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DTW
During the Week, Earth Day was celebrated and Berlin-based Vaayu co-founded by an old friend Namrata Sindhu raised an $11.5 million seed funding round led by Atomico. And they are not the only investment firms interested in the climate change mitigating enterprises. Platforms like Refinitiv offers one of the most comprehensive Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) databases in the industry across more than 450 different ESG metrics. There are multiple socially responsible investment platforms which help retail investors to invest in green tech, renewable energy, clean water etc in easy, automated, transparent, and customizable manner. For example , automated investing service like EarthFolio invests exclusively in funds and ETFs with strong ESG—or, Environment, Social, and Governance—practices.
Returning to Vaayu, it offers to its retail clients a real-time monitoring of retail sales at a granular, transaction-specific level, designed to help them reduce their carbon footprint. It is important to note that by some estimates retail sector’s carbon footprint may be responsible for 20% of all global emissions — more than international flights and the maritime industry combined.
And it is also not surprising that Vaayu’s board has 75% female participation. More on that later. According to company’s press release ,
Vaayu was founded on a vision to decelerate climate change and decarbonize the retail industry. Developed by retail experts for retailers, our automated software delivers accurate data that provides the tools and meaningful insights to drive down carbon impact. By putting transparency and accountability first, we provide a real-time, climate-tech solution that helps businesses measure, monitor and reduce their carbon footprint at scale.
I have written earlier about growing interconnected of platforms and environmental sustainability through four dimensions - positive impact through facilitating circular economy & incentivising environmental sustainability AND negative impact through increased resource usage in platforms & pushing materialism through an on-demand economy. Click on the above hyperlinks to read more.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has developed a Six-Sector Solution to the climate crisis. It is a roadmap to reduce emissions in line with the 2016 Paris Agreement, across six specific sectors: Energy, Industry, Agriculture and Food, Forests and Land Use, Transport, Buildings and Cities.
We could also look at the Race-to-Zero through the role of platforms to help mitigate adverse effects of carbon emissions by six major sectors.
Platforms have been able to create an efficient mechanism to manage financial and social incentives for sustainable practices. Initiatives like rePurpose Global which is a Plastic Credit Platform dedicated to reducing waste, reviving lives, and restoring nature's balance have been connecting conscious customers and purposeful businesses through empowering grassroots workers including rag pickers. Komal Sinha who is their Global Director of Sustainability and a fellow runner is leading the development of Plastic Waste Recovery Methodology under a multi-stakeholder model, as a part of the first set of globally approved Recovery and Recycling methodologies, along with the Plastic Standard. Platforms focussing on 3Rs (reducing, reusing and recycling) can help the world achieve waste-related targets under Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 12 (responsible consumption and production), as well as other SDGs, including on health, water, land, climate, oceans and sustainable cities.
Platforms could do a lot to reduce plastic use and save environment. Because of their extraordinary power over their vendors, they could reduce overall plastic usage in their ecosystem . They could incentivise less plastics in packaging for products manufactured by other companies. Of course, more importantly they could reduce plastics in packaging that they use to repackage for delivery. They could also lead by example by reducing/minimising plastics in their own brands/products.
Platforms need to act (confidently), innovate (comprehensively), and implement (justice for all). It is going to take all- Vendors, Platforms and Users. ALL IN.
OTW
Over the Weekend, I caught up with friends planning to join me during my Annual Himalayan Trek in Garhwal Himalayas. We also ended up reminiscing about the positive impact of covid19 pandemic induced #lockdown on the overall decreased air pollution levels especially in North India. For example, imagine being able to view mighty Dhualadhar from Jalandhar in Punjab or even being able to see Himalayas from Sahararunpur close to Uttarakhand border.
We also need to realise that the existence of humanity or human civilisations as we know today is at stake. All this noise about saving Earth is diverting our attention from the fact that the threat is NOT for Earth but for our life on EARTH.
I Love You
Shailendra
OTM
Opportunities through MountainSpeak presents you an experience of Solitude and of course “Solitude in Himalayas” can help you rediscover your self.
Fun Fact- Our cities produce 60-80% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
I have also started getting the F-cubed cohort ready for my Annual Himalayan Summer Trek 2022 from May 21st to 29th in association with AAGAAS. As usual , we would be trekking with friends and family in Garhwal Himalayas between Mandakini and Alaknanda Valley. This is primarily organised with local support to promote eco-tourism and thus may not have any luxury/paraphernalia but focuses on great experience and even better company. If you feel that a friend, colleague or a family member might be interested in this trek, please ask them to use the link to join to WhatsApp group for Annual Himalayan Trek organised by AAGAAS, Pipalkoti.
PS- About the title of today’s newsletter, it is long shot!
इसमें तेरा घाटा, मेरा कुछ नहीं जाता