Solar Impulse Foundation Rolls Out a Regulation and Solution-based Approach to Speed Climate Tech Adoption

A disruptive and urgent approach being introduced to the French legislature, this 'pret-a-voter' or vote-ready initiative uses the large untapped market of existing climate technologies as a starting point for guiding and changing regulation and legislation in France.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Solar Impulse Foundation, led by Swiss explorer and cleantech pioneer Bertrand Piccard, today launched an urgent initiative aimed at using existing climate technologies as a starting point to guide modernization of regulation in the French Parliament. Updated legislation and regulations can improve the environment by catalyzing greater adoption of climate solutions while benefiting the economy. The disruptive "Prêt-à-voter" or "Vote-ready" initiative has pulled in the support of some of France's largest ad agencies and ad management companies.

The campaign is based on the idea that climate change is so urgent a problem that it demands immediate regulatory change. A successful ecological transition is now less dependent on new technology solutions than on creating conditions for deployment of existing solutions. 

Relying on its network of experts and partners, the foundation has selected 50 French solutions from its portfolio of 1400-plus vetted and profitable climate solutions and has built the technology benefits into a book of 50 legislative recommendations crafted for newly elected assembly members – as well as sitting senators in the upper chamber – to modernize current regulations. These "vote-ready" proposals include much of the necessary legislative homework to make it easier for new National Assembly members, regardless of party affiliation, to bring it to the floor for discussion and voting. 

By bringing existing innovation directly to the legislative and regulatory arena, the Foundation seeks to shortcut a longer process and help lawmakers "pull" into the market essential cleantech and energy efficiency technology that can protect the environment, reduce waste and improve consumer purchasing power.

"We have a wealth of innovative climate solutions that can also be profitable, so it makes sense to update our laws to help facilitate greater market adoption," said Bertrand Piccard, president and founder of the Solar Impulse Foundation. "With climate change, our laws must change."

The initiative will be rolled out in a large-scale marketing campaign lasting until September, using the taglines "All we need is 577 readers for this book to be successful" and "With climate change, the laws must change." The effort was made possible by major advertising players Publicis, JC Decaux and Mediatransports, who supported the campaign with creative resources and by making available billboard space throughout France.

"The Foundation wishes to accelerate the transition, and selected large and small innovations to do so," said Agathe Bousquet, President of the Publicis France Group. "We looked for a campaign to reflect this that is pragmatic and sincere, and that challenges politicians by concretely reminding them ultimately of their responsibility and their power to act."

"We are happy to help bring this initiative of the Solar Impulse Foundation to the public eye," said Jean-Michel Geffroy, General Manager Territories & Institutions at JCDecaux. "Legislative and regulatory language, as shown by the France 2030 plan or the law on Climate & Resilience, is decisive for turning public and private procurement into an accelerator for the ecological transition, decarbonization of the economy, creation of employment and urban planning."

The Solar Impulse Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by explorer and cleantech pioneer Bertrand Piccard. Following the success of the first round-the-world trip in a solar-powered plane, its mission is to accelerate the adoption of solutions capable of protecting the environment in an economically profitable way. It thus reflects the unifying and realistic approach of its founder around 'Qualitative Growth'. Demonstrating that it is possible to meet ecological challenges without undermining economic development, the Foundation achieved, in April 2021, its first objective of identifying and labeling 1000 'Efficient Solutions,' assessed as clean and profitable by independent experts. While continuing to increase its portfolio of solutions, Bertrand Piccard and the Foundation are seeking to facilitate the emergence of these technologies on the market through advocacy in favor of modernizing the legislative framework and by publishing guides to support political and business decision-makers in their ecological transition.

Link to ad campaign images

For more information contact: 
Erica Zeidenberg for Solar Impulse 
[email protected]

SOURCE Solar Impulse Foundation