Largest global green business ideas competition kicks off

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ISLAMABAD, JUNE 17 (DNA)  – ClimateLaunchpad, the world’s leading green business ideas competition is being organized in Pakistan for the first time in 2019.ClimateLaunchpad is set up to help aspiring entrepreneurs grow their green ideas into global businesses.The competition welcomes innovations in renewable energy, energy efficiency, food and agriculture, water, transportation, industrial technology or any other way to tackle climate change.

Speaking at the event, Ms Zartaj Gul, Federal Minister of State for Climate Change said that: “Addressing the negative impacts of climate change and supporting sustainable industrial development through innovation and invention is the need of the hour.

 A green and clean future demands thousands of innovations challenging current business models; and investing in ideas and entrepreneurs is the way to go about it.”

Hira Wajahat, Projects Manager at Stimulus and Pakistan National Lead for ClimateLaunchpad:

“We believe that Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change can only be resolved when we play an active role as climate-conscious citizens and take responsible action through active climate leadership. We have received 100 applications for the program from across Pakistan addressing solutions to challenges in agriculture, healthcare, energy efficiency, water and waste management.”

Dedicated partners and supporters including Lucky Cement, Shell Tameer, City FM 89, Dalda, Impact Network Pakistan, Women Engineers Pakistan, Funverks Global and Eco-Guards Impactory have enabled Stimulus in taking this mission forward.

Frans Nauta, ClimateLaunchpad founder joined in the conversation through a video message:

“A green business school in disguise – that is how former participants refer to our competition. We train people with green ideas to become successful entrepreneurs. Since the start in 2014 we already helped 1,500 teams on their way with setting up their global businesses.

This year we will run the programme in at least 50 countries. We know climate change is solvable. We also know there will not be one single cure, we need – and there will be – thousands of big and small cures. That is why it is our mission to fix climate change, one start-up at a time.”

In all participating countries, selected participants start off their rigorous training with an intensive 2-day Boot Camp.

 The Boot Camp is followed by intensive coaching sessions, leading up a National Final in each country.

The top-2 of all competing countries will battle the Global Grand Final in November 2019. The world’s top-10 best ideas win access to a regional accelerator program. The overall winner of the Global Grand Final also receives a cash prize of €10,000, the runner up gets €5,000 and the team that comes in third place wins €2,500.=DNA

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