Earth Day 2021: Tech leaders share tips on how to tackle the climate crisis

Following on from Earth Day yesterday, Top Business Tech speaks with four leaders from tech companies Fiverr, BayWa r.e., Cervest and DASH Rides on how companies can better work toward sustainability.

Jamie Milroy, CEO and Founder, DASH Rides

DASH Rides is a London-born, climate-first startup that launched in 2019. The pioneering young founders are Jamie Milroy and David Watkins – reunited childhood friends who saw a gap in urban mobility and are now riding the wave of the e-bike revolution. Jamie started DASH Rides (DASH) whilst working as an Accountant and Economist at PwC and six months into it, he left to go full time with the startup. Fellow founder, COO and childhood friend, David Watkins headed up an engineering team at Jaguar Land Rover before pivoting to the sustainable e-mobility sector with DASH.

“The past year saw a glimmer of positive climate change as the world paused amidst the global pandemic. Yet worryingly CO2 emissions have already returned to pre COVID levels. Globally, transport is one of the largest sources of CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions. Governments have imposed future bans on the sale of petrol and diesel-powered cars, incentivising more electric-powered vehicles, whilst taxing the most polluting vehicles. Businesses too are beginning to accelerate the shift from pump to plug.

As businesses plan their commitment to a green recovery, they have a duty of care to consider how employees can get to work in a cost-effective, safe and sustainable way. E-bikes hold a clear promise: to re-define urban mobility and provide healthier travel. With pressure for organisations to take climate-positive actions at an all-time high, climate-first propositions like DASH Rides’ e-bike subscription service can help power a greener more sustainable future. Each ride is carbon offset by 400%. Through turbocharging the Cycle to Work Scheme, DASH Rides is powering businesses to achieve net-zero.”

Peggy de Lange, VP International Expansion, Fiverr

Peggy De Lange is VP of International Expansion at Fiverr. In this role, she is responsible for the opening of new and existing stores as well as the localisation of the user experience of buyers and sellers. Peggy has been with Fiverr since 2012 and over the past 8 years has seen and shaped how the company has developed, grown and gone public. Now, step by step, the platform is becoming more international.

“The pandemic has demonstrated the urgent need for climate action and shown that global collaboration is the only way to achieve planet-scale change.

COVID-19 has brought the inequality and fragility of our planet and its people into sharp relief. It has revealed our fundamental connections, and our ability to tackle planet-scale, paradigm-shifting challenges—if we work together. And, like tackling the pandemic, restoring our Earth is fundamental to our human and economic security.

The sooner we are able to harmonize our human activity with nature (which must include restoration), the faster we can operate within safe, sustainable, planetary boundaries. There is no magic bullet for this, and inclusivity and justice must be factored into new policies and investment. However, with the right governmental and business activities, and technologies to make sense of our interconnected world, transformation is possible.”

Iggy Bassi, CEO of Cervest

Iggy is an expert in the field of climate-smart innovations. From investment banking to investing every penny to manage and upskill over 800 local farmers to commercially farm rice in rural Ghana, Iggy has identified the importance between sustainable farming and the climate. His belief is that technology, science and data forecasting can (and will) play a critical role in making better informed business decisions when it comes to climate change.

“The pandemic has demonstrated the urgent need for climate action and shown that global collaboration is the only way to achieve planet-scale change. COVID-19 has brought the inequality and fragility of our planet and its people into sharp relief. It has revealed our fundamental connections, and our ability to tackle planet-scale, paradigm-shifting challenges—if we work together. And, like tackling the pandemic, restoring our Earth is fundamental to our human and economic security. The sooner we are able to harmonize our human activity with nature (which must include restoration), the faster we can operate within safe, sustainable, planetary boundaries. There is no magic bullet for this, and inclusivity and justice must be factored into new policies and investment. However, with the right governmental and business action, and technologies to make sense of our interconnected world, transformation is possible.” 

Matthias Taft, CEO of BayWar.e.

Bio: Matthias Taft is CEO of global renewable energy company, BayWa r.e.. Having worked in the renewable sector for over 25 years, Matthias is committed to driving the green transition forward through renewable technologies. BayWa r.e. works with businesses and organisations worldwide to provide tailored renewable solutions that reduce carbon footprints and drive down energy costs.

“Renewable energy technologies, like solar PV and wind, are key to decarbonization and thus achieving the most pressing sustainability goals of our time. Costs have come down tremendously, but technology alone won’t fix this. We need to engage corporations, communities and citizens with the objective of investing in these technologies, and ultimately accepting their ramp-up to a large scale. Innovations such as Agri-PV and Floating-PV are thus key to reducing potential conflicts such as land use. Furthermore, digitalization is key to enabling integrated concepts such as e-mobility charging with self-generated renewable power. At BayWa r.e., 2800 employees work every day on making this transition happen. But we all need to do even more to accelerate decarbonization, as this is the decade that matters and our last best chance to prevent catastrophic climate change for our planet.”

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