TomorrowMakers

Climate technology, shortened as climate tech, is a technology used to adapt to or avoid the effects of climate change on the world and our society. Examples of technologies that avoid climate change effects include the generation and use of renewable energy to reduce greenhouse emissions. Adapting would include innovating in agriculture and habitat to withstand the perils of climate change. Climate tech will help the global population in fighting against climate change, and its importance is expected to grow in the coming years and decades.

Like climate tech, women-led ventures are of increasing significance to society. According to the sixth economic census, women entrepreneurs constitute 13.76% of businesses in India and 8.05 million of the 58.5 million entrepreneurs in India. While climate tech is important from an ecological point of view, the success of female-led entrepreneurship is important for the country’s demographics.

Also Read: Five ways women entrepreneurs will bring about change in 2022

Climate Tech and Female-led Entrepreneurship

Bangalore-based Cydee Technologies makes patented energy-saving streetlights. Bunko Junko makes fashion apparel from textile industry wastes, that otherwise go into landfills. Saukhyam makes reusable menstrual pads from waste banana fibre. Revy Environmental Solutions is generating reusable resources by transforming waste through waste treatment.

These brands may seem like random examples, but they have a common underlying thread. These are all female-led startups working on climate tech. 

Recently, IT giants Cisco and social business incubator Villgro have launched a programme to support five female-led startups engaged in climate tech. The programme will provide Rs 20 lakhs per startup along with capacity building, and business and mentoring support, complete with a go-to-market strategy in place. This accelerator programme, named Tvaran, will support women-led startups working in fields like renewable energy, water, agriculture and waste management. 

Google India’s “Women Founders - Google for Startups Accelerator” supports women-led startups in their early and growth stages. It is available across all sectors including climate tech. Google plans to launch two more cohort-based programmes to support women entrepreneurs in India. 

Also Read: Google startups accelerator women founders program. Check the top 20 Indian startups selected

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and ReNew Power have announced the launch of a platform for integrated women entrepreneurship development. The ambitious platform will seek to break the shackles that hinder the growth of women entrepreneurs in India. It will focus on supporting these entrepreneurs in technology, digitisation and innovation in climate change and energy domains, amongst others. Capacity building and impact measurement are other areas where this platform will support women-led startups engaged in climate tech. 

Also Read: How ESG is changing the way companies are managed and assessed

Women entrepreneurship will be crucial in generating employment and contributing to the economy. With support coming from various quarters, female-led businesses can go on to have an immense impact in a critical sector like climate technology.