Zero: The Climate Race Climate tech makes Europe more resilient to Iran War shocks
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Apr 2, 2026 Aurore Belfrage, a tech investor and sustainability strategist, outlines how energy shocks from the Iran war are reshaping investment. She discusses geopolitical risk steering capital toward European energy sovereignty. Climate tech is reframed as resilience and defense. They cover scaling clean solutions, procurement hurdles, and geothermal’s untapped potential in Europe.
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Crisis Is Catalyzing Energy Sovereignty
- The Iran war has raised urgency for energy innovation and will likely catalyze capital into technologies that strengthen European energy sovereignty.
- Aurore Belfrage argues technologies like solar, wind and batteries exist and now need policy and capital to scale locally.
Climate Tech As National Security
- Climate tech is also resilience and defense; framing it this way opens new funding buckets from security-minded investors.
- Belfrage says many climate startups already position themselves as delivering security, not just 'boho' green projects.
Time Horizon Explains Climate's Lower Urgency
- Climate gets deprioritized because its harms unfold over decades, unlike pandemics or wars which force immediate action.
- Akshat Rathi notes this timing difference explains why climate investments are judged more strictly on ROI.