Josh Dorfman, co-founder and CMO of Plantd and host of Supercool, has spent decades working across media, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. His work focuses on one central question: how to turn climate solutions into viable businesses rather than theoretical concepts.

In a conversation hosted by Net Zero Compare, the discussion explored what separates climate technologies that scale from those that struggle to reach market adoption. The conversation also examined the role of building materials in decarbonization, corporate demand for solutions, and the practical constraints that shape real-world implementation.

🎥 Watch the Full Conversation: The full discussion with Josh Dorfman is available as a recorded interview. It provides additional context on how climate technologies move from early-stage ideas to commercially viable solutions. The conversation includes practical examples from sectors such as construction, energy, and infrastructure, and highlights the trade-offs companies face when bringing new solutions to market. Watching the full recording is useful for understanding how these dynamics play out beyond high-level theory.

Climate Solutions Must Deliver Business Value First

A consistent theme throughout the discussion is that climate solutions only scale when they solve concrete business problems. Environmental impact alone is rarely sufficient to drive adoption.

Companies that succeed focus on delivering measurable value to customers. This often means reducing operating costs, improving performance, or simplifying processes. The climate benefit is still present, but it is not the primary selling point.

This distinction explains why many technically sound solutions fail to gain traction. When companies lead with emissions reduction rather than economic value, they often struggle to compete in procurement processes or justify adoption internally.

In practice, the most effective climate technologies are positioned as better business solutions first, with sustainability as an additional advantage.

Business Model Design Is Often the Deciding Factor

The discussion makes clear that innovation in climate technology is not limited to engineering. In many cases, the business model determines whether a solution succeeds.

Rather than inventing entirely new technologies, some of the fastest-growing companies are combining existing solutions with new financing or delivery models. This approach lowers barriers for customers and accelerates adoption.

For example, energy efficiency upgrades can be offered with no upfront cost, with providers recovering their investment through energy savings. Similarly, electrification solutions can be structured as subscription services, turning large capital expenditures into predictable operating costs.

These models address one of the main barriers in corporate decision-making: risk. By reducing upfront investment and simplifying adoption, companies can move faster and scale more effectively.

Rethinking Materials in Construction

Plantd’s approach illustrates how climate innovation can be applied to materials that are often overlooked in broader discussions. The company focuses on replacing traditional timber products with materials made from fast-growing biomass. Instead of relying on slow-growing trees, Plantd uses a type of grass that grows significantly faster and can be processed into structural panels used in home construction.

This approach serves two purposes. First, it enables faster carbon capture by using plants that grow at a much higher rate. Second, it allows carbon to be stored in building materials rather than released back into the atmosphere.

An important aspect of the model is manufacturing. By using electrified production processes, the company aims to retain a large share of the captured carbon in the final product.

Concurrently, the material is designed to solve a practical industry problem. In humid environments, traditional panels can lose structural integrity when exposed to moisture. The alternative developed by Plantd offers improved resistance, making it relevant from both a performance and sustainability perspective.

Why New Materials Struggle to Scale

Despite clear potential, new building materials face significant barriers to adoption. Construction is a conservative industry with long product lifecycles and strict regulatory requirements. Introducing a new material involves not only proving its performance but also addressing concerns around durability, liability, and long-term availability.

Even when technical performance is strong, companies must overcome procurement resistance and integrate into existing supply chains. This process is often slow and resource-intensive.

Another major challenge is manufacturing. Scaling production requires substantial capital, and traditional facilities for building materials are expensive to build and operate. This creates a gap between successful pilot projects and full commercial deployment.

To address this, Plantd is exploring modular production systems that reduce capital requirements and allow for more flexible scaling. This reflects a broader trend in climate technology, where companies must rethink not only the product but also how it is produced and delivered.

The Role of Partnerships in Early Adoption

Early adoption rarely happens without strong partnerships. Startups typically need large corporate partners to validate their products, run pilot projects, and provide initial demand. These partnerships help generate proof points that can support broader market adoption.

However, even with successful pilots, scaling remains difficult. Many companies struggle to move beyond early deployments due to financing constraints or operational complexity.

This transition from pilot to scale remains one of the most critical and least predictable phases for climate technology companies.

Communication Changes as Companies Grow

The conversation also highlights how communication strategies evolve as companies mature. Early-stage companies tend to focus on vision, mission, and technical innovation. Their primary audience is investors, and their goal is to demonstrate potential.

As companies move into the market, the focus shifts. Messaging becomes more practical and customer-oriented. Instead of discussing technology, companies emphasize outcomes such as cost savings, reliability, and operational benefits.

This shift is essential. Customers are not buying climate impact in isolation. They are making decisions based on risk, cost, and performance. Companies that fail to adjust their messaging often struggle to reach mainstream adoption.

Corporate Demand Is Increasing, But Constraints Remain

There is clear evidence that corporate demand for climate solutions is growing. Companies are facing increasing pressure related to Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions, and many are actively seeking solutions.

However, demand does not automatically translate into implementation. Organizations remain highly sensitive to cost. Solutions that require a premium purely for sustainability reasons tend to face resistance. In addition, internal processes such as procurement, compliance checks, and ESG reviews can slow down or even halt projects.

In some cases, initiatives stall due to internal complexity rather than a lack of interest. At the same time, large corporations can influence adoption across entire supply chains. Companies like Amazon are using their scale to encourage suppliers to meet sustainability standards, creating indirect pressure across the market.

Policy as a Catalyst for Market Change

Policy and regulation play an important role in shaping the market for climate solutions. Cities that introduce requirements for low-carbon construction create clear demand signals for new materials and technologies. These policies help reduce uncertainty and support investment in innovation.

The discussion also highlights how policy-driven changes can produce broader system benefits. For example, certain building strategies can reduce peak energy demand, lowering infrastructure costs and improving overall efficiency.

This interaction between policy and market dynamics is critical. Public sector action helps establish the conditions needed for private sector solutions to scale.

What to Expect Over the Next Decade

Looking ahead, several trends are likely to shape the next phase of climate innovation. Solar energy and battery storage are expected to continue declining in cost, making them increasingly accessible and widely deployed. This combination is likely to drive a shift toward more distributed energy systems.

Simultaneously, electrification across transport and buildings will continue to expand, supported by improvements in technology and infrastructure.

Another important factor is energy independence. Countries and companies are increasingly motivated to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels, which is accelerating the transition toward local and renewable energy sources.

These changes are driven primarily by economics. As costs continue to decline, adoption becomes harder to resist, even for traditionally conservative industries.

Conclusion

The discussion with Josh Dorfman highlights a consistent pattern in climate technology. Solutions scale when they align with business priorities. They must deliver clear economic value, reduce risk, and integrate into existing systems. Technical innovation alone is not enough.

For companies working in sustainability, ESG, and decarbonization, the takeaway is practical. Focus on solutions that improve business performance while delivering environmental benefits.

This approach is more likely to drive adoption, support compliance, and lead to measurable results at scale.