{"id":31541,"date":"2021-07-01T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-01T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/?p=31541"},"modified":"2022-01-10T16:42:07","modified_gmt":"2022-01-10T14:42:07","slug":"the-future-is-green-by-miriam-janke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/the-future-is-green-by-miriam-janke\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThe Future is Green,\u201d by Miriam Janke"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Berlin-based entrepreneur, founder, and speaker, Miriam Janke, gave a presentation on the development of green start-ups to EU Business School<\/a> students. Despite her youth\u2014Miriam is only twenty-three years old\u2014she has built three companies from scratch, and spoke knowledgeably about what it takes to set up your own business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"EU<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In addition to her founding role within the NAVATO Group, she is a respected mentor, championing female STEM students and entrepreneurs, and plays an active role in the German start-up scene. She is a member of Impact Factory, thinc! e.v., and ESA BIC, Northern Germany. In 2021, she was awarded a Certificate in Management from Harvard Business School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her presentation, she talked about her passion for developing eco-friendly solutions<\/strong> for carbon-heavy industries, like steel production. The NAVATO Group was set up in 2020 to bring about change in different sectors, including <\/s>aerospace, space, quantum computing, shipping and recycling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But before we get into that, let\u2019s examine some of the current trends in the<\/a> sustainable business market<\/a> and see how and where you can get involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sustainability story (so far)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Global awareness of the climate crisis has grown steadily over the last ten years. In December 2015, 196 nations signed a legally binding international treaty on climate change. In 2018, the activist Greta Thunberg, whom Miriam cited as an example and key player for the green transformation, led a \u201cclimate strike,\u201d which was carried out by students worldwide. As a result, the Collins Dictionary named \u201cclimate strike\u201d as its 2019 Word of the Year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sustainability has also become a watchword on the executive floors of national and international organizations. Changes in consumer awareness, legal requirements such as the Paris Agreement, and economic incentives from governments have all contributed to the drive towards greener business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, a study by the Borderstep Institution in conjunction with the German Start-ups Association reveals that the proportion of green companies rose to almost 30% in the last financial year – and figures released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) predict that as many as 60 million new jobs could be created globally in this sector by 2032 thanks to a worldwide shift towards greener living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Paris Agreement represents an international commitment to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. To achieve this before climate damage is irreversible, the countries involved will need to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to becoming carbon neutral, the EU also wants to see a collective net greenhouse gas emissions reduction of at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990. To meet this goal, national governments are investing in renewable energies<\/strong> and providing financial support to new green businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What makes a start-up \u201cgreen\u201d?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As a result of this awareness, many companies will review their operations, looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and their overall impact on the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in the start-up world, this is not enough to qualify you as a green business. To achieve that status, you need to be actively contributing to fresh solutions, finding new and innovative ways to reduce not just your own, but the world\u2019s carbon footprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many companies will use the word \u201cgreen\u201d in their branding and marketing regardless, so whether you are a consumer or a CEO, you need to be aware of \u201cgreenwashing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greenwashing<\/strong> is designed to make customers and users believe that a company is doing more to protect the environment than it actually is. This is often done by investing more time and money on marketing rather than actual, sustainable solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

German start-up Plan A, which helps companies measure, reduce, and report on their carbon footprint, recently surveyed more than 2,219 \u201cgreen\u201d products and found that 98% of manufacturers were guilty of greenwashing in some way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best ways to combat and end greenwashing are to do thorough research into company culture and mission statements and petition for EU-wide legislation that would make it compulsory for companies to share records of their CO2<\/sub> emissions publicly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How else can you get involved in the green economy?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are thinking of pursuing a career in this sector, there are many different areas within it that you might want to explore. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n