"Nature is pretty smart in the way it uses energy and raw materials...Nature doesn't waste a lot. We can make better use of materials, and extract all of the nutrients and values of biomass.

"Many of the solutions (for carbon mitigation) can be found in nature. Biomass is just stored sunlight, like nature's own solar panel..to face the carbon mitigation challenge, we actually have the solution. We just have to deploy it, we don't have to start from scratch," he said.

Clean Technica, a cleantech - focused news and analysis site, spoke to Nielson ahead of the upcoming Sustainable Innovation Forum (COP21) in Paris.

"..The oil companies will not help the world to switch to renewable energy - that will never happen. They are part of a system that protects the business they have. The only way the world gets more renewables is if bold politicians step up to it and mandate," he said.

He said COP21 should result in firm and aggressive numbers on carbon limits over the next 10 or 15 years.

"Carbon is paid for long before it's consumed. Some of the world's most succcessful companies have a lot of carbon on their balance sheets, and they'll do whatever it takes to bring it to market. We need polititians to step up to the plate," said Nielson.