What's the Future of Cleantech - Online Brainstroming Results

THE FUTURE OF CLEANTECHRESULTS FROM GLOBALONLINE BRAINSTORMING10/2011-1/2012Santtu Hulkkonen & Jani Timonen, Cleantech Finland

OBJECTIVES & BACKGROUND Objectives • To identify future trends in cleantech globally • To evaluate the probability and impact of issues affecting cleantech development Background • Brainstorming was conducted by Cleantech Finland and Fountain Park in 10/2011–1/2012 • Up to 1500 expert answers and comments from 66 countries Primary affiliation %-share Business 60,4 % Government 12,5 % Research or science 7,1 % Student 2,8 % Investor 2,1 % Media 5,7 % Other 9,4 %Copyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY There are only minor differences in what people talk about between the highest participation countries (India, China, UK, USA, Finland) • 4 key aspects • Public opinion • Individual people, consumers • Technology to solve one or more of the key challenges • Major occurrence or disruption changing current ways of thinking • More information is wanted • New information through research, testing, experimentation, etc. • Distribution of information is very important • Concrete examples and individual experiences are making huge difference • Political decision makers, business and investors react and follow rather than drive changeCopyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

WHAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WHEN ASKED: “THINK ABOUT FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS. WHAT COULD WORLD SIGNIFICANTLY SHAPE THE FUTURE OF CLEANTECH?” Public sector role, energy efficiency and business infra. In spontaneous responses transportation, social media, food and green construction are the least relevant themesCopyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

WHAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WHEN ASKED: “THINK ABOUT FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS. WHAT COULD INDIA SIGNIFICANTLY SHAPE THE FUTURE OF CLEANTECH?” Participants from India highlight waste clearly higher than other parts of the world % = share of answers that include the keyword for this classCopyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

WHAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WHEN ASKED: “THINK ABOUT FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS. WHAT COULD CHINA SIGNIFICANTLY SHAPE THE FUTURE OF CLEANTECH?” Respondents in China put special emphasis on people issues % = share of answers that include the keyword for this classCopyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

WHAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WHEN ASKED: “THINK ABOUT FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS. WHAT COULD UK SIGNIFICANTLY SHAPE THE FUTURE OF CLEANTECH?” UK responses are in line with the overall results % = share of answers that % = share of answers that include the keyword for this class Include the keyword for this classCopyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

WHAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT WHEN ASKED: “THINK ABOUT FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS. WHAT COULD USA SIGNIFICANTLY SHAPE THE FUTURE OF CLEANTECH?” USA participants rank innovation higher than the rest of the world. In other areas the responses are in line with the overall results. % = share of answers that include the keyword for this classCopyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

WHAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT AND WHAT IS CONSIDERED TO HAVE HIGH PROBABILITY (ALL) • People talk the most about public sector role, energy efficiency and business infra • The highest probability is given to economy, energy efficiency and business infra related topics • The second high priority group of topics includes renewable energy, food and people • Lowest probability topics are nuclear, public sector and non-renewables Blue bar = volume of the theme in all answers Green bar = importance (relative)Copyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

WHAT IS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF CLEANTECH WITH HIGH PROBABILITY? • GOVERNMENT COMMITMENT • People talk the most about public sector role, business infra and energy efficiency • Raising cost of utilizing currently used energy resources etc. leads to changes in decision making • Political will is wanted and needed to speed up the progress • PEOPLE • Awareness of the real cost of pollution growing • Consumers should know about the advantages of clean technologies • Cheaper technologies can be used by people that have never even dreamed of cleantech • Individual people find greener ways of thinking, living and acting • Research into what drives people to use cleantech products • GLOBAL TRENDS • Business environment has integrated – investors act more globally than locally • Global network for cooperation in forums of R&D and solutions • The greatest economic opportunities and environmental challenges are in Asia • Innovative urban solutions and systems is a future business growth area, i.e. smart urbanization, smart grid, clean transportationCopyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

POTENTIAL WILD CARDS Value-based research – People will eventually get tired of "only" trying to make money Curtailment of nuclear power If investment banks had a 10+ year focus – Getting humanity back to 10+ year focus will change how people see cleantech and how clean products show in ROI comparisons Social media as interaction – a way of common action – network effect will cause the acceleration of the need and demand for cleantech solutions One well-known industrial country taking a clear lead – One prominent industrial country taking a clear lead by launching a long-term cleantech program that is politically anchored in all political camps, bold and includes everything from policy to funding “Investing into natural capital becomes profitable. We will finally realize that nature is not our biggest enemy we need to take advantage of, but in fact our best business partner.”Copyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

WHAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT AND WHAT HAS HIGH POTENTIAL IMPACT (ALL) • People talk the most about the importance and impact of communication and PR in raising awareness and changing attitudes towards cleantech and the environment in general • Other high impact areas are water, air/climate, nuclear and transportation • Lower potential impact is given to innovation, food and social media related topicsBlue bar = volume of the theme in all answersGreen bar = importance (relative)Copyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

HIGH PROBABILITY & HIGH POTENTIAL IMPACT WORLD Highest significance areas are energy efficiency and economy. Second group in terms of significance includes water, air/climate, communication/PR and people related topics. Note: Green construction is included in energy efficiencyCopyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

ENERGY EFFICIENCY • Shortage of resources and cost of energy are key drivers towards improved efficiency • Using technology to improve efficiency in production, transportation, storage and use • Urbanization continues in the world and increasingly efficient energy usage is critical Shortage of energy Smart grid Citizens rewarded for resources. sustainable living Rapid urbanization development Citizens could receive tax rebates worldwide and a or other incentives for becoming ubiquitous real-time Smart urban area more sustainable; i.e. using less networked civil energy at home, growing their environment will development own food, recycling water, etc. require an exponential Implementation of Some type of tracking/accounting broadening of energy regulation in smart system could be developed so resources. Localized that citizens have some financial sources of supply cities and the incentive to maintain a more (renewables), efficient attraction of people sustainable lifestyle. Rewards usage and cost interest in being could come from companies that effective storage are manufacture certain products or needed. more attentive to from local governments. energy efficiency.Copyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

ECONOMY • Economic situation is very challenging and takes focus away from environmental aspects • Economic growth leads to growing challenges on the environment • If/when the global focus is shifted more towards environmental issues, new business opportunities start to open up for cleantech companies Serious investments Economic growth in Asia and Global government to infrastructures the need to limit pollutants policies. modernization Due to economic downturn World population is growing as In case if Russia (and several other reasons) finds/stimulates well as the world economy. the decision-making in investments to Biggest growth takes place in many countries (incl. the modernization of the developing countries, esp in Asia. U.S.) is inconsistent, and infrastructure of for On the other hand, pollution and the energy and instance municipal the limeted resources shape the environmental policies may housing economy, new development towards more change or discontinue segments for efficient and less polluting society abrubtly. This significantly cleantech will be and technologies. hampers the development immediatly opened. and deployment of clean technologies.Copyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

WATER • Importance of clean water raising significantly • Efficient water treatment systems are vital (fresh water, sea water, sewage, recycling) • New solutions to water efficiency • Clean water will be a political issue one day, it may even become a reason for war Shortage of water resources. Water treatment Water shortages are looming Clean, viable water resources more and more as the greatest near-term are under stress. Changing important problem following from global climates, due to long lasting drinking water warming. high atmospheric pressure resources, if cheap zones, are causing droughts, energy then no Good sweet clean water is which bring populations in problem (sea water), scarce. We will obviously have to competition with agriculture. sewage treatment, to go to the salt water. New Clean technologies that find save the ecological technology in this area with a low efficient solutions - i.e., water conditions. cost would no doubt help a lot of minimization, recycling, countries. harvesting, etc. - are needed.Copyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

AIR, CLIMATE • Need to shift from just watching and waiting to action • Financial support and financial penalty both play a role • Charging-based clear regulation drives actions • Public opinion and awareness of individuals are important factors Cost of pollution If public and private bodies would have a way to assess individual Financal support Global agreement has been emissions. Money talks. If some clean technologies tried already twice (at least). This polluting is more expensive, more are too expensive for card has been played, and it new technology will be applied. "normal people". so showed to be vague. What can there must be financial support from the turn up better is global Public opinion and everyones government. there are agreements between cities (i.e. will to change thinking. several support systems C40 movement). Completely We should move from climate in austria, but there bypassing states and countries. change fear to actions and do must be done more to Cities are anyways where the something instead of waiting. reach (or to get closer battle on climate change is Public opinion is crucial to get to) emission goals (like played and lost or won. money for cleantech investments kyoto) and to get companies develop new ways of production etc.Copyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

COMMUNICATION, PR • Need to increase awareness globally • Politicians make legislation but the public elects them. Public opinion is necessary to move politicians. • Developing countries are the main factor • Social media can have a major role The awareness of Consumers can have Different segments have different consumers a strong impact. But perspective towards the clean Through possibilities as there shoud be technology and considering the social media and internet, organized ways to high capital investment with ROI linking the ideas of people organize the power will enable the cleantech otherwise it will be taking long time the impact is revolution to truly begin. As something here and slow . Every individual of the the consumers will have there but not really planet need to realize the better possibilities to anything big. Could it importance of sustainability and understand their impacts, be Greenpeace? I Govt along private organization but at the same time don´t know. It should need to create the campaigns devote effort to turning be unpolitical and promotional activities. them into positive impacts, movement. rather than negative.Copyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

PEOPLE • Consumer behavior is key • Pressure to political decision-making needs to come from the people • Changes are expected to be slow but there are new signs • 100s of millions of people will move to cities – only ecocities can make this possible Dramatic changes in Consumers become Peoples interest in energy supplies prosumers This is consumption will change as change thinking happening. ZipCar. AirBNB. they notice that this can have an For example, dramatic This will crack consumerism effect. People might even enjoy from the inside. Leading to catastrophe at a degrowth and end of fun life simple life styles in future more nuclear powerplant in for many. Maybe not the than consuming. Nature and Japan, oil spill in U.S - politicians and others saving the planet will become the change the way of measuring things by GDP. most important goal in peoples thinking of people, Even for that purpose, we functions. governments etc must get new measures so that once GDP goes down, we can show something else (positive) goes up.Copyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

TOP 3 TAKE-AWAYS POWER OF NETWORKS • Scale local challenges to global solutions – and global challenges to local solutions TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE • Self-evident solutions have high global demand (e.g. energy efficiency, renewable energy, water and waste treatment) • Innovations save environment and economy INFORMATION IS WANTED AND NEEDED • Attitude makes the big difference • Different ways to boost cleantech industry (education, government, discussion) • Public opinion and public sector are key factorsCopyright © Cleantech Finland 2012

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What's the Future of Cleantech - Online Brainstroming Results

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