To solve the chicken-and-egg problem for new green products like clean steel, companies can use Advanced Market Commitments. A coalition of buyers pre-commits to purchasing the product, giving producers the financial security to build out manufacturing.
When demand from a large customer outstrips your production capacity, propose a strategic financing arrangement. Ask them to help fund your expansion in exchange for a guaranteed volume contract, such as by pre-paying for a large future order or co-investing in a specific equipment line.
Poorer countries, unburdened by legacy fossil fuel infrastructure, have a unique advantage. They can bypass the dirty development path of wealthy nations and build their energy systems directly on cheaper, more efficient renewable technologies, potentially achieving energy security and economic growth faster.
The most reliable markets are those where customers are legally obligated to buy. By offering services that help companies comply with regulations like the EU AI Act, you tap into a non-discretionary budget. The sales conversation shifts from "if" they will buy to "who" they will buy from.
The idea that we only need political will to deploy existing climate tech is flawed. While solar and EVs are viable, critical, high-emission sectors like concrete, steel, aviation, and shipping do not yet have commercially scalable green technologies.
While physical equipment lead times are long, the real trigger for unlocking the power sector supply chain is Big Tech signing long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). These contracts provide the financial certainty needed for generators, manufacturers, and investors to commit capital and expand capacity. The industry is waiting for Big Tech to make these moves.
While reducing your personal carbon footprint has a negligible direct impact, purchasing new technologies like heat pumps or EVs sends powerful market signals. This helps nascent companies scale and reduces costs for everyone later.
Instead of focusing on marginal emissions cuts, companies should leverage their unique capabilities to solve hard problems. This means acting as early buyers for new green technologies or investing in R&D within their supply chains, creating new markets for the entire industry.
The political challenge of climate action has fundamentally changed. Renewables like solar and wind are no longer expensive sacrifices but the cheapest energy sources available. This aligns short-term economic incentives with long-term environmental goals, making the transition politically and financially viable.
Instead of ineffective grants to incumbents, the US should leverage its world-leading capital markets. By providing lightweight government backstops for private bank loans—absorbing partial default risk—it can de-risk private investment and unlock the massive capital needed for new factories without distorting market incentives.
A large government commitment, like the $80 billion nuclear development plan with Westinghouse, does more than create a single customer. It acts as a powerful catalyst for the entire industry. This de-risks the supply chain, signals market viability, and attracts massive private capital (e.g., Brookfield), creating tailwinds for all players.