Point One Launches Global Platform to Accelerate Clean Energy Funding

Point One, has officially launched with a bold mission to accelerate clean energy financing by mobilising private sector contributions. The platform brings together more than 30 businesses that have committed 0.1 percent of their annual revenue to support clean energy projects across emerging and developing economies.

According to the company, the initiative aims to demonstrate how small, collective contributions can unlock billions in funding and help close the global clean energy financing gap within the next 15 years.

Point One has been founded by Ryan Kohn, co-founder of Propersnacks, and is supported by influential global leaders including Paul Polman, Andrew Steer, and Christiana Figueres. Actor and activist Riz Ahmed has also joined as an ambassador to amplify the initiative’s message.

Through a key partnership with Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, contributions will fund clean energy deployment, grid modernisation, and community resilience projects. These efforts aim to create jobs, improve health and education outcomes, and drive emissions reductions alongside economic growth.

Point One places strong emphasis on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which account for over 90 percent of global businesses and contribute at least 50 percent of global GDP. The platform is designed to scale across organisations of all sizes, from start-ups to multinational corporations. 

Research conducted among SME decision-makers in the UK and US highlights strong support for collective climate action with 79 percent support contributing to a simple and impactful clean energy initiative 69 percent are comfortable contributing 0.1 percent of revenue or more, 82 percent support clean energy in emerging markets, although 52 percent lack mechanisms to act, 74 percent believe SMEs are overlooked as drivers of climate action.Analysis by Global Nation indicates that allocating just 0.1 percent of global business revenue could generate sufficient funding to enable a full transition to clean energy by 2040, aligned with the International Energy Agency Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario.

The model assumes that every dollar contributed can leverage at least 1.5 times additional funding from public and private sources. Notably, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet has demonstrated the ability to unlock up to 15 times additional investment through its blended finance model.

Richard Reed CBE, Co-founder of Innocent and Co-Founder of JamJar said,  "Small businesses are the backbone of the economy, but their collective power is often underestimated. Point One shows how companies of any size can unlock significant finance for clean energy through a model that's simple, scalable and commercially realistic." 

Paul Polman, Former CEO of Unilever, Business Leader, Climate and Equalities campaigner, said, “The transition to clean energy is the greatest economic opportunity of our time. Companies that lead will build resilience, trust, and long-term value.”

“Point One provides a practical, scalable mechanism for businesses, particularly SMEs to contribute meaningfully while strengthening their own future competitiveness. That is smart climate leadership,”  he added.

Christiana Figueres, Co-Founder, Global Optimism, former UNFCCC Executive Secretary, said, “We are no longer debating whether the clean-energy transition will happen, we are debating how fast we will make it a reality.”

“Initiatives like Point One highlight how, by aligning every day economic activity with climate ambition, we can begin to unlock new finance and broaden participation at the scale this challenge demands,” she added.

Riz Ahmed, Point One Ambassador, Actor and Activist said, “I'm not a climate scientist. I'm just someone who wants my grandkids to inherit a planet that works. Point One is simple.”

 “Businesses put in 0.1% of their revenue, and that funds clean energy where it's needed most. I can understand that and I can explain it to anyone. That's what we need, practical solutions people can actually grasp and get behind," he added.

The launch is supported by a campaign encouraging businesses worldwide to take the first steps towards clean energy adoption. Built around the message ‘Almost Nothing to change everything’, the campaign highlights how even minimal contributions can create transformative impact at scale.