C21 introduced distributed ledger technology (DLT, ’Blockchain’) to UNFCCC as of late 2016, and then originated the Climate Ledger Initiative (CLI, previously ‘CarbonBC’) in 2017. CLI’s key objective is to advocate for the understanding and application of DLT, as well as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) as very relevant technologies for high impact climate action. C21 was among the first to identify the importance of these ‘fourth industrial revolution’ technologies for climate action. CLI later invited the Gold Standard Foundation, INFRAS, and the LIFE Climate Foundation as CLI partners. Together, these partners secured long-term finance from the Government of Switzerland (DEZA). As of 2019, C21’s role in CLI became that of an advisor.

Launched in 2009, swisscleantech broke new ground in Swiss politics and played a major advocacy role in diverse topics with direct relevance to sustainable development. According to many observers, swisscleantech was ‘leading’ the country’s new energy strategy (‘Energiewende’, reference examples: SRF, die Zeit).

To this day, swisscleantech represents the interests of Swiss sustainability leaders, broadly across industries and sectors. The association continues to emphasise that, on a macroeconomic level, a development strategy based on sustainability brings about more corporate winners than losers.

From its inauguration in 2009, to mid 2016, all swisscleantech operations were mandated to the C21 team, acting on a policy roadmap formulated by the association board, with the support of patronage-, political-, and scientific- advisory boards. Following COP21, the time was right for C21 to spin-out swisscleantech and hand-over presidency. This was operationally implemented in 2016, with the then CEO of Schneider Electric Switzerland taking over as swisscleantech’s new president. 

When C21 started out in 2008 with research at the crossroads of business and policy, our work soon revealed that (i) the right policy framework is vital for climate and biodiversity success, and (ii) that traditional corporate interest representation tends to lead to the lowest common sustainability denominator. This is because concerted advocacy positions (and lobbying actions) are generally only taken by firms very directly concerned. Often, this results in two distinctly opposing corporate positions: a diverse and comparatively weak one representing the emerging winners (e.g. renewable energies), and a large and powerful one of incumbents (those with most to lose, e.g. fossil energies).

Unfortunately, this tends to be amplified by industry, trade, and business associations, as decision-making within them is generally driven by the interests of incumbents (the often still larger and traditionally more established firms).

With swisscleantech, C21 took a new approach to business advocacy, with C21 CEO Nick Beglinger as its first president and Bertrand Piccard of Solar Impulse as its Honorary President. swisscleantech set a high common sustainability denominator through its charter, including a 2-Degree threshold, 7 years before the Paris Agreement. 

swisscleantech promotes a sustainable market economy on the basis of total/lifecycle costs and with a technology- and party-neutral approach. The association promotes, through its business voice, that recognizing the need for sustainability has nothing to do with 'green' or 'leftish' policy, but rather represents a sensible response to scientific realities as well as a social and economic opportunity (see, for example, swisscleantech's 'No Dilemma’ video launched in the run-up of COP21 in Paris).

swisscleantech takes an active role in finding regulatory solutions. Thereby the association can also contribute to assure their business-friendly design and implementation. Through focus groups, quarterly events, a newsletter and company database, know-how is being disseminated throughout the Swiss cleantech community. 

This included detailed work, with economic and technology development models and specific policy instrument designs. In its first main publication, the ‘Cleantech Strategy for Switzerland’, swisscleantech demonstrated broad leadership and business support for sustainable development, as well as specifying technology and policy focus areas. The ‘Cleantech Energy Strategy’) was published in multiple updates and included the results of swisscleantech’s own energy development model. In the ‘Cleantech Mobility’ and ‘Cleantech Resource’ strategies, technology and policy drivers were analysed, incl. innovative policy designs such as mobility pricing, an analysis of potential resource scarcities and corresponding circularity targets and strategies. 

Despite intense push-back by incumbent associations, swisscleantech has demonstrated, particularly regarding CO2, energy, environmental protection and mobility, that this novel approach to corporate advocacy works. By way of directly influencing regulatory conditions, swisscleantech has been able to win majorities in important policy domains. This led to tangible and significant climate action, e.g. the adoption of a more stringent CO2 law has led to a reduction of approx. 25m tons of CO2 emissions.

On the occasion of swisscleantech's 5 year anniversary, the association has published 'Zukunft, swiss made', which updates it's sustainable market economy approach and provides a topical outlook towards the next 5 years of its activity. The association continues to prosper, evidenced at its 10-year anniversary 2019 and until to date.

Apart from swisscleantech, C21 worked on a selected number of other Swiss initiatives in the period 2008-2016. This included research and development of a renewable energy fund that led to SUSI Partners (investing over 1bn EUR in 2019), to date chaired by one of C21’s first team members, Tobias Reichmuth. We also invested resources in the build-up of a news service focused on cleantech-relevant information and leading to Punkt4, we supported strategic renewable energy projects, as well as ‘Switzerland Innovation’ in its early days. At our Reitergasse 11 office, we also supported the development of CarbonDelta (now sold to MSCi) and Operation Libero, which continues to influence Swiss politics.