Accepting the Reality of Climate Change Is Good for Business

The climate cause has lost an ally in the White House, but the private sector has ensured that the clean technology revolution is here to stay

Yes, climate change is an existential threat—one that keeps me up at night. But talking of fire and brimstone only inflames those who either (rightly) feel helpless in the face of this reality or those who have a vested interest in big oil or coal. So rather than preaching to the converted, what if we look to the billionaire luminaries who have taken up the climate cause as smart business?

All business ventures start with a challenge. World energy consumption is on the rise, as are global temperatures. Meanwhile, our planet only has so much oil and natural gas left for extraction, which will ultimately re-center the future economy on alternative fuels. To power the population’s energy needs, we must focus our attention — and capital—on affordable clean energy solutions, which have the added benefit of ensuring the future health of our planet.

Last year, Bill Gates announced the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, an international partnership driven by 30 entrepreneurs, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Alibaba chief Jack Ma, committed to investing in an emission-free future. Yesterday, the Coalition announced the launch of the Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV). The venture fund will invest over $1 billion on the next generation of clean energy innovations that provide the world with “reliable and affordable energy, foods, goods, and services without emitting greenhouse gases.” Read more…