Collectively: clean energy will prevail

Although representatives at COP21 are yet to reach an international agreement, billionaires and governments have joined hands in to unveil a series of bold new initiatives aimed at boosting renewables’ share of the energy market. On the one side, a band of 20 countries – with the US, China and India at the helm – have pledged to double their renewables spending, while on the other Bill Gates and his billionaire kin have launched the Breakthrough Energy Coalition to make clean, reliable energy available to all.

Meanwhile, businesses across the globe are responding to the call for clean energy, and organisations like Collectively are proving instrumental to this end. The collective of academics, designers, campaigners and business minds plays an important role in encouraging companies to make a difference, and Collectively’s partners uncover, share and scale up ideas to secure a brighter future.

much of the stuff which millennials hold dearest – their phones, their iPads, the net as a whole – can clearly be powered by clean energy

The New Economy spoke to Collectively’s CEO Will Gardner about the organisation’s latest campaign and how its partners have embraced clean energy. 

Can you tell us a little about your We Got Power tool and what the findings say about changing attitudes to clean energy?
Two thirds of people in the UK think that clean energy is one of the top priorities of our time. However the same number also feel powerless to affect change. The idea of our campaign is to show people that they do have the power to make change happen, by demanding that organisations they care about make the switch to clean energy. We invite people to register their demand by pressing a button and sharing with their friends; and we communicate that demand to hundreds of companies, universities and sports clubs around the world, asking them to make a tangible new commitment to clean energy.

Why is a focus on clean energy particularly strong among millennials do you think?
Many millennials have a practical, can-do, ‘hack this’ attitude to problems and are impatient with the slow pace of change they see at government and corporate level. With their lives ahead of them, they’re the ones who will be most affected by climate change and pollution, and so they want action, now. And much of the stuff which millennials hold dearest – their phones, their iPads, the net as a whole – can clearly be powered by clean energy – whether it’s a solar panel recharging the mobile, or Google committing to #go100percent. The other thing that’s different about millennials is that they are more demanding of brands and companies to step forward. Two thirds of people (67 percent) are inclined to support organisations that are making a commitment to a clean energy future – and that increases to three-quarters of people aged 18-34. Organisations can earn the respect and loyalty of younger people by doing the right thing for the world.

Can you give us a few examples of how your partners have embraced clean energy?
Sure. They’re all on a journey but there are some great initiatives and bold commitments. For example, just last week Unilever made the bold announcement that it would be carbon positive by 2030. Beyond their own renewable energy commitments, M&S launched a fund for local community energy projects. BT is leading a key initiative called 100% Sport, which engages sports clubs and their fans in committing to a clean energy future.

How can people partner with brands to make sustainable living the “new normal”?
Firstly, by rewarding brands with their custom when they do the right thing. Secondly, by making it clear to brands that they simply don’t have the option to be unsustainable – our recent Fashion Takeback campaign showed how this was starting to happen, with the “old normal” (sweatshop labour) increasingly being seen as plain unacceptable. Brands have to invite their audiences into a dialogue on this. They need to stop asking ‘what’s my next product launch?’ – and start collaborating with their biggest fans in designing new solutions that are both desirable and sustainable. The biggest advances in sustainable living happen when brands think of their customers as citizens of the world, not fillers of a shopping bag.

Are brands beginning to recognise that there is a business as well as a moral case for sustainability?
Absolutely – in so many ways. Those who embrace sustainability consistently outperform the laggards in straight financial terms and those who cling to old unsustainable investments do worse than those embracing new innovative green ones.

Applying a strong sustainability focus saves/makes companies money through improved efficiency, cutting out waste and better supplier relationships (e.g. M&S and BT).

Sustainability disruptors like Tesla are seizing the markets of the future, and those who don’t are getting left behind – for example, AirBnB using the power of sharing to erode market shares of traditional hotel chains and tour companies. Finally, purpose-driven companies are more attractive to the best young recruits. Unilever is now the third most in-demand employer on LinkedIn, globally. This isn’t because everyone wants to work in consumer goods, it’s because of Unilever’s reputation as a purpose-driven business.

How big a factor is this realisation in driving change?
Increasingly we’re seeing CEOs of big companies move sustainability from a strategy footnote to an integral part of the business strategy. They can see the power of doing well by doing good. However they still have to prove the case to their shareholders.

Finally, what are your biggest hopes and fears for COP21?
Of course I’m hoping for a meaningful agreement. But I also hope and expect it will act as a great focus for non-official progress, with multinational companies, world cities and their mayors, and other sectors using it to make much bolder commitments and giving the renewable energy sector confidence to invest. My fear? – that wrangling over funding between developed and developing countries will detract attention from progress.