Issue #2 | August 2025
Why sustainability marketing fails (and how to fix it)
"You always have to think about what's in it for them. How can I differentiate my building offering from other office buildings? How can I make sure office workers are happy and willing to come to work?"
In our latest episode, I sat down with Orlane Panet, who co-founded MicroHabitat in 2016 with a bold idea: put rooftop farms on commercial buildings. But this wasn’t about tomatoes. It was about repositioning sustainability as a premium service, not a sacrifice.
They now have 400+ farms across 14 cities in North America and Europe, while staying 100% founder-owned and doubling or tripling their growth each year.
What stood out wasn’t just their scale, it was how they cracked the code on climate marketing. Their secret? They never led with sustainability. Instead, they sold business value for property owners and let the environmental benefits speak for themselves.
Let’s unpack how they did it, and what every climate-focused founder can steal from their playbook.
The skepticism problem
When pitching sustainability solutions, especially in commercial real estate, the biggest hurdle isn’t the product—it’s the perception.
According to a 2025 PwC report, only 30% of CEOs believe climate change will materially shift their business models in the next three years.
Even fewer, just 22%, say their company’s climate investments have boosted financial performance, despite mounting climate risks and growing stakeholder pressure.
These gaps fuel a perception problem. Many decision-makers still view sustainability as a cost center, not a competitive edge. And for younger founders, the skepticism runs deeper. As Orlane Panet put it: “The main reaction was, ‘Whoa, we’re not going to put tomatoes on the roof.’”
The takeaway: In a world of ESG buzzwords and performative greenwashing, climate founders aren’t just selling a product—they’re overcoming layers of skepticism, risk aversion, and generational bias. MicroHabitat succeeded by changing the conversation.
From the archives: when honesty wins
This bold 1962 Avis campaign redefined underdog marketing with seven honest words: “We’re #2. We try harder.”
What made it work? It turned a perceived weakness (being second place) into a compelling promise: better service through greater effort. Instead of pretending to be the best, Avis owned their position and used it to build trust, relatability, and loyalty.
The climate marketing lesson: Lead with value, own your unique position, and show customers exactly how that benefits them. Honesty and customer empathy convert better than perfection ever could.
Case study: how one restaurant partnership created a marketing flywheel
One of MicroHabitat's first clients was Antonio Park, a high-end sushi restaurant in Montreal. This early partnership demonstrates the power of their positioning approach:
For the restaurant, the rooftop farm wasn't marketed as an environmental initiative but as a premium farm-to-table experience that enhanced their culinary offering. The visual appeal of fresh herbs and vegetables growing on-site created a compelling story that resonated with diners seeking authentic, local ingredients.
This partnership created a marketing flywheel effect:
The lesson for climate startups? When you position your solution as enhancing your customer's core offering rather than as an environmental compromise, you transform sustainability from a cost to a competitive advantage.
Three practical takeaways from MicroHabitat’s playbook
1. Test your pitch on skeptics: Orlane used early rejections to refine her message, transforming environmental pitches into business pitches tailored to each stakeholder. Her advice: “Sit down with someone who doesn’t believe in your value proposition. If you can convince them, you’re ready.”
2. Sell the benefit, not the belief: MicroHabitat doesn’t ask clients to “care” about the planet. They sell building differentiation, wellness perks, and social ROI. The climate impact? That’s the bonus, not the hook.
3. Design marketing that markets itself: From rooftop photoshoots to harvest stands and food bank donations, their farms double as content engines. Their installations don’t just grow food—they grow stories.
What's working now: the amenity-as-a-service model
MicroHabitat isn’t in the agriculture business—they’re in the urban amenities business.
Orlane listened carefully to objections and repositioned the offering to address specific pain points:
For property owners: Building differentiation and tenant attraction
For office managers: Employee engagement and wellness
For retailers: Farm-to-table storytelling and premium positioning
This targeted repositioning transformed resistance into enthusiasm, a lesson for any climate entrepreneur facing market skepticism.
The strategy: Turn sustainability into a visible, hands-off, high-impact premium service that builds business value first, and environmental value naturally follows.
Listen to the full conversation
For more insights on turning sustainability into a scalable, service-based business, check out my full interview with Orlane Panet on The Capitalist Hippie podcast.
You’ll hear:
How they transformed early rejections into a repeatable sales strategy
The business case for bootstrapping, and why they've turned down outside funding
How they scaled from one city to 14 by building replicable systems, not just gardens
The Capitalist Hippie Newsletter helps purpose-driven founders build brands that sell. Have a marketing challenge you're wrestling with? Comment below—I read every response.