Celebrating 25 years – The Colour of Money, Triodos
The Colour of Money finds out what drives some of the environmental movement’s most radical change-makers, reflecting on the impact they have made in ethical business as Triodos Bank customers. The long read by Anna Turns.
Twenty-five years ago, when Dale Vince discovered that the energy sector was the single biggest cause of climate change in Britain, he felt compelled to leave his travelling lifestyle on a mission to change the way electricity was made by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. “There was so much scepticism and most people scoffed at the idea. Even within the industry, I’d regularly be asked ‘what’s green energy?’ and ‘who is going to buy it?’” explains Dale, founder of the world’s first green energy supplier, Ecotricity.
Every movement begins with a handful of outspoken disruptors challenging the status quo, followed by a wave of early adopters. Dale is just one of many innovative environmentalists spearheading alternative business models, having campaigned for decades to create radical, positive change in the way we power and heat our homes. Since starting with just one turbine in 1995, the wind farm entrepreneur has continued to push the boundaries as the first energy company to declare a climate emergency and the first to hopefully achieve carbon neutrality before 2025.
