A festival for green sustainability through technology – and the first thing you see when you walk in is huge cars, energy companies and hydrogen-powered aircraft.
The fine line between a genuine desire for change, pseudo-solutions and greenwashing is rarely as clear as it is at the GREENTECH FESTIVAL.
After many interesting conversations, however, one thought prevails for me:
To transform our economy, we need companies from all industries and of all sizes. Green flagship companies are extremely important role models and pioneers – but large companies and traditionally CO₂-intensive industries will also have to change.
The day showed me once again that this cannot be achieved (only) through impressive flagship projects, but also through constant questioning, further development and engagement – ultimately, the small steps taken by many companies are likely to achieve more than the big steps taken by a few.
That's why I'm glad that companies such as Nestlé Nespresso SA are subjecting themselves to the strict B Corp certification process and thus starting a journey towards greater sustainability. It's much harder to slowly steer a large ship onto course than it is to launch another wild green idea into the world (sorry, hydrogen-powered aeroplanes!).
It is important to get a holistic picture of your company and your product and then make informed decisions in the right direction.
In product development at SCHUMACHER — Brand + Interaction Design, the first step is to create innovations that users really need, rather than shiny beacons. Methodology instead of gut feeling. Realistic assessments instead of technology-enthusiastic castles in the air alone.
Then we can also inspire with sustainable solutions. And thanks to our comprehensive repertoire of methods, we can do this with small, agile teams just as well as with large technology leaders.
Next time I go to a greentech trade fair, I would like to see more of how companies have transformed themselves piece by piece. More real developments instead of disruptions on the ‘green field’. How do you feel about that?