Insights and news
Insights — October 28, 2019
Who are Greta Thunberg's detractors?
Written by Bertrand Piccard - 4min read
The politicians and industry leaders offended by Greta Thunberg's call for us to “listen to the science” are not just responsible for the inaction in the face of the climate crisis, they are also the ones whose complacency make it possible to legally pollute the air that kills 7 million annually, dump...
Insights — October 28, 2019
Qui sont les détracteurs de Greta ?
Written by Bertrand Piccard - 4min read
Pour la plupart, les politiciens et industriels qui s’offusquent du discours de Greta ne sont pas seulement les responsables de l’immobilisme face à la crise climatique. Ils sont aussi ceux qui, par leur laxisme et leurs manquements, permettent de façon tout à fait légale de polluer l’air avec les 7 millions...
Insights — August 23, 2019
Inégalités – personne n'y gagne
Written by Bertrand Piccard - 4min read
Le 26 août 2019, je m'adresserai aux chefs d'États et responsables gouvernementaux lors du 45e sommet du G7, à Biarritz, en France. L'édition de cette année se concentrera sur la lutte contre l'inégalité sous ses nombreuses formes. En effet, les disparités entre les nantis et les démunis ne constituent pas...
Insights — August 22, 2019
Inequality is holding all of us back
Written by Bertrand Piccard - 3min read
On August 26th, 2019, I will be addressing Heads of States and government officials at the 45th G7 summit, in Biarritz, France. This year's edition will focus on fighting inequality in its many forms. Indeed, disparities between the haves and the have-nots is not just a moral issue. Inequality has a...
Insights — June 21, 2019
Will airline companies cause their own crash?
Written by Bertrand Piccard
The noose is tightening around the air transport industry and only airline companies can untie the knot. They would greatly benefit in the end by becoming actors rather than victims of change. When will they understand?There are two ways to handle adverse circumstances: to try to put up a fight as long as...
Insights — June 21, 2019
Verursachen Fluggesellschaften ihren eigenen Crash?
Written by Bertrand Piccard - 3min read
Die Schlinge zieht sich immer enger um den Luftverkehr und nur die Fluggesellschaften selbst können diese lockern. Sie würden letztlich viel gewinnen, wenn sie den Wandel aktiv mitgestalten, anstatt sich nur als Opfer darzustellen. Wann werden Fluggesellschaften dies endlich begreifen?Es gibt zwei Möglichkeiten,...
Insights — May 02, 2019
Coal once brought Europe together. Now, it’s the turn of clean energy.
Written by Bertrand Piccard - 4min read
The European project was built upon the premise of safeguarding peace by creating the European Coal and Steel Community. Coming as it did in the aftermath of WWII, Robert Schuman’s plan was truly visionary. As he himself declared, “World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts...
Insights — April 26, 2019
To solve climate change and biodiversity loss, we need a Global...
Written by Greg Asner - 4min read
Earth’s cornucopia of life has evolved over 550 million years. Along the way, five mass extinction events have caused serious setbacks to life on our planet. The fifth, which was caused by a gargantuan meteorite impact along Mexico’s Yucatan coast, changed Earth’s climate, took out the dinosaurs and altered...
Insights — April 17, 2019
3 reasons we should all care about biodiversity
Written by Johnny Wood - 3min read
This article is published in collaboration with World Economic ForumThe total number of animals has halved since the 1970s in what some scientists have termed the start of Earth’s sixth mass extinction. Seismic eruptions, ice ages, continental collision and asteroid impact are thought to be some of the...
Insights — August 06, 2018
China, rise of a cleantech giant
Written by Tristan Lebleu
When it comes to environmental protection, China triggers mixed reactions. As the world’s largest polluter, China emits more than a quarter of the world’s global carbon emissions, which is more than the US and Europe combined. This is essentially due to their considerable use of dirty fossil fuels,...
Insights — June 22, 2018
Clean energy transition: a massive employment opportunity
Written by Tristan Lebleu
“Each time I speak of protecting the environment to heads of state or government officials, they tell me that it is too expensive. I want to prove them wrong!” said Bertrand Piccard at the launch of the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label in Copenhagen in May.Indeed, protection of the environment has...
Insights — June 13, 2018
Electric, autonomous, and shared: what’s the future of clean mobility?
Written by Tristan Lebleu
In the last century, fast growing urban populations and massive development of mobility have come at a cost. Packed public transport, never-ending traffic jams, polluted cities… Not only these issues have a tremendous negative environmental effect, but they also have a big impact on our economies. Imagine...
Insights — May 25, 2018
African solutions tackling the continent’s environmental challenges
Written by Tristan Lebleu
A fast growing entrepreneurial ecosystem is tackling the continent’s numerous challenges by leveraging tech and digital. According to a study by Partech Venture - which announced the launch of a 120M$ fund dedicated to African startups in January - 124 startups raised 560M$ in 2017, an astonishing 53% YoY...