“We, Europeans, are excellent in making science with money. But we are not so good in making money out of science.”— Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
We are facing the most important and far-reaching transformation in human history: the entire global economy must decarbonise at light speed. Innovative technologies, products and services are central in the fight against climate change. Capital investments in such climate tech are investments in the future – and could be highly profitable.
The time is right: Around the world, policymakers are advocating ever stricter emission limits, and consumers are placing increasing value on sustainable products and business practices. And from the transportation and construction industry to the energy and food sector, companies without technologies for CO2 abatement will not be competitive at all in the future. This means the demand for climate tech will rise sharply.
Investments in climate tech thus can offer unprecedented investment opportunities – especially in Europe, where the doors are wide open for investors. Europe spends the most money on climate tech R&D globally, has cutting-edge research, and a wealth of innovative climate startups in the pipeline. But so far, compared to the US and China, there is still a lack of venture capital to turn patents, creativity and research into market-ready products.
The challenge now is to close this gap - by investing in the right industries, companies and technologies.
Our White Paper "Investing in Climate Tech" lays down the evidence on why climate technologies represent an unparalleled investment opportunity for Europe.