How Do We Make Everyone Happy? (It's not really a choice)

Members and Friends - 

Years ago, I was enjoying a super debate with a product marketer I met at Greenbuild, and he stopped for a moment mid-thought and seemed to disclose, “You know, I just want to be honest. I am not a tree hugger.  I think sustainability is a great marketing edge.”  I assured him this was ok, and that I was glad he was lending his talents to this industry.  Companies doing great work to reduce the impact of the built environment should benefit from their efforts. Heck, we’re here to help all green building stakeholders connect and share more information- it’s certainly ok, and fantastic really, if you think green business is and should be great business! In fact, it’s imperative. The point is that we have to get everyone to the same point regardless of reason, and if I may be so bold to say so, nothing we have or are already doing is quite enough.  

I recently attended a webinar on cold climate heat pumps where MIT Lecturer and Research Director Harvey Michaels stated that the way to meet a particular set of awesome, aggressive heat pump installation goals (as part of meeting critical climate goals) is to "make everyone happy."  At first, this seemed like a version of an existing win-win to me I could agree with.  Yes, we need to save money, and save energy/reduce emissions.  But Harvey’s point goes further.  I think he was saying we have to absolutely THRILL people with this technology and increase demand by making them so excited they literally and firmly “demand" it.  This is more than asking an architect or builder or manufacturer, “Hey, what is this I am hearing of?”  The client needs to actively want this technology, and maybe already have some education, and the building professional needs to also be so excited they can answer questions, and/or even sell (and install!) the technology enthusiastically.  And among other needs, it would help if they have enough information and support from manufacturers and creators to confidently design/build/install the requisite materials and equipment perfectly with confidence, and have an easy and known process to process incentives.  But how do we get there from here?

Ok, so now the silly, but not really. The other day I found myself in a twitter conversation about what to rename heat pumps to make them more appealing and make what they actually do clearer.  Some of the ideas made me laugh out loud, literally.  But the point was and is also dead serious, as this question is one of many possible gateways to the enormous challenge of, “How can we possibly interest and excite people and organization enough to make the enormous transition we need to, in order to meet our well-known critical climate goals?”  How do we get to the point where we’re all almost begging for Drawdown-level change? Because that’s what it's going to take.

In the past, we may have discussed “perfectly fine” concepts such as what premiums buyers might be willing to pay for more sustainable building features, and asked catchy questions like, ‘What do Millennials want in a home,” or explained entirely appropriately, how much energy and money can be saved or health protected in residential and/or commercial building.  And over time, we have some solid case study examples of those who have already saved and who have lowered their impact.  But does that sound like fun, like a reward or prize?  I think Harvey was saying we have to go that far, and I agree. I mean, we have to reach the people who don’t read case studies, who we have to acknowledge might not care one bit about climate change. I am sheepish to admit I just thought of the movie where Adam Sandler's character went to the ridiculous “BEYOND” to fix the fact that he messed with time.  But yeah, we need to do that.  

As an industry, green builders have largely spoken in a fairly technical way in making the case for sustainable practice and products.  I think actually, what we need is to join together with the most clever ideas (not even invented yet!) and the strongest marketing to promote these ideas (and that we can help with!) to say, “YOU NEED AND WANT THIS TECHNOLOGY.”  To the extent possible, technologies like heat pumps have to be so exciting and so awesome, that people are happy when they have them and downright sad when they’re left behind and don’t.  I hear so often, "I can deliver more if the clients would just demand or even allow it.”  Ok, well we can’t wait for them to magically demand it and be sad or even mad as an industry if they don’t.  

I’d like us all to figure out the answer to that question, as a giant team.  How do we make everyone happy? How do we make our examples and incentives and rewards so great (ok and include requirements as well) and so strong that everyone wants to do their part and/or just does it anyway?  Not as an obligation, or just as one, but in line for something as exciting as some kind of lottery ticket?  That is indeed the answer on how we get to 2050, or gosh even 2035.  Sure, there’s reason to have some fear and/or requirement, but I’d rather get there with some amazing excitement!  I also think “Beyond” is the only way to meet our goals in the timeline we’re now facing to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.  

I look forward to your amazing ideas on how we make everyone happy while adopting the best in green building products, technologies, and services in 2022 and beyond.  I have uploaded this newsletter in our news feed here so that you can reply with your ideas!  We need more than a little FOMO, folks!  And we're of course ready to share your thoughts widely, through our articles, discussions, group posts, events, news, and 20+ social channels, and any new options we can create!

Thanks, and here we go for a happy, impactful 2022!  We’ve got a lot to figure out and do!   

Thank you,
Allison

*The image above is a beaituful street mural by Faith 24 in London. Colossal and other resources were kind enough to help share this art with a wider audience. You guessed it, we're suggesting we all need to find a green building unicorn! Let's get to it.