This site is really little more than an overview of my activities. A kind of Linkedin profile, because I prefer not to use such a platform. It takes me too much time, because I am constantly challenged to respond to incredibly boring posts, or to false pride in non-achievements. For those who want to know what I do, and may or may not want to contact me for that reason. So that I do indeed exist, on the interwebs.
I am 56 years old. After studying philosophy (Leiden), I became a strategy consultant some 30 years ago. After a few years, I did an MBA course (Insead). I am mainly active in the field of energy transition and sustainability. Â I started in this twenty years ago, as a lobbyist in The Hague and Brussels for large energy concerns. It quickly became clear to me then that the energy transition, and related legislation and markets around CO2, would become one of the big issues of our time. The advantage of that period, is that I know the regulations and legislative practice well. I know how hares run in The Hague and in Brussels.
In 2004, I founded the consulting firm Spring Associates to provide strategy advice to companies and financial institutions in this energy transition. In this, I remained active for 15 years. During that period, we dealt with strategies for a wide range of technologies: Solar, wind, alternative fuels, hydrogen, LED, batteries, biomass, gas, (m)ethanol, you name it.
After the 2008 financial crisis, I started looking more into general resilience. This was also necessary, as the market for cleantech investments had collapsed, but it was also interesting – and quite new at the time. We mainly served mid-market investors (Private Equity, Venture Capital) in taking corporate sustainability to the next level. The by-product of our efforts (ESG or impact reporting) became an end in itself, and the business grew solidly.Â
We also created a number of companies. In these, the successes are not on my account, but thanks to the teams that made the companies grow. But I did play a role in the early stages (for instance in: www.skynrg.com, www.sensorfact.nl (divested), www.dexter.ai):
The failures, incidentally, are to my credit. Like an LED factory in Malaysia or a switch grass venture in Inner Mongolia and a strand woven bamboo business in southern China that went down ingloriously.
In 2019, I sold the consulting business, and in 2021, I said goodbye for good. ESG has become mainstream, with all its consequences. Many advisers earn a good living from ESG or Impact advice. The reports are getting thicker and thicker, with jolly SDG colours , and very detailed analyses on what is countable, but dogmatism and bureaucracy are competing for primacy, and common sense is hard to find. And so is actual progress. Of course, there are some companies and initiatives that are worthwhile, and I am happy to spend some of my time and energy to support them.
The companies in which I am involved are:
Enstall is the global market leader in rooftop and land based mounting systems for solar.
Return Energy is a renewables generation and storage platform active in Benelux, Germany and Spain.
Cocopallet is an innovative proven design to shape coconut waste into any form, starting with a circular transportation pallet.
Thermeleon provides ‘heat batteries’ to the greenhouse sector. PCM units to smoothen heat and coolling demand and thus optimizing yield and energy use and minimzing carbon emissions.
Convent capital is an impact investment fund focusing on the food and agri industry.
Of the mentioned ventures, I am still (sometimes a silent) shareholder. Besides that, I am often a non-exec (Supervisory or Advisory Board). The sweet spot in terms of size for me here is pretty much between €50mln and €1bn turnover. I have supervised dozens of transactions and participated in many of them myself.
Besides energy transition, I have a big heart for education. I am one of the initiators of the Alan Turingschool in Amsterdam, and again, its success cannot be attributed to me, but I do enjoy being involved.
I also have some experience in managing non-profits, such as De Veerstichting, Vereniging Veronica, The European Press Prize and Forum for European Culture.
I recently published a book, The reverse is also true.
I am not actively seeking roles or assignments, but people who have interesting ideas or proposals are always welcome to get in touch. Ebel.kemeling@on-certainty.com