“Each time I speak of protection of the environment to heads of states or ministers, they tell me ‘we know we have to do something, but it’s too expensive,’” said Bertrand Piccard, initiator and chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation. “I want to prove them wrong.”
Piccard announced his new initiative during the Third Mission Innovation Ministerial (MI3) and Ninth Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM9), taking place this week in Malmo, Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark. The foundation’s goal is to challenge businesses around the world to find at least 1,000 profitable solutions that protect the environment in some way. Each such product, technology or process that meets the foundation’s parameters for sustainability and profitability will be certified with a Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label. Solutions will be assessed based on technological feasibility, environmental and social-economic benefits, and economic profitability.
“The Efficient Solution Label clearly demonstrates the economic opportunities that innovative clean technologies bring,” said Carlos Moedas, European commissioner for research, science and innovation. “Its rigorous and strict criteria will help raise the profile of new breakthrough solutions and make them an attractive first pre-screening for investors.”
“I want to show how profitable it is to protect the environment, in terms of job creation, profit for the industry, clean growth and this is why the Solar Impulse Foundation is now selecting 1,000 profitable solutions to protect the environment and is putting a label that certifies the profitability of new products, technologies or processes,” Piccard said. “It’s much more than ecological, it is logical!”
In 2016, Piccard along with his partner André Borschberg completed a round-the-world flight of their all-solar-powered Solar Impulse, taking a step in the right direction to modify the technology of power plants to reduce carbon emissions.
