Being "Green" Just Isn't Good Enough

“Let’s just buy it because it’s good for the environment!”

Unfortunately purchase decisions don’t work like that.

A business chooses a solution on a range of factors, most factors attributing to cost, and effectiveness. That’s why being “green” just isn’t enough.

Instead, we need to reframe the way we think about innovation. As environmentalists, natural capitalists, and entrepreneurs, we can’t expect people to make greener choices out of altruism, and guilt is not a sustainable motivator. Instead, we need to shift our focus: the products and services we create must be as good as or better than their current poor-for-environment alternatives.

Being “green” isn’t enough. To truly drive change, we need solutions that compete head-to-head with current poor-for-environment alternatives—not just in environmental impact but in quality, price, and appeal. Need an example? Just look at electric cars, specifically Tesla.

Tesla didn’t succeed just because it built electric vehicles; it succeeded because it built better cars. Teslas were cool, exciting, and innovative. People wanted them—not just for their eco-credentials but because they thought they were better cars. Yes, there are trade-offs with EVs, but now more than ever they are accepted as a desirable alternative to petrol cars.

Renewable energy is another example. Widespread adoption of solar and wind power hasn’t been driven purely by environmental concern. These technologies are succeeding because they’re becoming as cheap, productive, and reliable as fossil fuels. In many cases, they’re even better—providing energy without the volatility of oil and gas markets.

This is the lens we need to apply to every new idea, product, and service we back in the fight against climate change. They must feel competitive with—or superior to—the less sustainable options they aim to replace. If they don’t, adoption will falter, and progress will stall.

We can’t rely solely on legislation, fines, or guilt to force change. Instead, we need to build businesses and innovations that people actively want to choose—where the environmental benefits are a bonus, not the entire selling point.

If we succeed in this, the green element becomes the cherry on top for customers, not the sole reason they’re making a purchase. This is the pathway to climate solutions that scale, to businesses that thrive, and to a world that transitions to sustainability—not reluctantly but enthusiastically.

The question we should ask of every new venture is simple: Is it as good or better? If the answer is yes, we’re on the right track.