BANGALORE, INDIA: In an environment, where global warming has sent a chill down the spines of everybody, green technologies are among the very few that are reaping success braving the wind of slowdown.
Trends show that commerce, especially e-commerce, for alternative sustainable 'Green' products has increased dramatically over the past few years.

Clean Edge, an alternative energy research group, reports that the global market for alternative energies (fuel cells, bio-fuels, wind power and solar) expanded from $76 billion in 2007 to $116 billion in 2008, and will grow to $325 billion within a decade.

Arthur Chang, vice president, global sales, Alibaba, says searches for alternative energy resources such as solar and wind, electric cars, bio-diesel and organic products have increased steadily on Alibaba.com over the past two years. Excerpts from an exclusive interview:

CIOL: What calls for this increased demand for green technologies?

Arthur Chang: The demand for green products is being driven by growing mainstream environmental awareness, especially in developed countries, as well as large-scale government initiatives towards clean energy. 

Green technology is becoming more accessible to businesses of all sizes as costs are declining, and favorable government legislation and tax subsidies make it more sustainable. High oil prices are also having a significant impact on green trade as they intensify the global attention on the need for alternative energy.

When oil prices peaked at a record $147 per barrel in the third quarter of 2008, we noticed that searches for green goods, especially solar energy products, jumped by around 70 per cent compared to the same period in 2007, when oil prices were just $77 per barrel.

CIOL: How did this help Alibaba's business to grow?

AC: All the factors mentioned above have led to the exponential growth of the green market worldwide. This is creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs and SMEs in India and around world who are realizing that green is good business.

These trends are also reflected on Alibaba.com’s global trade marketplace. Alibaba.com can help green suppliers market their products online and connect with millions of buyers from more than 240 countries and regions. We believe that e-commerce is clearly going to be the platform through which a significant amount of green business is conducted in future and we want to be at the forefront of this movement.