Climate Tech is "Dead"

Read time: 4 min

“Climate tech is dead.”

I’ve seen the headlines, heard the whispers, and scrolled past the debates.

But is it really dead? Or are we just terrible at naming things?

Because here’s the truth: The mission isn’t dead—it’s evolving.

Well, one thing’s undeniably dead—the 1.5°C climate target ☠️

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So, What’s Actually Happening?

The climate tech label isn’t new—it’s been around for a decade.

But recently, its edges have started to fray:

• Investors are pulling back.

• High-profile failures are fueling skepticism.

• The term itself is getting heavy, trying to carry everything from solar panels to carbon capture to climate adaptation tools.

Yet the mission—to minimize humanity’s impact on the planet and help us adapt—isn’t going anywhere.

What’s changing is how we think about it.

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The Era of Focus

The “spray-and-pray” days are over.

VCs are no longer throwing money at anything labeled “green” and hoping for the best.

Instead, the winners are getting laser-focused.

🌱 Niches Are Thriving:
Think industrial decarbonization, grid resilience, and climate adaptation.

🔍 Practicality Wins:
It’s not about pure moonshots anymore—it’s about profitable, scalable solutions.

💡 Resilience Tech:
As TechCrunch’s Tim De Chant suggests, maybe it’s time we reframe the narrative entirely.

Resilience tech—tools that make humanity and the planet more adaptable—could be the next big umbrella term.

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Why the Shift is Good

Let’s be real: hype doesn’t save the planet. Solutions do.

Tanker plane makes a direct hit on fire in Hollywood Hills

Here’s what the next wave of climate innovation looks like.

Smarter, leaner, and sharper.

1. Green Discounts, Not Premiums:
   People won’t pay extra just because something’s green. Founders must either hit cost parity with fossil-based solutions or offer superior value.

2. Disrupting Cost Curves:
   Technologies like geothermal, robotics, and geological hydrogen are turning green premiums into ‘green discounts’.

3. Enabling the Transition:
   Software tools, grid integration solutions, and carbon ratings are creating the infrastructure needed to scale green technologies.

   

   Credit: Extantia

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What About the Name?

Do we need a rebrand?

“Clean tech” didn’t age well.

“Climate tech” is a step up—but as it stretches to cover more ground, the cracks are showing.

Here are the contenders for a new name:

• Planetary Health: Broader, inclusive, and rooted in sustainability.

• Resilience Tech: Focused on adaptation and strengthening global systems.

• Critical Infrastructure: Practical, but a bit too narrow.

• Deep Tech: Too broad—it includes AI, robotics, quantum computing, and more.

My take?

Names come and go. The impact stays.

Let’s spend less time renaming and more time building.

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Is Climate Tech Dead?

No.

But the old, bloated version of it might be.

What’s left?
A sharper, more focused movement solving real problems.

The companies thriving in this next chapter will define the future. Not just of climate tech, but of industries, economies, and global resilience.

So, let’s stop debating whether climate tech is dead. It’s maturing.
And the best part? We’re just getting started.

What do you think?
Does climate tech need a rebrand—or just better execution? Drop your thoughts below.

Yoann

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