WWF-India promotes climate innovations through Climate Solver

equitable low carbon future.  There are several climate innovations and progressive entrepreneurs, but what often goes missing is the right platform and access to the right channel of communication.   Given the potential for transformation and the capacity constraints that particularly exist in the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector, it becomes all the more crucial to tap into their innovation and provide them with the apt platform to foster their entrepreneurship and generate awareness about their technologies, along with the overall value of innovation, as an immediate and practical solution to climate change.

WWF-India, a leading conservation organization, works to promote climate innovations in the SME sector through an initiative called “Climate Solver”. Climate Solver (CS) is a global innovation platform launched by WWF-Sweden in 2008 to encourage and support low carbon innovative technologies that contribute towards mitigating climate change.  This platform strengthens investment in the development and widespread use of low carbon technologies in SMEs. These technologies are aimed at drastically reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or providing improved energy access.

Small and medium enterprises can be a Climate Solver nominee if their technology is projected to lower carbon emissions by 20 million tonnes annually (ten years onwards), or if the technology provides sustainable solutions to enhance energy access. After careful screening and evaluation, enterprises with the best innovations are honoured with the Climate Solver award under two themes, namely Energy Access and GHG reduction. Some very interesting CS award winning global innovations include ClimaCheck Performance Analyser, Solarturtle, Rhinowood, Ice-Stick Heat Pump, Integrated Bio-methane Plant, Solar Charging for Electric Vehicles and many more. 

Launched in 2012, Climate Solver - India aims to identify and highlight the problems, barriers and challenges faced by innovative entrepreneurs, and improve the market uptake for their technologies. WWF-India has been partnering with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), New Ventures India, Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (IIM Ahmedabad), Skyquest Technology Consulting Pvt. Ltd, National Innovation Foundation and Technology Development Board (Department of Science and Technology, Government of India) for the Indian chapter of the Climate Solver initiative.  

SMEs, with the potential to become leaders in India and the world in tackling climate change, are selected as Climate Solvers based on their development of innovative technologies that contribute to reducing carbon emissions or enable energy access through sustainable clean energy solutions. They have robust business plans for their proprietary technology and ambitions for large scale deployment of their climate innovation, both nationally and globally.

Four SMEs received the Climate Solver Award in 2012 (see box for details). Climate Solver has given SMEs a platform to showcase their potential and expand their outreach. Over the past one year, these companies have received other esteemed accolades and have been widely recognized for their innovations. Their innovative technologies are also gaining prominence across various niche sectors, institutions and organizations.

This year, the Climate Solver Awards ceremony will be held on 1 August, 2014 at WWF-India Secretariat at New Delhi. Nominations received from across the country have been evaluated and the final winners under both the categories will be awarded.

The theme for this year’s event is “Climate Innovation: From vision to practice”. Hence, in addition to the award ceremony, a report titled, “RE+: Renewables Beyond Electricity – Solar Air Conditioning & Desalination in India”, jointly prepared by WWF-India and CEEW will also be launched at the event. The report focusses on two renewable energy applications, i.e. solar air conditioning and solar desalination and is a follow up to the previously released report, RE+: Renewables Beyond Electricity, a compendium of 14 innovative renewable energy applications (beyond electricity generation).