Global Scale-Up Programme & COP26: Where Green Startups Solve the Climate Change Challenges
The recent United Nations report on climate change confirms that ongoing processes in the world will inevitably force us to change our habits. Humanity will have to come to terms with increasing droughts, fires, floods, water scarcity and many other challenges that climate change will cause over time. However, not everything is as gloomy as it may seem at first glance. The countries are already trying to prevent the most radical changes, the startups from around the world are working hard to make our future cleaner, safer, and more sustainable, and the recently held United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland was a true proof of that.
The COP26 conference tackled the most pressing climate change questions, but this year it has also welcomed the closing events of the international Global Scale-up Programme. GovTech Lab Lithuania, operating at the Agency for Science, Innovation and Technology, co-organised the programme together with 9 other countries and focused on three challenges of climate change – increasing environmental resilience, reducing food waste, and decarbonising transport.
The Global Scale-up Programme created an opportunity for 3 green Lithuanian startups to present their innovative solutions to the ecosystem stakeholders, policy-makers and investors worldwide in such countries as the US, Australia, Germany, Denmark, the UK and more. The countries have also presented their ecosystems and invited startups to test their solutions abroad.
The culmination of the Programme, as mentioned, was the events held during COP26 conference, where Datahood, Foros and CHRG Network startups from Lithuania had the opportunity to present their solutions that are solving the challenges in the fields of transport decarbonization and environmental resilience. Lithuanian startups were the few of selected 18 startups from around the world, having the chance to prove that the innovative technologies created in Lithuania can bring a better tomorrow for communities around the world.
The Programme also proved that the governments around the world are ready to embrace and encourage the innovative solutions, created by the green startups. Some of them have already decided to scale and test the solutions abroad.
“Global Scale-Up Programme was an experiment from the very beginning. A group of enthusiasts from public sector and academia from all around the world were shaping this program in order to help the governments solve climate related challenges. During this program we have proven that the different governments can work together and bring the real impact while helping innovative businesses scale their solutions abroad. It was an amazing journey for both governments and green startups, and it is great to see the results already,” said Kamila Gasinska, International Partnerships Lead at GovTech Lab Lithuania.
It is planned to continue the support in scaling for the Global Scale-up Programme participants for the upcoming six months.
