Accelerators, Competition Challenges, Incubators, Impact funds… Saving the World by Empowering People!
By: Phil Plumley
Tags: Impact Investing, Environmental Issues, Oceans, Climate Change, Change Now

In the last few years there has been an increase of business accelerators, impact funds, competition challenges and the likes.

The fact is that these entities are addressing issues and challenges in their own way, most often because no other entity sees an economic value in addressing them.

As the world takes on the climate crisis issues though, the climate crisis calls for new solutions and the sense of urgency that several industries are facing also calls for action to be taken in a different manner.

In light of this, things are qualified and quantified differently. For example, if there is plastic in the ocean, it is no longer just an inconvenience but a poison that gathers deadly petrochemicals that within time enters the food chain and directly affects the well-being of the human kind. In short, that piece of waste with plastic you may have thrown away by negligence one day has found its way into your digestive system and is going to compromise your health.

By doing this, and with great leverage from social media, issues are addressed in how they affect their eco-systems and how one eco-system affects another.

One quick illustration of this is the Ocean Cleanup/Deloitte report estimating the cost of plastic waste in the oceans. The report includes the tourism market along the coasts, the fisheries and the associated economics. If you read on Migration via the International Organization for Migration newsfeeds, you will find that due to the issues with fishing, whether overfishing, or simply lack of the possibility of fishing along some coasts, the coastal populations are forced to move to the greater cities for work, whether in their own countries or elsewhere to find a means to provide for themselves or their families.

Perhaps the greatest illustration of this new approach to the world issues are the Sustainable Development Goals, listing 17 goals for the planet. It is amazing that we needed to spell them out, it is now used not only as a list of goals to reach soon but as a new way to address everything. A way to move forward that is inclusive of everyone and everything for the benefit of the planet and the people on it. Not a bad thing though, right? If you can align the planet on a great course?

With this now comes an era of requiring to measure issues by the cost they imply, which is also described as the impact they have or could have. For example, to have power/electricity from the sun or hydro as a source rather than coal plants is now measured also by the cost that the coal emmissions produce. Not only the costs during the process of burning them which has been greatly improved but by other factors such as the amount of energy and fuel to excavate the coal, process it, transport it, and store it. Not to mention the water used and all the different tools and forms in order to get it from its source to the burning plant. All these steps are now included in the cost as they directly impact the planet. A simpler illustration of the same notion is the idea of eating seasonal local food produce, rather than shipping food around the planet. If we included the carbon cost of transporting foods around the planet, it would quickly lose a competitive price. Quality-wise, I still prefer to eat food that I know where it comes from and how it has been produced. That’s just me though.

If you wish to see an illustration of how the world is progressively entering this mindshift, I believe you should look to take a part or visit the ChangeNow summit in Paris. It is a perfect illustration of this much needed transition which is actually offering a lot of opportunities accross all sectors, industries and businesses. You can start by looking them up online.

I was very lucky to take an active part within the Monaco Ocean Protection Challenge this year. I think the challenge embodies the spirit of adventure and initiative, offering a space for new voices to be heard and specially allowing for one to find support by an environment of dedicated and committed people.

All in all, whether one wishes to discuss the work or impact of these different exercises, the one thing that they definitely marvelously all do for the world is to raise awareness.

They all allow for participants and members to teach and learn by sharing their interests. The process is therefore educational in many ways and allows to empower everyone involved. The hope is that at some point soon, the acceleration of awareness allows us all to share a better planet for everyone.

Thank you.