As the climate crisis intensifies, technology stands as a powerful tool for change. In this interview, Simon Heuschkel, founder of Climesumer and CEO of Susteyn, discusses with Muhammad Younis how innovation can drive meaningful environmental impact and highlights pivotal opportunities for tech solutions in the fight against climate change. Simon also reflects on the personal inspiration behind his career and shares moments where his work has made a direct difference to the environment.

#CTS: In what ways do you think the climate crisis can drive innovation in technology, and how can we harness this potential effectively? 

Simon Heuschkel: There's a big question in climate tech: can technology save us from the climate crisis? I believe technology is the key to addressing the climate crisis because everything we do, and all the emissions we produce, come from the technology we use. Historically, this has primarily involved the fossil fuel industry and its associated infrastructure, as well as the meat industry, both of which have been major contributors to pollution and climate disruption.

The climate crisis will drive the development of clean and green tech solutions, but political incentives are necessary to achieve the scale and speed required.

We are not living in a "free market" where the best (most sustainable and future-proof) solutions prevail. We need politics to set ambitious targets and then redirect investments and subsidies from destructive industries to clean, low-carbon industries and future solutions. One political tool would be a comprehensive carbon tax, which would internalize the cost of climate destruction into harmful and high-carbon products.

For example, the EU heavily subsidizes large-scale livestock farming for meat and dairy products through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which is its largest spending item. Nearly 15% of global GHG emissions come from the meat industry, yet subsidies support it. This money should instead be used to phase out animal agriculture and support the transition towards veganic, plant-based farming. Additionally, there is an unfair tax on plant products. Meat and cow milk have a VAT of 7%, while plant-based milk is taxed at 19%. If this were reversed, and externalities were factored in, we would see even faster adoption of plant-based products, and the meat industry would not exist as it does today.

The EU and its member states also subsidize climate-damaging fossil fuels and the aviation sector. Instead of investing in new oil and gas projects, funds should be redirected towards renewable energy and road/train transport.

The EU is already implementing climate policies but needs to intensify these efforts. The market is already moving towards sustainable alternatives, and with the right policies, green tech solutions will become irresistible. 

#CTS: Where do you see the biggest opportunities for technology to make a significant impact in combating climate change in the future? How do you envision the global policy landscape evolving in relation to climate technology, and what changes are necessary to accelerate progress? 

Simon Heuschkel: I see climate tech solutions through three major themes, which I have already touched upon above.

The first theme is the phase-out of fossil fuels. Renewable energy, battery and heating technologies, and innovations in steel and cement production are crucial here. Additionally, political commitment to halting new oil and gas exploration and planning for its phase-out is essential.

The second theme is the shift towards a plant-based society. Meat and dairy production are the primary drivers of biodiversity loss and are highly inefficient in terms of land and water use. Transitioning to a plant-based society means that plant-based alternatives will become cheaper than today's cheapest meat. This shift will free up land to grow more nutritious crops using better farming practices like regenerative or veganic farming. It will also create space for biogas or biofuel production if needed, and allow for renaturation efforts, such as building new forests and nature-based solutions to capture carbon from the atmosphere. Additionally, this transition involves moving towards bio-based, recyclable, and recycled plastics and fabrics.

The third theme is circularity and expanding the lifespan of products. Alongside material innovation, digital technology plays a pivotal role. There are many excellent examples of increasing the usage and lifespan of products, such as second-hand marketplaces like Vinted or Kleinanzeigen, refurbished and renewed tech marketplaces like Backmarket or Refurbed, and sharing services like car sharing or rental services for tech or outdoor equipment. Startups like Faicado unify the second-hand shopping experience through tech and AI.

Plastic-free deodorants, and switching solid products like oat powder or solid shampoo bars are great examples of how to make a simple product waste free and sustainable.

By following these principles in every sector, we can achieve a sustainable world for all.

#CTS: What inspired you to focus your career on solving the climate crisis through technology? Can you share a specific instance where you see the direct impact of your work on the environment? 

Simon Heuschkel: My climate journey began with a TED talk titled “How We Can Eat Our Landscapes,” which discussed urban gardening in the UK. This inspired me to explore urban gardening projects in and around the UK and ultimately led me to found Susteyn.io, an indoor farming company that builds indoor farms for offices. Through that work, I delved deeper into other aspects of the climate crisis and climate change beyond the food sector.

I realized there is an interesting push-and-pull dynamic between supply and demand, where new startups are developing better, more sustainable products, while legacy players are either unwilling or too slow to change. According to the IPCC AR6 WGIII, demand-side mitigation has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in end-use sectors by 40-70% by 2050. This means that if we can increase demand for sustainable products and put pressure on those that are not sustainable, we can significantly accelerate the pace of change.

That is why I created Climesumer.com, a climate action platform specifically focused on individual climate action and sustainable living. It features numerous sustainable products and companies certified and curated based on trusted sustainability labels. It also offers educational content, including a video guide that covers the problems and solutions for every aspect of life. Additionally, we have curated climate actions ranked by their importance and effectiveness and linked them with climate solutions so that anyone can take immediate action. This approach helps close the intention-action gap for many people who want to contribute but don’t know how.

We can measure the impact through several feedback mechanisms on Climesumer. Many people are active on our activism, job board, and community pages. We also have a deals page on our website, and people are already beginning to switch to sustainable services, such as green energy providers or eco-friendly banks. I hope that we not only change individual behavior and consumption habits but also inspire people to raise their voices, participate in climate strikes, and join climate activism groups to pressure those in power, including politicians and major polluters.

#CTS: How do you ensure that technological advancements in climate solutions are accessible and beneficial to communities most affected by climate change? 

Simon Heuschkel: The fact is, those communities most affected by climate change are often not the ones most responsible for causing it. This is why the greatest responsibility for change and payment lies with the countries that caused climate change, primarily industrialized nations like the EU and the US. Countries that are not as technologically advanced have the opportunity to leapfrog a few iterations and jump directly to sustainable solutions.

We've seen examples of this in Ethiopia, which banned the import of fossil fuel cars and now only allows electric cars, achieving this goal ten years earlier than some EU member states. Those responsible for climate change should be the ones financing and paying the green premium on expensive climate tech solutions to lower the price for the people most affected by climate change. Additionally, loss and damage funds need to be established to pay for the destruction and adaptation efforts.

#CTS: What role do you see for interdisciplinary collaboration in advancing climate technology, and can you provide an example where such collaboration led to a breakthrough? 

Simon Heuschkel: Collaboration has a significant impact when companies rally behind one cause and unify their voices. For example there is a growing movement of marketing agencies that refuse to work with the fossil fuel industry.

In terms of technology, collaboration among people is crucial. Diverse teams create better products and build better solutions by incorporating a wider range of perspectives and backgrounds. Many climate tech communities connect different actors, from founders to VCs to employees. Climesumer has a list of over 40 climate communities.

A great example of collaboration in creating a tech product is Future Maps, which builds an alternative map for sustainable places and vegan restaurants in the city. They work closely with restaurants and existing vegan communities to build their database.

#CTS: The London Climate Technology Show is a place to discuss and debate climate tech innovations as means to address the climate catastrophe; what is your view about events of this nature?

Simon Heuschkel: Climate events like this have to walk a fine balance between getting enough cash to make an event big, create buzz around it and staying true to their sustainable mission without turning into a Greenwashing playground.I would like to see very stringent, public criteria of what kind of sponsors and exhibitors the event is willing to take and why and who they are. I would also refuse to take any money from the fossil fuel and meat companies and try to select companies that have public, verifiable, science-based climate targets. 

I've seen events where Lufthansa and big, definitely not sustainable car companies were the major sponsors of a large climate tech event. I would rather keep it smaller and my integrity instead of inviting the big polluters to talk about climate action. You should bring the people to the front who have the climate tech solutions and a genuine interest in fixing the climate crisis. Not to say polluters can’t change, but more than not, their words do not match their actions.