Following the money will help us save the planet.

Byline: David Tebbutt

Following the money will help us save the planet

David Tebbutt

Green is finally fashionable. Nowhere was this more evident than at the recent Essential CleanTech conference, put on by Library House. Speaker after speaker enthused about the investment and business opportunities presented by global warming -- although they didn't put it quite like that.

Between them, the Stern Report and Al Gore have stirred us into an visceral awareness of what has been long suspected: that a great deal of human activity is not good for the planet. We are all being made to feel guilty, which spells opportunity for organisations and individuals who can help us salve our consciences while helping their profits at the same time.

Some businesses are acting in response to customer demand, others because it's the right thing to do -- think Tesco and Marks & Spencer respectively. But the motivations don't matter; the actions are what count. Anything that reduces our negative impact on the planet is good. The big question, though, is where to start: what to do and where to go for good information.

Part of the problem is that no-one has all the answers, least of all governments and universities. According to conference speakers, they are not the best places to look for help. But one very good measure of seriousness is to "follow the money".