Green Entrepreneurship Is Thriving Across Africa And Beyond
Thilini Bandara
July 4, 2014
Nairobi has become the centre stage for one of the largest gatherings of start-up social and environmental enterprises to date, as 41 green entrepreneurs are recognized at the 2014 SEED Awards Africa Symposium, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) announced today.
The SEED Awards aim to identify and support innovative start-up enterprises that address key sustainable development challenges at the community level within developing and emerging economies. Consistent with previous years, the 2014 SEED Awards placed a strong emphasis on Africa, presenting 28 awards to enterprises based in Ethiopia, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. Additionally, ten SEED Low Carbon Awards were granted to climate-smart enterprises worldwide that contribute to grassroots climate change mitigation and adaptation. This year’s awards also provided special recognition to three women-led enterprises committed to promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment as core elements of their business models.
Each SEED Award recipient will benefit from a combination of financial support, targeted technical assistance, access to key networks and supporting institutions, as well as customized capacity-building to help strengthen their businesses and entrepreneurial skills.
The diverse range of winning enterprises reflects the potential of sustainable innovation to create lasting social and environmental impact. Examples include an enterprise in Colombia producing premium outdoor furniture from recycled plastics and organic waste, a women’s farming cooperative in Nepal enhancing food security, a project providing solar-powered electricity kiosks in rural off-grid communities in Malawi, and a Mozambican initiative that promotes the use of bicycles as affordable, mobile advertising platforms for low-income rural populations.
The 2014 SEED Awards attracted applications from 84 countries, showcasing cross-sector partnerships among enterprises, non-governmental organizations, women’s and youth groups, labour organizations, public institutions, international agencies, and academic bodies. The majority of submissions focused on agriculture and rural development, with significant contributions also addressing energy, climate change, ecosystem management, IT solutions, and educational initiatives.
The winners of the 2014 SEED Awards were formally recognized at a high-level international awards ceremony held at the Nairobi Safari Park Hotel in Kenya. Each award recipient will receive a tailored support package from SEED, including personalized business development assistance, technical advisory services, and a financial grant of US$5,000 to support the growth of their enterprise.
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