Are there successful business innovations for the global South that help mitigate climate change and its impact on the poor? What types of innovative models are emerging? How can these be brought to scale? What is the role of governments and donors to encourage investment and innovation for the poor?
An event on 2 December 2009 in London showcased leading climate-change impacting organizations that work in the global South such as Toyola, (a manufacturer of carbon-efficient cooking stoves in urban and rural Ghana) and Selco (a solar panel manufacturer for the rural poor in India), which are two entrepreneurial initiatives from developing countries. Climate-change innovations by leading businesses such as Allianz whose micro-insurance products in health and life have been proven to provide better post-emergency outcomes for the poor (such as post-tsunami and post-cyclone in India) were also highlighted. Leading foundations such as the Shell Foundation shared their climate change practices in the global South that finance emerging environmentally-friendly businesses ranging from biofuels to carbon-efficient transport.
Speakers included:
- Adam Leach, CEO, International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF)
- Michael Anthony, Senior Microinsurance Manager, Allianz SE
- Jeroen Blum, Deputy Director, Shell Foundation
- Anand P Narayanan, Manager, Incubation Labs, Selco Solar Private Ltd
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Ernest Kwasi Kyei, Co-Founder and Director of Toyola Energy Limited
Bruce Jenks, Assistant Secretary-General and Director, Partnerships Bureau, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
The event was hosted by the UNDP’s Growing Inclusive Markets initiative (GIM), Business Fights Poverty, the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
For more information and resources (videos, reports, links, etc.) on this topic, please check the event website as well as our earlier post highlighting the need for companies to support development while spurring a move toward a low-carbon economy.
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