By Shana Rappaport
Director of Engagement, VERGE
It’s taken far too long, but the convergence of sustainability and technology has finally transformed from a movement to a market. A really, really big market.
As we approach our fifth annual VERGE conference this month, we’re seeing a marked shift taking place, where technologies that were once on the margins are now in the mainstream. No need to bore you with the details of freefalling solar and battery prices, how wind is now the cheapest form of energy in some regions, or the fact that smart buildings and connected vehicles are pretty commonplace these days.
None of this was the case even just a few years ago.
Cleantech, long ago declared dead, is back — though more intelligently and with far more potential impact, as the venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson amply points out. There’s a growing understanding that there are huge markets still waiting to be disrupted.
Big companies are viewing sustainability differently, too — moving beyond CSR and basic efficiency measures to view these technologies as the means to fundamentally transform their operations, products, services and business models.
It’s heartening to see the potential that so many have predicted finally coming into its own.
Of course, when it comes to market penetration, we’re only just getting started. The conversation, and the commerce, are only beginning to flow.