Company Announcement - WWF’s Climate Solver initiative, now in its third year in South Africa, seeks to identify and showcase small and medium enterprises that are developing new technologies to tackle climate change. With record temperatures recorded during heatwave conditions in South Africa this January, and in the wake of promises made at COP21 in Paris, the need to reduce carbon emissions implicated in global warming could not be more urgent. In this respect, innovative technologies have a critical role to play. Climate Solver, now run in China, Sweden, India and South Africa, seeks to identify entrepreneurs developing innovative technologies to reduce carbon emissions and support energy access.

Nominations for the 2016 competition in South Africa are now open. The closing date is 14 March 2016 and the finalists will be announced in April/May 2016.The awards are a valuable opportunity for small businesses to showcase and develop partnerships to roll out their innovative technologies. Competition organiser Louise Scholtz, a project manager at WWF-SA, says: “Working collaboratively, the idea is that the Climate Solver initiative should impact positively on the capacity of small and medium-size enterprises to develop and roll-out innovative technologies that will help us tackle the climate crisis.”

Who is eligible to enter?

• Small and medium enterprises whose technology could provide sustainable solutions to enhance energy access or lower carbon emissions by 20 million tonnes annually from 2023 onwards.
• Companies that own their technology, have developed the product to post-pilot stage and have clear business plans for developing and promoting the product.

Following a rigorous adjudication process, up to four Climate Solvers will be selected and their technologies showcased at an award ceremony in April/May 2016.

WWF-SA will also produce a short video of each of the selected technologies that will be featured on the South African and International WWF Climate Solver webpages, and which the enterprise can use for promotional purposes.