Episode 134: Dow on 'valuing nature', and a new niche for fuel cells

Friday, August 3, 2018 - 2:13am

episode_134.mp3

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Featured Stories

Plug Power: Inside the corporate market for fuel cells (19:35)

After a decade on the market, in the past year fuel cells are in a fresh spotlight. What will be the impact of Bloom Energy's recent IPO? Tiny Plug Power is finding a niche for its hydrogen-based, quick-charging fuel cells, especially in start-and-stop applications, such as in forklifts in distribution centers. They're coming in handy on peak online shopping days, as customers include Amazon and Walmart. "The fact that we allow people to continuously operate especially during the peaks of some of the internet sales...or during the holiday season...that's when the value really shines," Plug Power CEO Andy Marsh tells GreenBiz.

What Dow has learned about valuing nature (24:10)

The chemicals giant aims to generate $1 billion of business value as part of its sustainability plan for 2025. GreenBiz Editor-at-Large Bob Langert recently spent 10 minutes with Neil Hawkins, Dow's VP of sustainability, who believes this goal is changing the company's culture. "We spent the time upfront to understand how Dow interfaced with nature," he says. "We're helping achieve more ecosystem and economic value." (Next week Langert will catch up with Glenn Prickett of The Nature Conservancy, Dow's partner in its Valuing Nature effort.)

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