Reflections from RESET Connect 2025 – How We’re Turning Talk Into Action at Hivemind
I’ve just come back from this year’s RESET Connect conference in London, and I’d like to share some reflections. Not just about the event itself, but also what it made me think about in terms of the broader momentum for sustainability, and the path we’re taking at Hivemind Technologies to not just talk the talk, but do the work.
Hot, buzzing, and full of conversations that matter
First off: yes, it was hot. Surprisingly hot. London isn’t exactly known for great weather, and yet I found myself in warmer temperatures than back home in southern Germany. Maybe that’s symbolic in some way. The climate is changing, and it’s showing up in the least expected places.
The mood at the conference, though, was uplifting. The venue (London ExCeL) was buzzing with people from all over: corporate sustainability leads, green tech startups, impact investors, policy wonks, and everyone in between. The organizers even walked the talk with vegan catering options, which was a nice touch.
We had some really valuable conversations, from serious ESG reform debates to spontaneous exchanges about how solar power and AI are more connected than most people realise. This mix of perspectives was refreshing and needed.
Let’s talk about the (tobacco and petro branded) elephants in the room
One thing that raised eyebrows (and rightly so): One major sponsor from the tobacco industry sparked debate, raising valid questions about ESG credibility. Another, closely tied to the petrochemical sector, was also prominently featured. Ironic, perhaps — but revealing. These aren’t gestures of goodwill; they’re responses to pressure. In some ways, they’re sponsoring their own disruption
And yes, it’s all controversial. But I tried to use those moments as an opening to talk about how broken the current ESG frameworks can be, and why we need to shift from checkbox compliance to impact-based reporting. It’s not enough to look good on paper. We need to measure what’s changing in the real world.
AI and Solar: An unlikely, but powerful feedback loop
A recurring theme I brought into many conversations was the connection between AI and solar power. On the surface, they seem unrelated. But here’s my take:
AI is energy-hungry, sure, but it’s also becoming one of the biggest drivers of electrification and infrastructure modernization. With renewables like solar getting cheaper every year (thank you, Wright’s Law), AI is actually helping accelerate the transition by increasing demand for clean electricity and enabling smarter, more efficient operations across the board.
This, as Tony Seba (one of the great energy visionaries) highlights, creates a powerful feedback loop: more AI → more electricity demand → more solar → more need for storage → more batteries → less room for fossils. And solar is the only energy source that’s scaling fast enough to keep up.
I’m not a fan of authoritarian regimes, but facts are facts: China produced the majority of the world’s PV capacity last year. They simply bet on the right horse. The clean tech market is still growing exponentially with major contributions from China. And sooner or later, the rest of the world won’t be able to use China as a scapegoat for inaction. They’re setting a new industrial standard. If we don’t match that, whether for climate or for competitiveness, then we’ll simply fall behind.
And here’s the twist: for once, the logic of economic growth is actually working in favor of the planet. If you don’t want to be outgrown by your neighbors, you have to keep pace with the clean energy transition. Sitting on the fence won’t protect you... it’ll just leave you even further behind.
Real-time reporting: Making impact measurable
RESET Connect also reinforced my strong belief we’ve had for a while at Hivemind: reporting needs to evolve. Carbon and energy metrics are just the beginning. What we really need is real-time, multidimensional tracking of environmental and social impacts that actually influence decision-making.
That’s where our software work comes in. We build and extend platforms that help our clients stream, process, and report sustainability data in a way that’s actionable. Not just dashboards for vanity metrics, but tools that help organisations change how they operate.
How we do net-zero at Hivemind (and go beyond it)
This event reminded me again how important it is to share practical examples and not just visions. Here’s our simple but scalable decarbonization playbook at Hivemind:
1. Estimate your impact
Every employee consumes electricity, heating, food, and mobility. We use rough but realistic role-based profiles to model our energy footprint.
2. Switch to renewables
This is the easiest and most effective first step. We changed our energy supplier to one that provides clean energy—and in many cases, it’s actually cheaper thanks to falling LCOE from solar and wind.
3. Offset locally through solar
We calculated our workstation energy use and offset it by supporting a local NGO that connects investors with rooftop space to install PV. It’s a win-win model that creates real, local impact.
4. Align your money with your mission
We bank with GLS Bank. Not the cheapest, but one of the few that aligns with the values we believe in. And yes, that matters.
We use this very simple playbook to extend and scale it to any domain, industry and size of companies and clients we work with. In some cases we are able to cut waste and save money and in others we shape the mindset to look for new opportunities that allow us to reduce unwanted side effects.
Accelerating the green players and nudging the rest
We’ve worked with some great companies in the energy space, production, storage, EV charging, smart and distribution. It’s amazing what’s already possible when good tech meets a clear mission.
But we’re not just working with those already converted minds. Sometimes our role is to plant a few seeds, offer a better way, or just nudge teams toward change by asking different questions. That ranges from work methodologies like agile and extreme programming on an organisational level but also goes far beyond when there is an opportunity to do so. That’s where impact begins.
Purpose driven use of AI
We get asked a lot how we use AI. And honestly, not every problem needs an LLM. Traditional machine learning, or even just smart statistical models, can be more accurate, faster, and far less resource-intensive.
We reserve LLMs for the right use cases: document parsing, deduplication, consolidation and obviously natural language-heavy workflows. The rest? We stay pragmatic. The goal is always usefulness, not flashy. The same applies for sustainability.
Regenerative agriculture and overlooked opportunities
We have plenty of experience in the creation of energy products and solutions, but one interesting topic that came up was regenerative agriculture especially in the Global South. There’s enormous potential here for growth that’s actually sustainable. Concepts like permaculture and holistic land management are gaining traction, and rightly so.
At Hivemind, we see an opportunity to support these efforts with simple but robust sensor networks and monitoring systems that can help track soil health, water retention, and vegetation cycles. The tech doesn’t have to be complex, but it has to work reliably. And it has to support the people doing the real work in the field. I truly believe that we can be a great partner in creating the backbone for the decision makers that have to decide on land management. The impact from these projects has the huge potential to compensate for the damage of the recent century. Even with great economic prospects. All it takes is a plan, a bit of patience and a way to track success. If success is projected into the future and the trajectories meet in reality this is a great tool to secure funds and drive the necessary change.
The urgency to act and the space to lead
One thing is clear: sitting on the fence won’t get us anywhere. We need to move toward green tech. Not just for the climate, but to protect the core systems we rely on: clean air, water, healthy soil, food supply, energy security.
Protectionism, fossil lobbying, or fear of disruption will only slow us down and deepen the damage. But the good news is that this isn’t just about loss. It’s about opportunity. I have faith in all of us that we can do it.
Right now, there’s plenty of room for ideas, niches, and new models to grow. The market is shifting. For those willing to move, experiment, and look ahead, there’s space to lead.
More than anything, I’m coming home from RESET Connect with a renewed sense of urgency and clarity. People don’t want buzzwords. They want real solutions. And at Hivemind, we’re committed to building them.
Let’s keep the momentum going.