IJonathan Maxwell likes to say that if it’s not commercial, it’s not sustainable.
The British investment banking entrepreneur, who set up Sustainable Development Capital LLP in London some 17 years ago to explore business opportunities in the fast-growing market for energy efficiency, has been at the forefront of the climate change movement to create value from waste heat and gas.
From their headquarters just one block from Piccadilly Circus, Maxwell and SDCL have built an investment business with assets of more than $2 billion.
From steel mills in Indiana and olive presses in Spain to lighting 800 Santander banks across the UK, the company works with large commercial buildings to find ways to save energy by reducing waste.
Maxwell said up to a third of the greenhouse gas emissions currently polluting the world and accelerating global warming came from the construction and building sector, from cement and steel to inefficient lighting and air conditioning systems.
A dynamic deal-maker who travels frequently between the US, Europe and Asia, Maxwell is one of the UK’s business leaders when it comes to fighting climate change and transitioning to a clean energy economic era.
Last year he published a book called “The Edge: How competition for resources is pushing the world, and its climate, to the brink – and what we can do about it.”
The book is aimed at readers who want to understand how the events of the past decade — more extreme weather events, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and China’s economic growth — have impacted the massive resource struggle that has escalated into a political fight over whether to use more or less oil and gas. Maxwell also blogs frequently about energy issues.
Prior to setting up SDCL, Maxwell worked in business development at HSBC for five years. As his energy trading grew he realised he could do better on his own and so he set up his own business in October 2007.
The Independent newspaper Climate 100 List We will be holding an online event in New York in September. Accepting Recommendations Until August 16th, for unsung climate heroes.
