opportunity for entrepreneurship by highlighting the need for business to turn a profit while operating sustainably and helping tackle what is considered to be mankind’s biggest threat today. There are some great examples of young entrepreneurs who are growing profitable businesses as well as making the planet a better place.
Who are these young leaders and entrepreneurs saving the planet?
A fantastic organisation that hopes to improve how young entrepreneurs can create solutions to the worlds problems is Climate KIC. The organisation aims to give young people the chance to develop business ideas that help mitigate and adapt to climate change, especially in areas such as urban sustainability, green finance, and sustainable manufacturing practices. There is a specific webpage for the UK & Ireland which can be found here. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Dominic Müller (Switzerland), Sofia Tsaliki (Greece), Eveline Kantor (The Netherlands)
Dominic Müller, Sofia Tsaliki and Eveline Kantor
They are quoted as sawing “Fashion is a fickle thing. And clothes are surprisingly damaging for the environment: the fashion industry is the second-most polluting industry in the world. In a society where a certain piece of clothing is hip one day and discarded the next, there is still a need for sustainable and creative solutions as an answer to our urge to consume. With our startup Dom’s Angels, we are providing a new model for special-occasion clothes that can be rented out instead of bought. It’s time to start building a sharing economy in the clothing sector, similar to what already exists for other goods or services.”
4Ocean by Andrew Cooper and Alex Shulze
These two entrepreneurs devastated by the amount of plastic in the ocean on a trip to Bali, they set out to find out why no one was doing anything about it. They noticed that the fisherman were wading through tons of plastic to catch their fish. After realising that the demand for seafood was driving the fishermen to focus on fish instead of plastic, they knew they had to create something that could fund the desired cleanup efforts. This is how the 4ocean Bracelet was born. Made with recycled materials, every bracelet purchased funds the removal of 1 pound of trash from the ocean and coastlines. In less than 2 years, 4ocean has removed 5,077,962 pounds of trash from the ocean and coastlines.
The 4Ocean Idea
These companies are led by people who have taken it upon themselves to try and change the world for the sake of the planet. They are great examples of how with passion, desire and a different way of thinking they can add value to people’s lives, create businesses that make money and also contribute to solving some of the worlds issues.
Why I wrote this blog
When I discovered the UN global goals I went on a fact finding mission to see which areas were being disputed by forward thinking young entrepreneurs. When on my search I found Jaden Smith, the son of Will Smith. He is the co-founder of a company called Just Water. They are revolutionising the bottled water industry from they way it is sourced to how it is bottled, this video made me look into how other entrepreneurs were helping save the climate, check it out and let me know what you think;
Jaden Smith – The Water Entrepreneur
Coming up…
In next weeks blog I will be exploring how young leaders and entrepreneurs are Breaking New Ground within the complex issues of living and urbanisation. I will be looking in depth as well as sharing my part about how young leaders and entrepreneurs are creating amazing companies and products which are solving some of the worlds biggest challenges when it comes to living, housing and city urbanisation.
Are you doing something that is Breaking New Ground within the climate space? If so get in touch I would love to hear from you.
Thank you for reading and until next time, Be More Maverick.
Luca
July 6, 2019
June 7, 2019
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