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Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

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Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#1

Post by ThomPete »

Instead of looking at climate change only as a problem, what are the business opportunties.

If we assume there are going to be consequences to our environment because of climate change; what kind of startups would be built and what kind of problems would they need to tackle? In other words; what's the business opportunity of climate change.

This is a follow up from this thread https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9799007 I did last year but with a slightly different subject (or maybe not?)

Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#3

Post by prawn »

I live in South Australia which is very dry and gets very hot. Through summer months, it can be a challenge to keep gardens alive and houses cool.

There are likely opportunities around smarter approaches to marketing/selling a variety of things to the public: insulation, reflective film on windows (could quote and install without anyone being home), smarter irrigation, on-demand xeriscaping, garden audits, delivery of healthy/refreshing mocktail jugs to offices, etc.

Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#4

Post by baron816 »

The biggest problems brought on by climate change will be 1) water shortages 2) crop failure and 3) flooding of low-lying areas, probably in that order. The "solutions" for 1 and 2 (water desalination and vertical farming) are being worked on by plenty of organizations. A few are also working on fast and efficient construction of housing, but I think that's where the biggest business opportunity lies.

People are going to need housing even if we're able to avert disaster, and there's billions of people around the world who are already in need of stable shelter. If you could figure out how to quickly build a cheap and safe high-rise apartment building using relatively unskilled labor and that could be expanded as necessary or even deconstructed and moved, then you would have a world changing, multi-trillion dollar company.

Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#5

Post by josh_fyi »

An example: Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize and an Oscar for climate change advocacy. And on the side, made up to a billion dollars from climate change business -- much of which was based on e Energy Department grants!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/business/energy-environmen...

Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#6

Post by occam65 »

As historically cooler climates warm up, opportunities shift. A huge amount of industries where geography plays a crucial role will be affected. Vineyards, for instance, will be entirely changed.

The trick is to find an industry currently tied to a specific climate, and predicting where the change in climate will take the market.

I haven't thought about it a ton myself yet, but that's the line of thinking I've been on...

Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#7

Post by bmh_ca »

baron816 wrote: post #4

The biggest problems brought on by climate change will be 1) water shortages 2) crop failure and 3) flooding of low-lying areas, probably in that order. The "solutions" for 1 and 2 (water desalination and vertical farming) are being worked on by plenty of organizations. A few are also working on fast and efficient construction of housing, but I think that's where the biggest business opportunity lies. People are goin…

Or water cities.

Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#8

Post by ThomPete »

occam65 wrote: post #6

As historically cooler climates warm up, opportunities shift. A huge amount of industries where geography plays a crucial role will be affected. Vineyards, for instance, will be entirely changed. The trick is to find an industry currently tied to a specific climate, and predicting where the change in climate will take the market. I haven't thought about it a ton myself yet, but that's the line of thinking I've been o…

This is some good input and exactly what I was hoping for. finding the trajectories which allow for building businesses based on the change in climate.

Re: Ask HN: What is the business opportunity of climate change for startups?

#9

Post by ThomPete »

baron816 wrote: post #4

The biggest problems brought on by climate change will be 1) water shortages 2) crop failure and 3) flooding of low-lying areas, probably in that order. The "solutions" for 1 and 2 (water desalination and vertical farming) are being worked on by plenty of organizations. A few are also working on fast and efficient construction of housing, but I think that's where the biggest business opportunity lies. People are goin…

Good thinking too.
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