20 Climate fighting upstarts to disrupt the fossil fuel economy
How do climate innovations go from ideas to startups to a disruption of the fossil fuel status quo? It’s easy to dream a brilliant solution, but very different to actually make it work.
The Keeling Curve Prize gives dozens of promising upstarts a fighting chance. Every year, they award $250,000 to a holistic array of innovators focused on:
Carbon capture
Renewable energy
Finance
Society and culture
Transportation
At Bright Ideas, we’re sharing their 2021 finalists to keep a pulse on some of the newest and most inspiring upstarts in the global renaissance to save the planet.
On July 31, two winners in each category will receive $25,000! Which innovations inspire you?
1. Turn fallen trees into green jobs
Cambium Carbon PBC works with cities and other public & private partners to save fallen city trees from landfills, turns them into their best use, and channels revenues into local planting projects—all while creating green jobs, supporting local economies, and fighting climate change.
2. Sequester carbon in seaweed
Oceans 2050 taps the restorative benefits of seaweed farming to improve the health of our oceans. Their Seaweed Carbon Farming Project quantifies the sequestration of macroalgal carbon below seaweed farms to create a new blue carbon market.
3. Turn CO2 into batteries
Agora Energy is developing a revolutionary metal-free, high energy density, cost-effective and carbon-negative battery for grid-scale applications that stores renewable energy by utilizing carbon dioxide.
4. Make booze out of carbon
Air Company transforms CO2 from the atmosphere into impurity-free alcohols that are used across various consumer industries, uniquely allowing consumers to reduce their carbon footprint by offering sustainable solutions to everyday products.
5. Build rural communities with sustainable materials
Build Up Nepal Engineering empowers rural entrepreneurs and communities to build safe, affordable homes and resilient incomes. They produce high-quality bricks using local materials ideally suited to rural communities.
6. Democratize digital services with the sun
Ignite Power is providing solar home development in Sub-Saharan Africa. They are bridging infrastructure gaps and providing basic services such as internet access, electricity, and healthcare in order to lead Africa into a more sustainable, inclusive future.
7. Decarbonize the city
Taoyuan City Government is leading Taoyuan, Taiwan towards becoming a sustainable city through integrating administrative resources, researching the potential to develop renewable energy, and launching diversified renewable energy promotion initiatives.
8. Empower villages with sustainable infrastructure
Village Infrastructure Angels invests in poverty-alleviating infrastructure for rural villages in developing countries. This includes helping 1 billion people gain access to clean electricity, access agricultural machinery, and develop solar water pumps.
9. Fund low-carbon refrigeration
BASE is providing financial instruments for clean cooling to overcome key market barriers through the CaaS (Cooling as a Service) initiative.
10. Support small solar in Africa
Energise Africa is a sustainable and ethical investment platform that allows everyday investors to support small solar businesses that operate throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.
11. Promote peace and a healthy planet
Energy Peace Partners leverages climate and finance solutions to promote peace in regions affected by violent conflict. EPP is providing clean energy financing in climate vulnerable states, supporting renewable energy as a building block for peace.
12. Affordable finance for low-carbon housing in Mexico
Sociedad Hipotecaria Federal takes on the energy demands of the housing market by offering sustainable and low-carbon housing financing in Mexico.
13. Inspire climate action with art and science
The Climate Museum inspires climate action with programming across the arts and sciences that deepens understanding, builds connections, and advances just solutions.
14. Healthy, planet-friendly food for the next generation
Educated Choices Program educates students across America about the impacts of their food choices, inspiring them to make decisions that are consistent with their own values as related to human health, the environment and animals.
15. Create a prison to forest pipeline
The Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program is combatting the threat of increasing wildfires by recruiting formerly incarcerated firefighters, providing them the training, resources, and skills necessary to secure gainful employment.
16. Carbon-free cooking
Solar Cookers International is improving human and environmental health by supporting the expansion of effective carbon-free solar cooking in world regions of greatest need.
17. Electrify any bike
CLIP.bike has developed CLIP, a portable consumer device designed to instantly upgrade any bike to a pedal-assist e-bike at a fraction of the cost.
18. Empower public transit with bikes
ITDP (Institute for Transportation Development and Policy) is creating a cleaner China through their conceptual plan for electric bike infrastructure. Their sustainable mobility model mitigates transport emissions by connecting more residents to the city center and mass transit stations.
19. Solar mobility
Solar E-Cycles Kenya provides affordable solar-powered mobility and power for homes or small businesses in Africa. With open-source, pay-as-you-go financing, their model allows for effective transition to sustainable forms of mobility.
20. Reward good transit choices
MUV is incentivizing clean transportation through an app where participants earn points by moving sustainably - walking, cycling, using public transport, or sharing a car.