VC and (local) politics, bringing Clean Tech back to life

As we explained in our brief history of cleantechs, green and clean technologies are making a much-noticed return to the scene, after first emerging in the early 2000s spurred on by politicians who understood the issue of climate change and by investors looking to green their businesses.

Are cleantechs the new Eldorado? 

If there is one area in which cleantechs are effective, it is finance. The start-ups, SMEs, and large companies in the sector are attracting more and more investments. With €329 million invested in France in the first half alone, 2019 is poised to outshine the already record-breaking 2018… On the stock market, similar trends can be seen. The NEX, an index that covers clean energy listings around the world, climbed 33% in 2019. 

  • New Energy Outlook 2019 – Bloomberg
  • Cleantech VC is back? Early numbers say yes – Forbes
  • Be careful, though, not to repeat the mistakes of the past, with the false start in the early 2000s – VentureBeat/ PUT
  • With greenhouse gases identified as the cause of climate disruption, capture technologies are booming – World Economic Forum

The difficult road toward making political will reality 

As evidenced by the “Green Pact” in Europe and the “Green New Deal” in the United States, the importance of a political framework for eco-friendly technologies is making in-roads in public opinion. On the ground, however, much remains to be accomplished. Critics are calling out nebulous metrics, rampant “green washing”, and a certain skittishness on the part of tech players, first and foremost the GAFA. Seeing the immobility of the giants, salvation may come from the more local level. Cities and regions are now engaging more radically. 

  • Apple, Amazon, and the rest of Big Tech players all have a lot to learn from the Green New Deal – Fast Company
  • Towards a climate-neutral Europe: EU invests over €10bn in innovative clean technologies – European Commission
  • Digital: the great energy waste – CNRS
  • The city of Helsinki is launching a competition with €1 million up for grabs – Helsinki

Clean Tech in figures

To go further, Ernst & Young has issued a comprehensive study of the cleantechs landscape in France. The agenda includes: policy, financing, technologies, energy, data, and more…

  • Overview of Cleantechs in France in 2019 – EY
  • The clean energy market could be worth $4.3 billion by 2030 – Business Commission

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