- 18 minutes ago
After a decade of momentum, sustainability is entering a more uncertain phase, challenged by economic pressure, political pushback, and growing scrutiny over real impact.
What comes next? This session explores how to move beyond pledges and reporting toward measurable, lasting change. What role should capital, brands, and business models play and where are current approaches falling short? As expectations shift, this discussion examines how organizations can rebuild credibility and ensure sustainability remains a driver of innovation and long-term value.
What comes next? This session explores how to move beyond pledges and reporting toward measurable, lasting change. What role should capital, brands, and business models play and where are current approaches falling short? As expectations shift, this discussion examines how organizations can rebuild credibility and ensure sustainability remains a driver of innovation and long-term value.
Category
🤖
TechTranscript
00:27Welcome to the episode of Coyote Chalot.
00:33Hi, everyone. It's Akhansha Demarif, the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Tech Funding News, and
00:40welcome to this amazing panel at the Red Stage. And we are talking about sustainability and
00:48reinventing it today. So how many sustainable founders are over here in the audience? Raise
00:55your hand, please. Oh, wow. That's amazing. Europe has always been sustainable. And any
01:02VCs over here which are also investing? Yes, you're there. And bringing to that, while we
01:10are working on climate tech, sustainability, so many geopolitical angles coming in, I have
01:17three amazing practitioners from climate tech and sustainability sitting with me right now.
01:25So I will just hand over this mic to them, to their own respective mics, and just ask them
01:32what amazing things are they doing. So I will start with David. David, please tell our audience
01:39about yourself and what are the key things that you're working on?
01:44Okay, so I'm the Chief People Planet Profit Officer, or C-3PO in short.
01:53I know, the Chief People Profit Officer. I saw that on your badge, and it was so amazing that
02:00I really wanted to point out and tell everyone what is that position about.
02:05Yeah, so it's about understanding this triple bottom line of company, where we have decided
02:10that we don't want to use IceBug only for maximizing profit, but for maximizing positive impact.
02:16So I'm one of two CEOs, so we share this responsibility. And I'm mostly working with impact. So it's about
02:25finding this not like the sweet spot between those three, but actually making sure that we stay a profitable,
02:34successful company within the boundaries of society, so we don't exploit people. And that our footprint within society
02:43and what we contribute to stay within the planetary boundaries. So basically what the planetary systems can regenerate.
02:52And you're wearing the shoes, right?
02:54Exactly. So we make footwear, and our main contribution, you could say, to flourishing life years is this very simple
03:03formula of
03:04movement, nature, and community, which most of us get a better quality of life from. And it's a lifestyle which
03:13can
03:13be lived with a very, very small footprint, going outdoors close to where you are with friends, basically.
03:20Amazing. I'll come back to those shoes. I really want to know how are they different from my own shoes,
03:26which I basically bought because Roger Federer invested in it, and I bought the shares while in COVID.
03:33I'm really a trainer fan, always wearing it. But very quickly, just going back over there to Kate,
03:39who is doing amazing things. And she is the CEO of one of the very interesting nonprofit organizations,
03:47that's what I understand. But Kate, if you could do your intro and tell us what you're doing,
03:52and also about your experience in sustainability, because it is amazing as far as I know.
03:58And what are the key things that you're working on right now?
04:03Yeah, so I'm Kate Williams, CEO of 1% for the Planet. And I also have our France team right
04:09here in the
04:10front row. So excited that they are here. And also David is a 1% for the Planet member. So
04:16this is the
04:17cool couch on stage right now. But we love you too.
04:22I didn't know that. Yes. So 1% for the Planet is a global movement. We have businesses like IceBug
04:29all
04:30around the world who give back 1% of their revenues to environmental partners. And we act as a movement
04:37builder and a certifying body. So we are making sure that we're continuing to grow our model, which is
04:44now just about 5,000 members strong. And we've certified close to 900 million US dollars. Last year, we
04:51certified 150 million US dollars. And we track everything in those dollars. But the point is the
04:58impact. So what we're really focusing on is similar to what David was saying, making sure that we're
05:04creating ways for companies to align with the values that they care about.
05:09Amazing. And talking about impact, a very important person on this panel is Ash from Lightrock. He's the
05:18partner. I know that. And he's working on impact right now. But it would be great, Ash, if you could
05:25tell us and our audience over here on everything that you're working. And how did you end up speaking
05:32French, being a technologist, and also being such an important person in our ecosystem right now in
05:40climate tech and sustainability? Thank you. So yeah, my name is Ash. I'm a partner at Lightrock.
05:48What do we do? We are a growth equity fund. We invest in technology businesses. But our intent is to
05:56invest in companies which have meaning, have purpose and are trying to change the world in some shape or form.
06:02So what we believe strongly is capital can shape outcomes. And this is what we're trying to do. We have
06:11three accesses. So it's people, it's planet, it's productivity. And we try to find companies who are
06:17trying to do something meaningful in this direction. So I heard a lot about climate in the previous plan as
06:22well. We're trying to back companies which are working in this direction. And yeah, I think the world today is
06:29looking for purpose. And at the same time, the world needs sustainable capitalism. And that's what we're trying
06:35to do. We're finding purpose driven entrepreneurs who can then shape the world. And we want to back them to
06:40build the
06:40next generation of companies which are not exploiting nature, but rather regenerating the nature whilst we all grow
06:46along with it. So yeah, that's our focus. And just very quickly on your question about French. I came to
06:52France maybe about
06:5320 plus years ago to study. And I didn't speak a word of French back then.
06:56But today I don't speak French. And that's why I belong in French and English.
07:03Oui, oui. That's the French I know. But the sustainable founders in the room, you know who to meet now,
07:13not how to. I've already given that access. But amazing, amazing work that you all three are doing. And that
07:22is
07:22what our panel is about. And the first simplest question which I have in my mind to put it right
07:30in front of you is
07:32sustainability has had its decade of moment. We have seen climate tech companies, we have seen VZ funds, we have
07:42seen
07:42companies what Kate is working on. But has it really changed in the past decade for us in the global
07:52ecosystem?
07:53You all come from different parts of the world. So what do you think?
07:59Kate, do you want to take that first?
08:01Sure. And I think it's a mixed answer. So I can talk about what we have seen at 1%
08:06for the planet.
08:07But then I think also which is positive. And then I think also there are some not so positive indicators.
08:13So just from the 1% for the planet standpoint, which is our movement is a strong indicator of consumer
08:20interest,
08:22consumer insights, business engagement, and sort of the desire to engage in meaningful change.
08:29And so what we have seen is pretty significant growth. So when I started at 1% about 10 years
08:35ago, and we had about 1,000 members,
08:38we're now at about 5,000 members. When I started, we were certifying about 20 million US dollars annually.
08:46Last year, we certified 150 million US dollars annually. So we have seen this significant growth in engagement
08:53in the number of companies, in the amount that they are giving, in the size of some of those companies
08:58that are giving.
08:58We've also seen much more significant diversity across our network, which again is an indicator of stronger engagement and potential.
09:08So we're in 65 different industries from consumer products, where you can put the logo on it, to companies like
09:16Data Snipper right here in the EU.
09:18That's an AI and automation company. So big diversity of companies.
09:23So we have seen a lot of movement and all of those dollars and numbers that I'm talking about are
09:29flowing into nonprofits who are doing real work on the ground,
09:33protecting forests, investing in connecting people directly to nature, addressing issues along their supply chain.
09:41So all of those are really good, important indicators. At the same time, you know, the other side of the
09:47story is that many of the big companies out there are walking back on some of their pledges around emissions
09:55reductions or, you know, stating ways in which they may not be able to meet those.
10:01There's some validity to some of that. We didn't know 10 years ago. And so some of the pledges were
10:07unrealistic. But that doesn't explain all of it.
10:10But there also is some lack of fulfillment and lack of commitment to making those choices and to having the
10:18kind of vision to see the ways in which profit and success from the business lens has to fit within
10:26the context of a thriving natural planet.
10:29So we really do need to keep working very hard on that.
10:33I know those are some great points that you're making. I just want to understand over here, how can someone
10:39become a member of one person of the planet just like David's company did that?
10:46So how does it work if you could explain in simple terms as how the how the company works and
10:53how the membership happens?
10:55Yeah, and I love explaining it in simple terms because it is simple. And so I'll just say it quickly.
11:02And then I think maybe I mistook you were directing that to David.
11:06But quickly, simple actions done repeatedly in community are how we change the world. So it's a very simple model
11:14that aggregates to create big change. And hopefully David also found it simple. So I'll turn it over to you
11:20to describe how you joined.
11:22Yeah, it's just about handing over the money right to the NGOs. So I think we see it a little
11:28bit philanthropy doesn't come really natural to us as a Swedish company, because I think it's Swedish culture in general.
11:35This is seen we're a pretty high tax environment, and we have trust that government will actually use this money
11:41to a lot of the things that 1% for the planet NGOs do.
11:45But we see this more as a kind of a tax for using natural resources, and that natural resources are
11:52not taxed sufficiently or not priced sufficiently. They are externalities in our economic model, right?
12:00So it's a very good way because it's 1% of your total sales, regardless if you're profitable or not.
12:07And then you're kind of done a behavioral design by writing by signing this contract that you will put that
12:16money out to NGOs instead of at the end of the year, you start thinking or the year ahead looks
12:21a little shaky, it's better we keep that money.
12:25So it is simple, but also pretty hard. In rough times, it would be quite hard. But I would like
12:31to touch on the point you asked before, what has happened in the 10 years before, and what are we
12:36seeing now?
12:37And then I would like to relate that to supply chains and regulatory system. Because from my perspective, I'm in
12:46the outdoor industry. And we are also more loosely, let's say, to all of the apparel and fashion industry.
12:53I think the problem is not generally companies. There's a lot of companies that want to take good action. The
13:00last decade was a lot about setting targets and so on. And now it's time to come to action.
13:07And we also have a lot of regulatory framework in place, particularly in the European Union, that could be a
13:14very, very strong driver and set the level playing field where you can't compete with exploiting people or exploiting nature.
13:22So it's very, very important that we stay with this level playing field and don't roll back a lot of
13:29the ambition in the legislation under the banner of simplification.
13:33We also want simple rules, but we don't want a low ambition. So then a lot of companies could really
13:39move into taking action.
13:40And a lot of that is actually quite profitable already, like switching to solar energy in the factories.
13:47But it's not done because there is a certain resistance, which is just in the business as usual.
13:55Those are some really important points that you've touched over there.
13:59And then there is Ash, who's sitting with the VC lens over there, who has closed like 860 million euros
14:07fund in 2022, if I'm not wrong.
14:10And a lot of VCs are also investing in climate tech.
14:14So how is, from the VC's lens, your perspective in terms of how much has changed in sustainability?
14:22And what do you think can change more?
14:27I think David said it very well, right?
14:30In the last 10 years, ESG was a checkbox exercise, you know?
14:35It was like, hey, we have done it.
14:37The next 20, maybe even 30 years, it will be a growth opportunity.
14:41This is where sustainability will not be an option.
14:44It will be mandatory.
14:46And how do you use sustainability to actually grow businesses is where I think the biggest opportunities lies for all
14:53entrepreneurs.
14:54And us, VCs, investing in these opportunities.
14:57I mean, think about it.
14:58Today, there's about, give or take, $30 trillion worth of assets under the sustainable economy.
15:06And the investors have started to ask the hard questions, right?
15:10People are saying, how is this made?
15:12Why was this certain choice of materials used?
15:14Why wasn't something else alternatively used?
15:16What was the carbon impact on the planet as a result of whatever the product that is being built?
15:22What other options do you have?
15:24So people are asking the hard questions.
15:26And as a result, managements are starting to think about it.
15:29At the same time, because of this trickle-down change down the ecosystem,
15:34so as we see, we are seeing a lot of interesting opportunities, be it in the power that we're consuming.
15:42So we've got a lot more green power on our grids today than we ever had 10 years ago.
15:45It's a simple fact.
15:46Why?
15:47Because we all are conscious that electricity comes at a big carbon cost otherwise.
15:52At the same time, we at Lightrock have invested in fuel companies.
15:58We are all flying more.
15:59We can't reduce that, but can we make our flying greener?
16:02So we're looking at those opportunities.
16:03At the same time, we have got opportunities where we are trying to make better quality batteries
16:09so we can store this energy whilst we don't need it
16:12and not really necessarily waste this energy whilst it's being not used.
16:16And on the other hand, whilst these climate pledges have slipped to quite an extent,
16:23we cannot ignore the fact that climate adaptation is also becoming an important aspect.
16:28And so we're also looking at a lot of adaptation plays to see how can we coexist in this changing
16:36environment
16:37where climate is changing quite quickly, but the infrastructure that we've enjoyed over the last hundreds of years
16:43is not materially impacted and what we can do.
16:47Just to put that as an example, this electricity that is in this room is coming through a grid.
16:52Now, because of extreme heat or wind or other events, we are seeing more and more wildfires.
16:58We are seeing more and more adverse events which impacts these grids.
17:02So we have satellite-based monitoring companies which are now using AI, I have to use the word,
17:10to assess intelligently how the grid can become sustainable,
17:15how the grid can protect itself when a material event happens like a hurricane or extreme heat,
17:21and at the same time not lead to a wildfire or how to stop a wildfire before it starts to
17:26burn down a forest.
17:28So there's a lot of technology that is coming into play to ensure sustainability is there,
17:32and our consumption in the sustainability index is also increasing materially.
17:36We are becoming more conscious consumers about what we consume, how we consume,
17:42and that is going to have a material impact over the next couple of decades.
17:45And I think this is what I was saying earlier, the industrial revolution was about exploiting nature.
17:51I think the next 100 years is going to be about how do we rebuild nature whilst we grow.
17:55And that's where I see the biggest growth opportunities.
18:00Interesting.
18:01And this brings me, because I cover news every day in tech funding news,
18:06we cover startups, of course, doing funding rounds, VCs, announcing funds.
18:11One thing that we have noticed is that mitigation is a category where a lot of VC fund is going
18:17into,
18:17but then adaption infrastructure is something which you highlighted,
18:21is very few VCs are looking into that category.
18:25So if a startup is an adaption infrastructure,
18:30what all changes or what all they need to do so that they can get a VC's attention on them?
18:37Is there something that you could throw your perspective on?
18:41Yeah, sure.
18:42Like I was saying, adaptation was probably a less relevant subject for VCs maybe 10 years ago.
18:47It's becoming a core subject for many climate-dedicated VCs today.
18:53And again, adaptation is in multiple streams.
18:55You know, it's the shoes you're wearing today.
18:58We're not trying to cut down rubber trees to get the sap for making rubber.
19:01Or is it about how do we protect the forest from wildfire?
19:04So we're using technology to do that.
19:07It's about the materials we use in our day-to-day.
19:09So we are seeing sustainable chemicals.
19:12You know, we're seeing sustainable leather.
19:13We're seeing opportunities around how do you use to create new materials
19:18which don't necessarily have that kind of carbon footprint.
19:21So, and at the same time, reinforcing the infrastructure that we have.
19:25So, for example, the Earth's getting hotter.
19:28We can't deny that.
19:29But at the same time, we all need to remain cooler.
19:32Now, one of the biggest challenges or biggest carbon footprint creators on our planet is our buildings.
19:39And buildings either consume too much heat or consume too much coal to get their coal.
19:44But insulation becomes a massive problem in these buildings globally.
19:48How do we retain the heat in winters and how do we cool them in summers?
19:51And so, more intelligent insulation solutions will allow you to use less heat to heat your home in winter
19:58whilst keeping you warm for a longer period of time.
20:01So what kind of materials do you use for building homes?
20:04Or how do you use to keep factories running at a cheaper cost?
20:08These are all different angles for adaptation.
20:12And like I said, these are all capital generating opportunities, but sustainably.
20:19So, again, these are some of the subjects that we're looking at from our adaptation perspective today.
20:25I mean, all these are very important categories that needs development and has a lot of white spaces,
20:32especially looking at the European ecosystem, that system we are bringing that David.
20:38I think, yeah, I had to come back on those shoes and just understand how different are they from my
20:47shoes,
20:48which I'm wearing, and at the same time, I have this interesting fact with me
20:52that you co-founded the company with your mom.
20:56So let us bring some light elements over here.
20:59And why a sustainability angle?
21:04Okay, so that's a lot of questions packed in one.
21:07While also listening to all the interesting stuff that Ash was saying.
21:10You can throw your perspective on that.
21:13Yeah, I think that the little bit simple answer to how my shoes are so different from yours,
21:20except for the federal angle then, is probably that they are maybe not that different
21:26when it comes to footprints in production.
21:31But what we try to look at further is footprint per use.
21:35So I think we are, because a lot of people do good work in the sustainability product side of the
21:43companies,
21:43but then we move into the other areas, the business side of the companies,
21:47and I think where we are most radical is that we actually try to make sure
21:51that we don't use tech algorithms, et cetera, to drive people to overconsume.
22:01So we do know what triggers overconsumption and what gets people to buy in e-com.
22:07And that's a fabricated sense of urgency or scarcity.
22:12So we avoid that in our sales process to try to make sure that people that actually buy our products
22:17will also use them.
22:20And that's what the data show us back, that people use them.
22:23So it's more important than the actual footprint when it leaves the factory
22:28is the footprint per use.
22:30Because I think to tie this to what Ash was talking about,
22:35like the big lever we need to pull here is getting more quality of life for people
22:43out of less resource use.
22:46That's a wild interpretation of what you said.
22:49And there's a lot of business opportunities in that.
22:51And I think that if we want to set the system for this to work,
22:55we need a new brief for capitalism.
22:58Because the brief we had was fine for when we were a small society on a huge planet.
23:04But now we're a huge society on a small planet.
23:06So we can't consume more.
23:08So we need to move the brief from being produced the maximum amount at the minimum cost
23:16to provide the maximum amount of consumer value to the minimum amount of natural resource use.
23:28And then we can kind of shift the whole system to work in our advantage,
23:37not only in producing welfare and innovation,
23:39but also in using natural resources in a really responsible way.
23:44And if I may just add to what David said, sorry,
23:48is the whole circular economy has actually really accelerated in the last 10 years.
23:54Now you see more and more companies enhancing you.
23:57Some people will buy back your old clothes because clothes have a massive footprint.
24:01There are now businesses which are actually helping you recycle or resell clothes
24:05for somebody else's benefit.
24:06And this has been another area of massive, massive growth
24:09because people are aware now, and to your point, right?
24:12Similarly, we're saying the same thing with packaging
24:14because we used single-use plastic before and that had a big impact.
24:18Now how do we reduce that?
24:19So there are different ways of how we are trying to adapt.
24:22I love the way you said it, right?
24:24We're a small society on a big planet.
24:26Now we're a very big society on a small planet.
24:28And we need to just make sure that our footprint just starts to dramatically reduce.
24:33I know very less startups were responsible a decade ago.
24:39And then I started going to summits like Iceland Innovation Summit.
24:45It's so interesting.
24:47I went there like three years back,
24:48and every startup is trying to bring a green net zero carbon footprint angle over there.
24:56And I think I completely resonate with you from the Nordic side.
25:00And, Kate, something that we were talking backstage was about greenwashing.
25:08And you are taking care of that.
25:11So tell us how do you find that out in companies,
25:16and how do you take the measures?
25:19What kind of measures do you take to make sure that these companies are not greenwashing?
25:25Yeah, and we love this question because in many ways 1% for the planet is the opposite of greenwashing.
25:32So just so everyone level sets on what greenwashing is,
25:35it's basically when companies say that they're doing stuff that they either are not doing if it's good
25:41or that they are doing more of if it's not good.
25:44So it's essentially misrepresenting what you are doing
25:48and overstating the environmental goods that you are offering.
25:51And what's been really interesting over the last 10 years to keep using that time frame
25:57is what we've seen is generally a shift from a problem with greenwashing.
26:04So what 1% for the planet was offering was seen as very valuable
26:09in the context of a credible, certified, trustworthy representation of what companies are doing.
26:16A shift that's happened is actually in the last couple of years,
26:21a new term has been coined by B-Lab and the climate creatives.
26:27It's the term greenshouting because in fact what we have actually seen is a kind of a dimming
26:38that a lot of companies are being very quiet about what they're doing in the context of in the U
26:46.S.,
26:46the current political climate, but there's also indications of that globally.
26:52And basically it's just kind of keeping a lid on what you're doing for fear of pushback, callouts,
27:00any of the things that we know can happen.
27:02And one of the things that this greenshouting term is really trying to surface is it's really important
27:09that we actually do talk clearly and credibly about what's happening,
27:15you know, thinking about what both Ash and David are saying.
27:18Consumers are interested in being able to be part of a capitalist system that is reallocating ownership,
27:27that is thinking differently about how natural resources are managed.
27:33So those are all really important things to communicate as part of the system of which consumers are a part.
27:39So yes, greenwashing, you know, is always something to keep an eye on,
27:43but I think actually lately there's more of a desire to make sure that we have companies articulating what they
27:49are doing
27:50to make sure that the system and the flow of dollars can be directed towards those companies
27:56that are part of this new capitalism.
28:00Yeah, that's sure.
28:01And this brings me to a very important question, which I have for Ash,
28:06that U.S. investors have supported.
28:09I have this written, sorry.
28:10So I had this in mind for you.
28:12So U.S. investor support for climate resolutions has halved in three years.
28:18So is it a temporary political cycle looking at the geopolitical situation
28:24or is it just a structural shift?
28:27Oh my God, thank you.
28:28I said that.
28:30It's a very interesting question.
28:32So I think the amount of investments into climate actually has not reduced.
28:39It's actually gone up.
28:40It's almost gone up by 10%.
28:41Oh, that's interesting.
28:42So the investing or the amounts of money going into climate businesses actually has gone up by 10%.
28:51The reality is the noise is reduced.
28:54Now you have all the companies which are trying to do something which look like climate having gone away
29:00because they're less interesting.
29:02And the companies who are actually meaningfully doing something important in the climate space,
29:07drawing a lot of capital.
29:09And as a result of which, you're starting to see, including in the United States, by the way,
29:13Europe leads the charge on climate.
29:16But at the same time, Europe, U.S. is also starting to see huge amounts of very, very interesting climate
29:24companies coming up.
29:25And let me give you three examples.
29:26The good thing about AI was AI needs power.
29:31That led to a huge demand for innovation in the way we generate power and the way we store power.
29:37And, of course, also upgrading our grids.
29:40That has led to an acceleration in actually the amount of companies that are producing new chemistries for batteries.
29:46We have an investment in the U.S. in the battery space, phenomenal demand.
29:51At the same time, you need to store this energy because this energy can be used at a later time.
29:58So you've got long-duration energy storage plants being set up across the States or equally in Europe to help
30:04you store this energy.
30:05So one big plus of AF we are starting to see from that angle.
30:09And at the same time, you're starting to see solutions appear for other complex problems.
30:15Manufacturing requires energy.
30:16Manufacturing has a big footprint, and there's a requirement for it called industrial heat.
30:22Are there greener ways of producing industrial heat?
30:24So we're starting to see a big surge in companies providing solutions for that.
30:29Point being, we are seeing a huge amount of capital going into this place, be it in Europe or in
30:36the U.S.
30:37We're starting to see a lot more investors who were using climate as an alternative strategy to becoming a core
30:43strategy for them
30:44because this is an asset class on itself.
30:46And at the same time, we're starting to see the capital markets very favorably attracting such companies to list.
30:53And investors are actually making very attractive returns as much as they're making on the NVIDIAs and the Metas of
31:00the world.
31:00So there is serious returns being made for investors, which is also drawing in more investor capital into this category.
31:07And the last few IPOs, if you see in the U.S. right now, is a proof of that.
31:12So the good news is capital investments into climate is actually up, and it's good for all of us.
31:18Noise is down.
31:19So for investors who are really serious about it, and entrepreneurs who are really trying to change something sustainably,
31:25it couldn't be a better time to be doing something in this ecosystem.
31:29Those are some great points raised, and yes to that completely.
31:34This is the time right now because revolution is coming.
31:37AI is here.
31:39And looking at the time, I think I would love my last two sections because it has already gone so
31:46long.
31:47And that is AI and reinventing sustainability, which is the core topic of this very panel.
31:53So I want to understand, David, from you that how much AI are you using in your company right now?
32:02And is it the one element which will reinvent sustainability, or is it one of them?
32:11Yeah, we're using quite a lot of AI, both on lifting people's productivity and building automation.
32:21So it can help in the field of sustainability.
32:23It helps a lot with a much quicker reporting part and getting quicker access to data.
32:30But I think that when we think about AI now, it's also a question, how do we become human-friendly
32:37in the age of AI?
32:39So we are also making a very clear statement that we won't use any of the AI productivity gains to
32:47fire anybody.
32:47And I think that this is a reflection of society at large.
32:53Will we use all the productivity gains from AI to further concentrate capital?
33:00Or will we use it to democratize or distribute time?
33:06And we have said that when we reach a certain level of profitability, over 15%,
33:13then we will start distributing more time, so giving people more time off.
33:20And doing good and the same work and being able to grow where we can grow.
33:27Yeah, that's true, bringing into the system.
33:30Kate, AI washing is another term which I introduced over here.
33:37And how is sustainability being reinvented?
33:41And apart from greenwashing and greenshouting, how are you taking care that startups which are coming in are not AI
33:47washing?
33:48I would say basically right now we're listening and learning.
33:52We are internally trying to make sure that we're understanding the best uses for our work
33:58so that it elevates what we're doing.
34:00And similarly to David, our goal is to create better, more creative work
34:08and to automate the repeatable tasks, you know, kind of simple level.
34:12But in terms of, you know, how we're seeing it as either sustainability lever or influence,
34:19we are mostly listening and learning and we're seeing, you know,
34:24a lot of creativity in the context of the constraint that, you know,
34:28some of the new energy demands require.
34:32Got it. That's true.
34:34And Ash, what is your lens on this in terms of reinventing and AI?
34:39Are you invested in most startups which are scaling with AI?
34:44All the time.
34:46No, but I think AI is going to actually accelerate sustainability
34:50because it's actually helping us find solutions to some very complex problems.
34:55You see, there was almost a 70% extension in the Earth's ecosystem
35:00because of human impact.
35:02Now AI is helping us understand what are the factors which led to that
35:06and how can we solve for that?
35:08So some very, very complex problems where human beings have struggled
35:12to find answers to, AI is starting to help us give answers to that.
35:16At the same time, you're using AIs to solve for certain of the adaptation challenges
35:21that I was talking about earlier.
35:22So I think AI will actually accelerate the way sustainability moves.
35:26It will help us find new answers to the most difficult pressing questions
35:30that we are trying to solve for today.
35:32And that is a good thing.
35:33It comes with some challenges too,
35:35but I think human beings have this innate ability to somehow find the balance to that.
35:40But overall, I think as a context, AI is not going to replace jobs.
35:44It's only going to help augment society in a positive way.
35:48Those are some great points.
35:49And this brings us to the end of this panel.
35:53I mean, sustainability has always been a differentiator.
35:57Now it is a practical and compliance requirement.
36:01And with all the key perspectives on AI reinventing it,
36:05we are going to see some new wave of startups on a global level
36:09and VCs interested in that.
36:11Thank you so much to our wonderful panelists.
36:15A big round of applause, everyone, for them.
36:18And thank you so much for listening.
Comments