International Development:

-The developing world is no longer willing to settle for second tier or third tier technologies. They want the newest gadgets.

-It is necessary to engage international development from the bottom-up. International agencies such as the World Bank don’t’ have the understanding of local culture and needs to be able to develop top down initiatives.

-It is not necessary to follow the same progression as technology in the modern world. E.G. Skipping landlines and jumping directly cell phones in the third world.

-There is also an issue of financing. Bringing solar power to the third world is a financing issue because often times the most needy can’t afford the upfront costs.

-There is a difference between the funding that gets you to scale and the funding that gets consumers to actually buy the technology. Most technologies are already developed to scale; the real issue is stimulating demand by incentivizing consumers.

-There needs to be a legitimate business case involving sustainable solutions. Subsidies can be in place for no longer than 10 years. Eventually businesses need to become profitable.

-Do people in third world countries genuinely care about sustainability and the environment? No. They are still focused on their basic subsistence needs. The key is to provide these people with subsistence through sustainability and they will grasp the importance of sustainability in due time.

Key Opportunities Abroad:

-It is necessary for young professionals to take advantage of opportunities in the developing world where development needs to be sustainable. The developing world is going to join the world of consumerism. The real key is to decrease the impact of consumption.

-Renewable energy credits: a lot of villagers still use wood to cook, which has very high C02 emissions. Better stoves will reduce CO2 and provide carbon offsets. There is a scheme in Zanzibar where villages use betters stoves and get approved for offsets and then use the revenue from offsets to purchase solar power.

-There is a significant knowledge gap in the developing world. It is necessary to have entrepreneurs from the developed world to take advantage of and manage sustainable development opportunities in the third world.