STEP 1:
Explore the Problem Landscape

Step 1 of the framework is all about diving headfirst into the "problem landscape." Think of it as putting on your detective hat and zooming out to see the big picture of global climate and energy challenges. The goal? To shift your focus from overwhelming societal issues (like rising greenhouse gases or extreme weather events) to specific, solvable problems that you, as an entrepreneur, can tackle. This process helps you go from “climate change is bad” to “how can I reduce methane leaks in natural gas pipelines?” The first step sets the stage for everything else by helping you identify where you can make the biggest impact.

Why is this step so critical? Because climate change is a beast of a problem, and you need a structured approach to avoid getting lost in the chaos. This step gives you the tools to analyze the issues systematically, breaking them down into manageable pieces called problem segments. For each problem segment, you will estimate the Climate Total Addressable Market (Climate TAM), which is a rough assessment of the maximum potential impact on the climate if the problem were to be solved.

By the end of this step, entrepreneurs will have a clear understanding of the problem they aim to solve and why it matters. This clarity not only fuels the next stages of venture creation but also increases the likelihood of developing solutions that are both impactful and scalable.