Last week the German edition of Ecopreneurs for the Climate was held in Berlin: an event to highlight and promote entrepreneurs working on green innovations.
Einstein once said: “Imagination to is more important than knowledge.” It’s ideas that are moving our society forward and stimulating our development. And faced with a growing to create a more sustainable future, entrepreneurs are finding ways to create businesses that are tackling climate change.
In the lead up to the Climate Change Summit in Bonn (COP23) later this year, Ecopreneurs for the Climate (ECO4CLIM), a nonprofit organization that aims “to boost the creation and scale up the impact of cooperative, sustainable, and sound businesses that tackle climate change” gave ecopreneurs the chance to present their projects and impacts at their Ecopreneurs for the Climate 2017 event in Berlin, Germany. This edition of the event was organized by GreenBuzz Berlin, an association that seeks to promote and connect the sustainability community in Berlin, together with the help of local and regional partners and sponsors.
Held in the heart of Neukölln in CRCLR – Berlin’s self-proclaimed ground zero for all things circular economy – ECO4CLIM17 ended up taking place on a day that was really showing the effects of climate change, when the mighty winds of hurricane Xavier created chaos in the city, causing most of its public transport to shut down completely.
The event started with a panel discussion focused on the question “How can small companies or projects tackle big climate problems?”, which was tackled by experts from a variety of different fields, followed by the Climate Champion Awards, where four of the six selected ecopreneurs were able to present their projects (unfortunately two of the participants were unable to attend due to the aforementioned storm).
From Smart Meters to Electric Bicycles and Soiled Diapers
First to present was We – Power, an initiative that wants to tackle inefficient energy behaviour in buildings through gamification and smart meters, essentially incentivising energy saving among consumers by sharing and comparing energy usage data; House of Tiny Systems, a portable tiny house that can travel the globe as an interactive information and teaching centre, spreading knowledge to people around the world about how to set up their own water purifying systems ; Plan A, a donation platform to connect individual donors with environmental organisations around the world, characterised by a transparent donation process and carefully-tailored campaigns; and DYCLE, the eventual winner of the contest, an upcycling system that transforms used nappies into fertile soil, terra preta, that can be used to grow nut and fruit trees.
And also picked to present was Berlin-based Tretbox, a company that is developing a self-driving electric bicycle that offers both all-weather protection and extra load space – ultimately designed to be as flexible as a bicycle and as practical as a car, and with reduced air pollution and reduced accidents to boot. Tretbox wants to change the way we commute by offering cheap, clean and fast solutions. And last but not least, Anderland Systems, who are working on solar-cooling system to preserve food. This technology is key for in the agricultural sector, especially in countries like India, and small-scale local farmers are integrated into product development from the very beginning to ensure that their technologies are implemented in ways that are really needed.
If you want to know more about the events that ECO4CLIM is organizing worldwide, check out its community website.
