Chasing Positive Impact on Climate: Zach Sporn Joins Cleantech for Europe as Communications Director

As the urgent need for action on climate change becomes increasingly clear, the European cleantech movement is ramping up and drawing in talent from a range of sectors – from academia to activism, politics to corporates and startups. With a depth of experience in the latter space, Zach Sporn joined the Cleantech for Europe team as Communications Director earlier this year. In his new role, he aims to raise the voice of the European cleantech community and contribute to scaling the innovative technologies required to decarbonise the economy.

Zach grew up in New York but has spent most of his adult life in Europe. Based in Berlin, he frequents the office space of Cleantech for Europe’s sister initiative, the Tech for Net Zero Allianz. Zach’s remit as Communications Director includes taking Cleantech for Europe’s Brussels-based team’s communications efforts to the next level, as well as supporting the regional initiatives, such as Cleantech for Baltics, Nordics, France and UK.  

He joins the cleantech space fresh off his role as Head of Executive Communications at the certified B-Corp vertical farming company INFARM, where he oversaw a 360 degree communication strategy for “owned” content channels like LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and the company blog. He also positioned Infarm’s founders and key leadership in the media and at major European tech conferences like the WebSummit, ChangeNow, ClimateHack and Slush. Prior to Infarm, Zach spent nearly five years in a hybrid role at the language learning platform Babbel, operating at the intersection of applied linguistics research, scientific engagement and corporate communications. With this experience behind him, Zach now sets his sights on the EU affairs scene and joins a booming cleantech community.  

“It’s clear that anthropogenic climate change is the biggest threat we face in the coming decades; for a long time I felt a numbing sense of powerlessness and dread. I realised, however, that I can choose a career path which aligns with my values and allows me to focus on overcoming the challenges we’re facing.”
- Zach Sporn

Why choose a career in cleantech?

Zach describes a through-line of his career-to-date as “making the complicated simple:” conveying difficult, abstruse or emotionally charged topics in an accessible and engaging way. He cites Cleantech for Europe’s quarterly briefings and monthly policy updates as best practice content in this regard. The issues are thorny; the language, simple – and, crucially, the asks are clear, both of policymakers and of the cleantech community. Maintaining this style, he says, has enabled the initiative to bring together disparate communities under a common banner.  

When asked what catalysed his desire to work on climate-related topics, Zach cites the novel Ministry for the Future by sci-fi author Kim Stanley Robinson. An avid reader, the story of a diverse group of protagonists trying to save the planet in the wake of a catastrophic heatwave fuelled by the Earth’s warming atmosphere resonated with him immensely. The novel depicts the ambition, urgency and pragmatism needed to combat climate change. It was a formative influence on his desire to maximize his impact and contribute to the system change that paves the way for a net-zero future:

“It’s clear that anthropogenic climate change is the biggest threat we face in the coming decades; for a long time I felt a numbing sense of powerlessness and dread. I realised, however, that I can choose a career path which aligns with my values and allows me to focus on overcoming the challenges we’re facing.”

“Reading a lot of non-fiction, journalism and philosophical arguments about climate change gave me the sense that my professional life, my expertise as a comms professional, can be spent in service of a greater purpose,” he adds.

Zach goes on to describe what sees as fundamental to Cleantech for Europe’s ongoing success in shaping the debate around the EU’s cleantech policy – the quality and uniqueness of the content and analysis, and the ability to communicate complex topics, based on research and expertise, to a variety of audiences in an engaging and straightforward way. Given the importance of reaching net-zero within our lifetime, conveying the correct message to the right stakeholder in an impactful manner is vital to shaping Europe’s political agenda.

Following this year’s political developments, starting with the impactful Cleantech for Europe Summit, and the lead-up to the Commission announcing the Green Deal Industrial Plan, the salience of Cleantech for Europe’s work has never been greater.  

In this process, Zach sees his role as amplifying Cleantech for Europe’s thought leadership across a range of channels and audiences. His eyes are set on elevating Cleantech for Europe’s proactive pitching of stories and opinion pieces and has his eyes on relevant opportunities to engage our community at events and as yet untapped media like podcasts and video interviews to amplify the initiative’s message in a critical time.

Indeed, Zach’s first few weeks at Cleantech for Europe have been intense. On his third day at work, he “dived into the deep end” attending the annual Cleantech for Europe Summit in Brussels. At the year’s big meeting of the cleantech and policy communities, he witnessed first-hand, the influence and reach of Cleantech for Europe’s various coalitions and initiatives. Now, Zach looks forward to further immersing himself in the EU policy and public affairs scene, to ensure that whatever the media, whatever the forums, the voice of innovation is heard by policymakers and key opinion leaders in Brussels and across the continent.

Welcome, Zach! We’re lucky to have you join us.