Climate Changemakers: Seeing Sustainability Through the Lens of Social Entrepreneurs

CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS Seeing Sustainability Through the Lens of Social Entrepreneurs JUNE 2021

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 04

22

Foreword

Emerging Insights

08 Acknowledgments

10 Executive Summary

12 Planet & Climate: Why now?

14 Methodology 16 Our Data 18 Survey Responses At-a-Glance

24 Insight 1: Everyone Has a Role in the Ecosystem 30 Insight 2: Environmental Sustainability is Not One Field; It is Every Field 42 Insight 3: Unlikely Allies Make Powerful Partners

50 The Path Forward on Climate Action 54 Barrier 1: Lack of Holistic Approaches 56 Barrier 2: Centralized, Slow-toChange Systems 58 Barrier 3: Imbalanced Attention to Resource Distribution and Discovery Across Subfields

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60 Next Steps

65 Appendix 66 Appendix A: Expanded Methodology 68 Appendix B: Carbon Sequestration as a Method of Impact 72 References 73 Further Reading

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FOREWORD

General Motors is committed to helping

society is facing. Young leaders are at

create a more sustainable tomorrow. Our

the forefront of a climate movement

vision of a zero-emissions future includes

that calls all of us — students, parents,

achieving carbon neutrality in our global

entrepreneurs, businesses, nonprofits and

products and operations by 2040 and

government institutions — to collectively

doing our part to meet the goals of the

rebalance and restore our relationship

Paris Agreement. Recognizing the vital

with nature. Social innovators — like

role young people have in solving urgent

Bashar from Bangladesh, who is spreading

environmental issues, we partnered with

awareness on each individual’s role in

Ashoka to find and support young leaders

tackling climate change and Katie Eder,

making real change in their communities

who brought hundreds of U.S. youth-

using STEM skills. Together, we host an

led climate organizations together for

annual online innovation challenge for

unprecedented collaboration, and many

young changemakers, who represent

more — are impacting large-scale climate

the diversity of climate action in

action.

geography, demographics and experience.

As GM’s chief sustainability officer, I In 2021, the Our Planet, Our Purpose:

am committed to ensuring that GM

STEM for Changemaking Challenge took

is leading the journey toward a more

a critical look at the pressing issues our

sustainable future. GM has set science-

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based targets to help meet the goals of

questions from their global group

the Paris Agreement and committed

of changemakers.* We invite you to re-

to the Business Ambition Pledge for

envision environmental sustainability

1.5°C. We aim to create inclusive and

through their eyes—and join the

sustainable solutions for common issues

global community of environmental

affecting the communities in which we

changemakers confronting

live and work.

these challenges.

Our work

Kristen Siemen

with Ashoka contributes to this positive

General Motors Vice President of

change by fostering collaboration

Sustainable Workplaces and Chief

and providing support to

Sustainability Officer

young people engaged in addressing the climate challenge. Faced with sustainability challenges, social entrepreneurs of all ages are meeting the present moment with urgent action and a long-term vision for a world shaped by a new culture of care. This report from Ashoka showcases the views, ideas, and

*The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of General Motors.

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FOREWORD

Today we are ever more aware of the

individuals, learning from them, and

threats we face on planet earth, from

collaborating with them to build a world

climate change to a global pandemic. We

where we can all thrive.

may feel overwhelmed and small. Yet too often we overlook our own power. The

For over 40 years, Ashoka has understood

changemakers among us are facing our

that the most powerful lever for social

most critical problems head-on, finding

progress is a new idea in the hands of a

the root causes, and figuring out solutions.

leading social entrepreneur. As the world’s

Ashoka is dedicated to identifying these

largest community of social entrepreneurs, we have bet on the optimists and the adventurous among us who see the world not as it is, but build it as it should be.

Ashoka’s vision is for every one of us to be a changemaker — someone who takes an action, big or small, to solve a problem for the good of all.

I’ve had the privilege of interacting with countless changemakers throughout my

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17 years at Ashoka, including visionary

gathered from our global community

young leaders around the world. Ashoka

of social entrepreneurs working on

has supported over 500,000 youth teams

Planet & Climate issues. Together, these

globally to launch and lead their own social

perspectives shed light on larger trends

change projects. At the helm of the climate

and frame where we can all go from here.

movement, young people are organizing and innovating to reshape how we interact

Every day at Ashoka, we’re asking questions

with the more-than-human world.

and imagining a world where all people understand their power. As you read

In 2018, Ashoka and General Motors

this report, consider these questions an

(GM) joined forces to find and support

invitation: What is my role in the ecosystem

young leaders making change in

of change? How can I empower those

their communities using STEM skills

around me? And together, how might

(science, technology, engineering,

we work together to truly restore our

and math) through what is now the

relationship with nature?

Our Planet, Our Purpose: STEM for Changemaking Challenge. You will read

Tia Johnston Brown

some of their stories in this report,

Global Director, Youth Years

featured alongside insights and data

Ashoka

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Ashoka

Ashoka’s Vision

Diana Wells

Ashoka’s vision is a world in which

President Emerita

Everyone is a Changemaker: a society

Corina Murafa

that responds quickly and effectively to

Co-lead, Planet & Climate

challenges, and where each individual

Pip Wheaton

has the freedom, confidence and

Co-lead, Planet & Climate; Research Co-lead

societal support to address any social

Alexandra Ioan, PhD

problem. Ashoka is the largest global

Research Co-lead

network of leading social entrepreneurs

Tia Johnston Brown

— individuals with new ideas to

Global Director, Youth Years

systemically address the world’s biggest

Irene Wu

challenges and the entrepreneurial skill

Director, Knowledge & Impact

to transform those ideas into national,

Ankita Terrell

regional and global social impact. Over

Knowledge Lead

40 years, we have supported more

Sara Pudimat

than 3,600 social entrepreneurs in 90+

Knowledge Manager

countries with solutions addressing

Mohit Gupta

society’s most pressing issues.

Research Analyst

Claire Heiden Research Analyst

Hector Moyeton Director, Impact and Networks

Rachel Fauber Director, Communications

Sarah Holcomb Senior Writing Associate

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1

The past decade was the hottest in

Leading climate changemakers are

our 140 years of recorded climate

equipping everyone to contribute

history.1 Now scientists say we have

to positive change, emphasizing

just one decade to turn the climate

interconnectedness of social and

crisis around. In the face of this

environmental issues, and pioneering

existential threat, climate solutions

bold partnerships aimed at the root

are critical.

causes of the climate crisis.

Through this report, we set out

We linked social entrepreneurs’ work to

to uncover which issues and

the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

fields climate changemakers are

(SDGs) and Conference of Parties (COP)

centering, what successful climate

priorities—key universal metrics—to show

solutions from social entrepreneurs

how these insights can contribute to

have in common, and what

addressing our most pressing social and

is missing in the movement.

environmental challenges.

Milman, Oliver. “Last Decade Was Earth’s Hottest on Record as Climate Crisis Accelerates.” The Guardian, 12 Aug. 2020,

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/12/hottest-decade-climate-crisis-2019.

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1. Methodology Using quantitative and qualitative analyses of Ashoka’s global network, we followed a multistep learning journey.

We invited all Ashoka Fellows to take part in a global survey that would allow us to uncover the connections between

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IS NOT ONE FIELD; IT IS EVERY FIELD Across issues from health to human rights, our most pressing social problems are inextricably connected to the environment.

Ashoka Fellows show us every field is directly impacted by, and directly impacts, climate.

climate innovations, Sustainable Development Goals, and COP priorities.

We analyzed the responses, interviewed Fellows and young changemakers, and conducted an in-depth analysis using pattern recognition methodology. Three insights have emerged from our journey so far, as well as several main barriers to systemic change faced by social

UNEXPECTED ALLIES MAKE POWERFUL PARTNERS Historically, fragmentation has weakened efforts for climate action. By partnering with private and public sector organizations, Ashoka Fellows are building collaborations to create societal shifts towards sustainability.

entrepreneurs and opportunities to overcome these barriers.

3. Next Steps

2. Emerging Insights

By collaborating with partners addressing sustainability in the private sector,

As we investigated how climate

Ashoka is working to uncover how

changemakers lead, innovate, and

climate changemakers are leading

articulate their vision for climate action,

historic paradigm shifts to redefine our

we identified three main takeaways:

relationship with nature. These findings

EVERYONE HAS A ROLE IN THE ECOSYSTEM

will help advance the collective movement to combat climate change, contribute to international climate conversations,

We can no longer ignore our individual

including COP26 UN Climate Change

and organizational responsibility for the

Conference in 2021, and ultimately support

planet. By directly engaging communities,

an Everyone a Changemaker world, where

Ashoka Fellows demonstrate the

each person has the ability and resources

importance of individual and collective

to positively impact people and the planet.

agency to create change.

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PLANET & CLIMATE: WHY NOW? Scientists around the world are in

Unless global emissions are reduced by

consensus: to limit global temperature

half over the next decade, we will face

increases to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-

catastrophes as early as 20402. These

industrial levels, we need to reduce global

projections might even be optimistic, as

emissions to net-zero by 2050.

2020 brought unprecedented wildfires in California, Australia and Siberia, and record-

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed

breaking numbers of tropical storms.

that swift, collective action is possible.

We must tackle climate change with the

And yet, as we look towards a post-

same urgency and collaborative energy

pandemic world, we have an opportunity:

we mustered to combat the spread of

what if we embed principles of

COVID-19— at the community, country,

sustainability into our recovery plans? What

and global level.

if we create solutions that address not only the need to rebuild our economy, but also

Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, we saw the

the need for greater equality and the need

interconnectedness of issues like health,

to restore our relationship with nature—

employment, and migration more clearly

all at once? What if we learn from those

than ever. We saw deep inequalities

already doing this in communities across

exposed. The global pandemic previewed

the world?

the devastating impact of the climate crisis, which will not spare any industry,

Over 30 years have passed since the United

institution, or individual.

Nations took its first steps on climate change, and in 2021 the COP26 UN Climate

2

Worland, J. (2020, July 9). It’s a Defining Moment in the Fight Against Climate Change. Time. https://time.com/5864692/

climate-change-defining-moment/.

Davenport, Coral. “Major Climate Report Describes a Strong Risk of Crisis as Early as 2040.” The New York Times, 8 Oct. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/10/07/climate/ipcc-climate-report-2040.html.

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Change Conference will bring together over 30,000 delegates for coordinated climate action. Insights from social entrepreneurs—the architects of climate solutions in communities worldwide— must be at the center of our combined response.

For decades, social entrepreneurs have been building the collective intelligence and pathways for action we need to effectively address the climate crisis.

Ashoka’s Planet & Climate initiative looks to social innovators who are rebalancing the relationship between humanity and the natural world through deep change: transforming mindsets, policies, and cultural norms.

This report is a call to action. By

“

One of the things I hope comes out of this year is that we have now felt—all of us— what it is to experience and live through an existential emergency and a collective societal problem. And hopefully that will make the potential of climate catastrophe more concrete in our minds.

Katie Eder, Executive Director, Future Coalition Ashoka Young Changemaker

embracing inclusive decision-making, holistic solutions, and creative partnerships, we rise up to create the change our moment demands.

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Methodology We embarked on a five-step process to understand how and where Ashoka Fellows and young changemakers are addressing Planet & Climate challenges (see Appendix A for more on our research objectives). Through our research, we identified patterns to inform our path forward for action.

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1

Frame the Issue We oriented ourselves to the context of the climate movement and spoke with thought leaders to identify possible shifts we hope to see. We worked to understand the landscape of climate solutions and define the purpose and boundaries of our research.

2

Research Solutions Next, we invited all of Ashoka’s Fellows to complete a survey and received 191 responses. We searched Ashoka’s database of over 3,700 Fellows to identify ventures most applicable to the Planet & Climate field and engage these Fellows in qualitative research.

3 4

Select the Solutions We filtered the group of innovators to focus on 26 interviews, representing diversity of geography, subfield, gender, and age.

Spot the Patterns We analyzed the interviews, clustered our findings, and searched for patterns across how entrepreneurs describe their approaches to climate change. While methods differed across geographies and ventures, shared values and ways of thinking emerged.

5

Build the Framework Finally, we identified opportunities for next steps, rooted in our learnings from Fellows and research on global trends, to build robust insights that guide ecosystem-wide solutions to the climate crisis.

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Our Data To understand the range of solutions and possibilities—and the resources required to make these shifts—we sought out entrepreneurs reflecting the geographic, demographic, and experiential diversity of the climate action ecosystem. This twopart data gathering approach included a broad survey and in-depth interviews with changemakers in Ashoka’s network.

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Surveys 191 Ashoka Fellows responded in detail to our survey, which we crafted with input from industry experts. By asking social entrepreneurs to describe their approach, impact, partnerships, and support, we set out to uncover what successful climate solutions have in common, what’s missing, and how organizations and companies can help galvanize efforts for climate action. We also studied COP priorities and SDGs, aiming to map entrepreneurs’ solutions according to these universal metrics (see Insight 2 for more information).

Interviews 191 Ashoka Fellows responded in detail to our survey, which we crafted with input from industry experts. By asking social entrepreneurs to describe their approach, impact, partnerships, and support, we set out to uncover what successful climate solutions have in common, what’s missing, and how organizations and companies can help galvanize efforts for climate action. We also studied COP priorities and SDGs, aiming to map entrepreneurs’ solutions according to these universal metrics (see Insight 2 for more information).

ASHOKA FELLOWS

YOUNG CHANGEMAKERS

To go deeper into changemakers’

We spoke with five young

visions for the future of the Planet

changemakers in the U.S.,

& Climate field we spoke with 21

Bangladesh, and Indonesia, who

Ashoka Fellows. These interviews

showed us concrete ways young

prioritized our focus to learn more

leaders are working with their

about the underlying principles

communities on environmental

of their work and approaches for

issues and offered reflections for

impact. We then combed through

the broader climate movement.

these conversations to identify common insights.

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Survey Responses At-a-Glance

Geographic Reach Location of respondents

191 total respondents across the Ashoka Fellowship.

62% 37% 1% Male

Female

Prefer not to Say

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Courtesy of Esha and Shreyaa Venkat / NE

ASHOKA FELLOWS For more than 35 years, Ashoka has built and nurtured the largest network of leading social entrepreneurs in the world. After a rigorous selection process, they are introduced to a life-long Fellowship, where every member is committed to championing the greater social good. We encourage Ashoka Fellows to take ownership of the network and we partner with them to co-create Ashoka’s vision of an Everyone a Changemaker world.

3,700+

90+

countries

fellows

93%

have changed public policy

93%

have changed market systems

97%

have influenced societal mindsets and cultural norms4

Ashoka Fellows create sustainable solutions for the communities in which they are rooted and find creative ways to ensure their impact spreads regionally—even globally—to create widespread norms. Ninety percent of Fellows’ solutions have been replicated by independent groups.

Fellows are “postcards from the future”— they provide us a glimpse of what the future can look like if their vision for change is achieved.

Ashoka. (2019). The Unlonely Planet: How Ashoka

4

Accelerates Impact. Ashoka’s Impact Snapshot. https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/ashokas-impact-snapshot.

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Office of the Secretary-General Envoy on Youth. (2020). #You

https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/environment-climate-chang

EST4US

LISTENING TO YOUNG CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS The calls of young climate activists are ringing around the world. At the same time, youth are taking action in their communities in countless ways, from running educational programs to leading conservation efforts.

Ashoka and General Motors set out to support young climate changemakers through the 2020 Our Planet, Our Purpose: STEM for Changemaking Challenge, which offered an opportunity for young climate leaders across the U.S. to share about their ideas and impact for a chance to win seed funding, training, and support. We received nearly 70 submissions, the majority coming from young women, and nearly half from communities of color. They addressed a range of issues, with environmental education, food & agriculture, and ethical production & consumption at the top of the list.

The UN found that most young people believe in their own ability to make a difference for the climate, but only 9 percent are “very confident” that the world will act quickly enough to address the most pressing issue of our generation3. Change will require all of us to understand our role and radically reimagine systems centered around the common good.

“I want to see a whole shift in the mindset that people have around climate change.

We need complete societal change. It doesn’t need to be perfect; we just need to start. And I don’t see that initiative happening right now. As I enter college and the workforce, I want to be part of a generation that is diligently focused on solving the issue and will force companies and governments to actually make a change [for the planet].”

Office of the Secretary-General Envoy on Youth.

3

Mary Catherine Hanafee Laplante, Founder, Speak UP Green UP. 2020 Our Planet, Our Purpose Changemaker Challenge Winner

(2020). #YouthStats: Environment and Climate

Change. United Nations. https://www.un.org/youuthStats: Environment and Climate Change. United Nations. thenvoy/environment-climate-change. ge.

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EMERGING INSIGHTS

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From our research spanning 45 countries, we discovered three outlooks shared by many Ashoka climate changemakers. These insights shift the paradigm around environmental sustainability to a framework rooted in individual agency, interconnectedness, and collaboration-and co-leadership. Social entrepreneurs, through their solutions and perspectives, bring dimension to these broader insights and help all of us better understand how we can together advance climate action.

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1. Everyone Has a Role to Play Individual Agency

Nature’s ecosystems are unimaginably

and how we can bring sustainability into

complex. With over 8 million species

the systems with which we interact daily.

interacting, competing, and relying on

Changemakers recognize one of our most

one another, nature illustrates that no

important tasks is to affirm the agency

matter how small, every actor has a role

of every individual and help each person

to play. Just as an ecological community

discover their role and make change.

is bound together by a network of influences, all humans are bound by

Ashoka Fellows are putting this insight into

the collective role we have played in

practice through how they work with their

the climate crisis. But we also share the

communities. In our research, we identified

ability to influence our future course of

capacity building as Fellows’ primary

action. We are facing an urgent need to

method of impact globally. Focusing on

bring everyone—from policymakers, to

education, skilling, and building self-

companies, to each individual —on board

reliant communities, Fellows seek to

for positive change.

empower diverse groups to take part in climate action. Through engaging youth,

Not everyone needs to trade in his or her

marginalized groups, and the general

profession to become an environmental

public, Fellows bring those frequently left

leader. But all of us can think differently

out of the discussion to the table.

about our role in the climate movement

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“

Climate change is such a large, daunting issue—it makes people wonder “what can I do to actually make a difference?” The idea that individuals—and especially young people—are able to take action for the environment is the message I want to spread.

Neil Suri, Founder, FireWatch 2020 Our Planet, Our Purpose: STEM for Changemaking Challenge Winner (Supported by General Motors & Ashoka)

Capacity Building emerged as the top utilized approach to create impact in the climate field.

Capacity Building

50% 48%

Regenerative/Sustainable business models

Direct Service to Communities

46%

Community Building

46%

Research and advocacy Carbon Sequestration Women’s Empowerment

45% 43% 40%

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Courtesy of Abul Bashar Rahman/ GREEN

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Change Rooted in Communities

Bangladesh is often described as “ground

The effort grew. Throughout the first

zero for climate change.” Rising sea levels

year, the team of students donned suits

are predicted to submerge 17 percent of

and ties to visit 42 schools and speak

the country’s land and displace 20 million

with administrators about activating

people by 2050. This information did not

more young people to do their part. They

appear in Bashar’s textbooks. But when

built a rooftop garden and distributed

his social science teacher shared the

free plants in the community. They

statistics at his school in Dhaka, the ninth

partnered with local government

grader was shocked.

agencies and companies. Today over 400 members in Dhaka and beyond

Bashar found out the region going

are part of their organization, GREEN.

underwater includes his grandfather’s

During the pandemic, the team paused

hometown, which holds his family’s

many activities, but continues to spread

generational history. To learn more

awareness through social media.

about the issue, he researched current conversations around the

Bashar hopes to have a seat at the table

Paris Agreement, the Green New Deal,

in national and international policy

and carbon taxes. “I watched the

conversations one day. But he also urges

[international] talks and I learned that

us to recognize the power of grassroots

climate change is actually a big issue, and

efforts to spread awareness among

the policymakers are not taking enough

citizens and to hold organizations and

steps,” he says.

institutions to account.

Then Bashar focused his attention on his own community. Though policymakers were not acting, Bashar and his friends took their own action, starting small: putting up posters to show how daily choices can make a difference.

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From the Inside Out

The journey to become a climate

to stay after hours to paint their own

changemaker can start anywhere —

waste containers. “The exciting thing was

including the workplace. When Geraldine

that we not only saw in the plant what

Barnuevo, now a Senior Manager of

they were able to accomplish,” she says,

Environmental Sustainability for General

“they would tell me: ‘Geraldine, I talked

Motors North America, was working as

to my family about composting, and

an environmental engineer at a GM plant

now [we are composting] in the little lot

in her home country of Ecuador, she

behind our site.”

had an idea. What if every shift leader at the plant—around 50-80 individuals—

Besides corporations’ ability to influence

was inspired to take action for the

systemic action through their policies,

environment?

they can help catalyze individual citizens to make change. “To think of where we

Together with a student intern, “We

started,” Geraldine says — “having a

created a little school inside the plant,

coffee with a group of five or six team

where we taught our leaders about

leaders in a manufacturing site.”

environmental education,” Geraldine remembers. “We would get five team leaders off the line and brainstorm with them. We came up with awesome ideas of how to reuse waste, how to change processes to eliminate water consumption.” The energy performance in Ecuador ranked as one of the highest in the corporation.

The plant eliminated all cafeteria waste, donating it to a farm. “There was virtually zero waste to landfill.” Employees chose

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2. Environmental Sustainability Is Not One Field; It Is Every Field Interconnectedness

In an ecosystem, everything is

management,” which integrates all

interconnected. Nature does not live in

aspects of the system.5

siloes—and neither should our solutions.

Rather than treating environmental

Comprehensive solutions help us address

impact as its own field, social

the complexity of climate change. We

entrepreneurs want us to view all sectors

must take a step back to see how the

and every part of our lives through a

issues connect: from food production

climate lens. Climate change impacts

to economic systems, to energy and

our homes, families and livelihoods. As

transportation.

Ashoka Fellow Alasdair Harris, founder of Blue Ventures, put it, “Conservation,

This mindset shift prompts us to move

gender empowerment, social justice,

away from traditional strategic planning

food security and climate adaptation—it’s

to focus on seeing a larger societal

all the same mission.”

pattern and examining the interactions between many parts, rather than

To properly address the climate crisis,

concentrating on a single element.

society needs a mindset shift. Ashoka

Fellows are organizing their efforts

Fellows like Zimbabwe’s Allan Savory,

according to holistic management

and changemakers around the world,

principles. To do so, they go beyond

are recognizing a need to move from

strategic planning to learn from those

“mechanistic management” —where we

who are proximate to the problem,

focus on individual parts of the problem

guiding decision-making through

to influence the whole—to “holistic

networks and collectives.

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Working to transition the Malaysian state of Sabeh towards an equitable circular economy, Fellow Cynthia Ong, Founder and Chief Executive Facilitator of Forever Sabah in Malaysia, maps out the issues rising to the surface in communities, identifies all the actors and sectors who should be at the table, and creates collaborative spaces so that everyone can voice their perspectives. To do this, she uses a groundbreaking management and facilitation style. Those who emerge as champions for change continue meeting as solutions take shape.

“

A lot of complexity was revealed through the process of collaboration.

We could see how things had to be together. We couldn’t address forest and soil separately, or energy and infrastructure separately.

Cynthia Ong, Founder and Chief Executive Facilitator, Forever Sabah Ashoka Fellow

Ketcham, C. (2017, April 19). Allan Savory’s Holistic

5

Management Theory Falls Short on Science. Sierra Club. https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2017-2-march-april/ feature/allan-savory-says-more-cows-land-will-reverse-climate-change.

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Fellow Kinari Webb, MD, Founder of Health in Harmony in Indonesia, observed natural resources being degraded at an alarming rate and made the connection to the parallel decline of human health. Moreover, she has demonstrated how to reverse this dynamic by recognizing the interconnectivity of health and the environment and creating a system that improves healthcare by working to expand forest protection, engaging physicians as well as the government.

“

The intersection between human needs/health care needs and the destruction of the environment was clear. Logging rainforest, bombing coral reefs, destroying land to get gold—those actions are often driven by the need for health care. People sometimes borrow money at 150% per month to pay for health care. If you’re destroying your ecosystem, all the healthcare problems likely are going to get worse, and you have a horrible downward spiral.

Kinari Webb, MD, Founder, Health in Harmony Ashoka Fellow

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Courtesy of Kinari Webb / Health in Harmony

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Courtesy of Harish Hande / SELCO

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Sustainable Development Goals and Climate Subfields The Ashoka Fellows we surveyed are putting intersectional perspectives into action every day. Nearly every respondent is working on more than one SDG, and 84% are working on multiple COP priorities (see the Sidebar on UN COP Priorities for more information).

UN COP PRIORITIES Since 1995, the countries participating in the UN’s Climate Change Treaty have met annually for the Conference of Parties (COP). The COP climate talks gave us the Kyoto Protocol (1997) and The Paris Agreement (2015), commitments that set specific targets for the 197 member nations to carry out for the health and future of our planet. The four COP priorities are broadly characterized as Mitigation, Adaptation, Loss and Damage, and Finance. In a talk in February 2020, at the launch of the COP26 agenda, President of COP Alok Sharma, called for focus on the following areas:

UN SUSTAINABILITY DEVELOPMENT GOALS Adopted in 2015, the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a universal and visionary framework for global cooperation and action, bringing all stakeholders together to proactively address and solve social and environmental challenges. A report by the Business & Sustainable Development Commission revealed that sustainable business models related to the SDGs could open economic opportunities worth up to US$12 trillion and increase employment by up to 380 million jobs by 2036.

1. Adaptation and Resilience: Helping people, economies and the environment adapt and prepare for the impacts of climate change.

2. Nature: Safeguarding ecosystems, protecting natural habitats and keeping carbon out of the atmosphere.

3. Energy Transition: Seizing the massive opportunities of cheaper renewables and storage.

4. Accelerating the Move to Zero-Carbon Road Transport: By 2040, over half of new car sales worldwide are projected to be electric.

5. Finance: Unleash investment to make all of this possible and power the shift to a zero-carbon economy.

June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS

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Data Exploration

How Sustainable Development Goals are represented in our survey respondants’ work, by a percentage of responses from largest to smallest

11%

11. Sustainable Cities and Communities

9%

4. Quality Education

3. Good Health and Wellbeing

8%

13. Climate Action

8%

12. Responsible Consumption and Production

8%

17. Partnership for the Goals

8%

5. Gender Equality

7%

1. No Poverty

7%

36 June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS

8. Decent Work and Economic Growth

7%

15. Life on Land

6%

10. Reduced Inequalities

6%

2. Zero Hunger

5%

7. Affordable and Clean Energy

5%

6. Clean Water and Sanitation xx

4%

9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

3%

16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

3%

14. Life Below Water

2% June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS

37

Systemic change for climate action necessitates that we work across fields, focus areas, and strategies. Fellows recognize a multiplicity of solutions, and they use various design principles including nature-based design (biometrics), mutual interdependence (modeled by the symbiotic relationships between species), and a focus on living within our planet’s means (doughnut economics). While Fellows may differ on specific strategies, there are values, stemming from our relationship with nature, that many Fellows share. They see nature as an ally. They embrace an expansive sense of empathy that is not limited to human beings. Ashoka Fellows like Mélanie Marcel, Founder of Soscience, and Lian Gogali, Founder of Institut Mosintuwu, are bridging the divides between humans, science,

“

We can see a new culture arising... a culture based on care. And when you care about equality, when you care about other people, even the ones you don’t know, you’re probably more willing to care as well for the environment, for other species, for places that you don’t know, for the capability of the natural system to be balanced.

and nature. By focusing on humans’ relationship to the natural world and to one another, they are creating new approaches in both conflict resolution and science that are rooted in respect.

38 June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS

Gonzalo Munoz, Founder, TriCiclos Ashoka Fellow

Courtesy of Cynthia Ong / Forever Sabah

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Courtesy of Katie Eder / Future Coalition

40 June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS 40

Building an Intersectional Movement In contrast to the icebergs-and-

coordinated effort to connect these young

polar bears face of the decades-old

activists, led in large part by the Future

climate movement in the U.S., “young

Coalition, which Katie co-founded in

people have come in and instinctively

2018 following the rapid rise in youth-led

understood that the climate justice

organizing for gun violence prevention.

movement is something that is so

Future Coalition acts as the “connective

intersectional,” 20-year-old activist and

tissue” for a youth-led movement: a space

organizer Katie Eder says. “It has to be

to collaborate and provide resources

based in people’s experiences.” Instead of

traditionally available only to adult

the arctic, a different image often comes

organizers. In 2019, Katie, seeing a critical

to mind for Katie: raging wildfires and

opportunity, formed the Youth Climate

the people they impact. “The fires show

Strike Coalition, which brought together

what’s happening: We are burning our

eight of the leading youth-led climate

world to the ground.”

justice organizations to develop demands for the September 20 climate strike and

When Katie and her team brought

led large mobilization efforts.

over 500 adult-led and youthled organizations into the Climate

The Future Coalition is now evolving their

Strike Coalition in 2019, she didn’t

climate action strategy to fit a new political

anticipate some of the challenges of

context following the 2020 U.S. election.

intergenerational organizing. Youth and

Moving away from national news-grabbing

adult organizers seem to “speak different

strikes, they will focus on decentralized,

languages,” she says. While many adult

creative organizing. They will employ

organizers have been receptive to

smaller, sustained actions, like local sit-ins

younger activists’ message, young people

at institutions that fund fossil fuels. And

continue to push faster and farther.

recognizing the connections between issues, and who they impact, will continue

In the last two years, youth climate action

to be key.

groups across the U.S. have skyrocketed in number. Behind the September 20, 2019 climate strike ran a massive,

June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS

41

3. Unexpected Allies Make Powerful Partners Collaboration and Co-Leadership

In Ashoka’s work to advance transformative social change, supporting the catalyzing force behind an idea has remained core for over 40 years. Undoubtedly, movements are galvanized by inspiring leaders who motivate others to take action. However, to tackle climate change, lone heroes won’t be enough. A systemic approach to environmental sustainability will require a new level of collaboration and co-leadership.

In our survey, Ashoka Fellows reported partnering with a wide variety of actors to achieve their impact at scale. Collaboration and co-leadership optimize resources and overcome fragmented approaches by bringing people together.

42 June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS

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43 43

Partners Needed to Make the Greatest Future Impact

Government/Public Sector A

Businessand Corp

Ngo

Un

Intergovernmental A Personal

Ngos Outs

Data Exploration: Partners and Collaborators Systemic change can only be achieved

Traditionally, government and policymakers

if all players in the system work together

have been key for systemic policy change

towards a shared goal. The movement

and continue to be important for future

needs to be both grassroots and top-

impact. Corporations contribute critical

down – we need government and

financial support and technology; and many

corporations to collaborate with citizen

changemakers collaborate with NGOs and

organizations and social movements.

underrepresented groups to advance their missions together.

Social entrepreneurs often partner with organizations in both the public

Ashoka Fellows and global changemakers

and private sector to secure funding

across sectors are optimistic about climate

and/or to form strategic alliances.

solutions, if we approach them collectively.

44 June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS

Agencies

43%

porations

43%

os in Field

31%

niversities

26% 21%

Agencies Network

20%

side Field

19%

Media* Other

3% 2%

*This was a write-in survey response

Fellows are forgoing the traditional,

Even companies that are normally

hierarchical leadership style where

competitors are forming alliances

a select few make key decisions in

for a more sustainable future— both

favor of a more collective approach

economically and environmentally. For

with distributed decision-making.

example, General Motors and Honda

Emphasizing transparency, collective

agreed to jointly develop two new electric

intelligence and empathy, Fellows are

vehicles, leveraging both GM’s global

transforming partner relationships

EV platform and Honda’s designs: an

to move beyond one-off funding

unlikely partnership that can accelerate

agreements to become authentic

the electrification roadmap and advance

collaborations among parties and

industry efforts to reduce emissions.

increase ‘‘signatories” for climate action.

June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS

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Courtesy of Nicole Rycroft / Canopy

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Allies Aren’t Always Activists When Ashoka Fellow Nicole Rycroft

Canopy aims for an ambitious goal:

started Canopy, she founded the

protect 30 to 50% of the world’s forests

conservation organization with a

by 2030. To cover each role needed

mission to protect the world’s forests

to effect this large-scale change,

while addressing climate change and

they’re seeking to “sync” efforts across

biodiversity loss. Over the last two

organizations. Overall, 90% of Canopy’s

decades, Canopy has transformed

work focuses on market transformation,

into a power broker for a bold

and 10% on contributing to a broader

environmental agenda.

societal shift in valuing the natural world. In particular, the organization

The organization is driven by the

supports and enables CEOs and

question: how do we help influence

business leaders to transform their

better decisions and better practices?

supply chains and publicly advocate

Rather than trying to change the

environmental change, engaging them

behavior of 7 billion people, Nicole says,

as champions for sustainability.

“We go one step up the food chain, so to speak, and recognize that brands have the ability to influence upstream.

When they have more sustainable practices, it automatically influences downstream.” Working with the forest industry’s largest customers, from book publishers and printers to leading fashion brands, Canopy secures largescale forest conservation.

48 June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS

“

It’s felt really important to us to have businesses, business leaders, and brands stepping forward to say: there’s a problem with the way that we’re consuming the world’s resources. I think people have traditionally expected tie-dyed t-shirt wearing hippies with peace signs on their front, that worked for environmental NGOs to say there’s a problem—but they don’t expect it from the business community.

Nicole Rycroft, Founder and Executive Director, Canopy Ashoka Fellow

Nicole’s vision is for a world of “just societies where our economies operate within the natural bounds of our planet. Where our leaders and our governments account for biological diversity just as naturally as the other factors of economic and social health. Where there’s a celebration of diversity—both in terms of humanity, as well as our natural world.”

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THE PATH FORWARD ON CLIMATE ACTION

50 June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS 50

In December 2020, we celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement. We are far from accomplishing the goals we collectively laid out. As we embark on a new year with a renewed sense of urgency to address the climate crisis, multiple opportunities lie ahead. Several economies, including the European Union, have laid out plans for reaching a net-zero or carbon neutral economy by 2050.6 The United States, under the new administration, has also laid out a renewed intent for a “clean energy revolution.”

In the last decade, an estimated 50 gigatons of carbon were emitted into the atmosphere every year. The time to act is now. Just as “Operation Warp Speed” incentivized vaccine development to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, buying climate solutions can incentivize scaling and creating new climate solutions. We need everyone — governments, corporations and individuals – to get involved.

Based on conversations with leading social entrepreneurs, along with our analysis of their strategies and solutions, we identified several barriers that are impeding progress on climate action. For each, we have outlined critical opportunities for how we—as changemakers, companies, organizations, and institutions—can respond with the urgency and resources to overcome these challenges.

Gerretsen, I., & Darby, M. (2020, December 10). Which Countries Have a Net Zero Carbon Goal? Climate

6

Home News. https://www.climatechangenews.com/2019/06/14/countries-net-zero-climate-goal/.

June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS

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1. BARRIER: Lack of Holistic Approaches Actionable Solution: Reward building the climate action community

Funders often provide support for specific innovations, rather than focusing on climate action as whole. This “winnertakes-all” approach disincentivizes the collective action necessary to effectively tackle the climate crisis. Rather than elevating individualism and new ideas, funders—whether companies, philanthropists, or government grant makers—should incentivize coalitionbuilding by encouraging ecosystem collaboration and offering opportunities that place changemakers in conversation with one another. This system of rewarding community building, collaboration and co-creation will create new possibilities for partnerships between the public and private sector.

This approach will better utilize and bolster existing solutions, in addition to

“

The climate crisis is really being addressed at important but not holistic levels, like international policy and tech innovation. But we’re kind of missing all the middle zones that fall between. That is something we need to significantly shift if we’re going to really make headway in addressing [climate change].

looking for new ones.

Shannon Dosemagen, Co-Founder, Public Lab, Ashoka Fellow

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2. BARRIER: Centralized, Slow-toChange Systems Actionable Solution: Utilize more decentralized impact methods

Responding rapidly to the climate crisis is made more difficult due to the bureaucracy embedded in our institutions. Rather than waiting for economic and policy incentives to manifest, businesses and individuals must embrace proactive change, whether on a small or large scale.

Intrapreneurs—individual changemakers who launch new initiatives for social and environmental change from within their institutions—have sparked some of society’s most important shifts through their first steps. Enabling changemakers to boldly respond to the climate crisis in their workplace, organization, or community will help to bridge the chasm between public calls-to-action and slowmoving systems.

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“

Local-level governments were much quicker to recognize the failings of the conventional water management model [than city-level governments], and to say we need solutions for where the system fails. Now the conversation is starting to go beyond the people working in the water supply field or those who live in houses disconnected from the grid. It’s started to make its way into the broader public imagination, and people are talking about it.

Enrique Lomnitz, Founder and General Director of Isla Urbana. Ashoka Fellow

Rising to the Challenge Ashoka Fellow Enrique Lomnitz, Founder and General Director of Isla Urbana, is demonstrating the potential of decentralized action and increased participation in his efforts to solve water shortages in Mexico City. Isla Urbana overlays a distributed network of thousands of houses harvesting rainwater on top of Mexico’s existing water supply system. Enrique’s complement to the existing infrastructure redistributes participation and enables each house to contribute and gather their own water. Isla Urbana’s system presents a significant paradigm shift, prompting a change in the way communities, individuals, and governments think about how they get their own water. For years, the primary actors were individuals supporting rainwater harvesting from hyper-local government districts in Mexico City where water was scarcer.

Through grassroots activation and project collaboration, Isla Urbana’s model garnered the interest of the Mexico City government and became a tenant of city-level public policy.

The model, however, was not merely successful because Enrique approached the city government. Isla Urbana’s strategic approach, beginning in communities where the water crisis was most pronounced, created a change in thinking at the grassroots level, which moved from individual households to the government.

June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS

55 55

3. BARRIER: Imbalanced Attention to Resource Distribution and Discovery Across Subfields Actionable Solution: Fund more innovations in climate fields where social entrepreneurship is underrepresented

Our analysis of Ashoka Fellows’

those seeking to make maximum impact

solutions revealed that innovations are

must work to deeply understand the

concentrated in certain fields, such

most vital climate issues in a particular

as Food & Agriculture, Environmental

region and time. We must also recognize

Education, and Biodiversity &

the value of supporting multiple climate

Conservation. Areas in our sample that

action strategies holistically. Companies

are currently underrepresented—for

and organizations should ensure their

example, Green Finance, which is the

sustainability strategies include both

primary focus of only 4% of survey

mitigation (to protect against future threats

respondents —can greatly benefit from

facing the planet) and adaptation (to

more resources with the purpose of

respond to the current crisis). In building

identifying and supporting innovations

these strategies with particular attention

within these sub-fields. Rather than

to context and broader impact, social

simply focusing on the climate issues

entrepreneurs serve as critical allies.

featured in mass media or prioritized by other companies and organizations,

56 June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS

Rising to the Challenge To create new and wider environmental solutions, Ashoka turns to social entrepreneurs working in subfields including housing, transport or industry —where innovation is both needed and can create societal impact on a massive scale. Not only do Fellows spark change in their communities, they serve as allies to partners in other sectors, bridging challenges and solutions from diverse perspectives.

Over the next five years, Ashoka will fund 50 Fellows with a strategic goal of finding innovators in underrepresented fields. As each Fellow impacts an average of 220,000 people, this brings solutions to 11 million people directly and creates the pathway for exponential impact.

Food & Agriculture

27%

Environmental Education

26%

Biodiverity & Conservation

24%

Urban Sustainability

13%

Environmental Policy

12%

Energy Production & Consumption

12%

Circular Economy

11%

Water Management

10%

Forests

10%

Land Management

8%

Ethical Production & Consumption

8%

Waste Management

7%

Climate & Gender

6%

Mobility & Transportation

6%

Natural Disastrer Management

5%

Ecotolirism

4%

Green Finance

4%

Climate Science

3%

Air Pollution

3%

Packing

3%

June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS

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Courtesy of Cynthia Ong / Forever Sabah

58 June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS

SETTING THE GLOBAL STAGE

Just over three decades have passed since the United Nations took its first steps to assess climate change, its risks, and potential solutions by forming the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1989.

2021 has the potential to be the year we implement climate solutions on a new level through cross-collaborative dialogue with world leaders. Several climate talks and events are slated for this year, the biggest being the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26). Scheduled to take place in Glasgow in November 2021, COP26 will focus on building towards a global zero-carbon economy.

30,000 delegates including heads of state, climate experts, and campaigners are expected to attend with the aim to agree on coordinated action to tackle climate change.8 COP is inviting diverse stakeholders to play a role in the talks, including governments, businesses, civil society, and young people. The conference organizers report there will be new opportunities for system-wide collaboration, marking an evolution from previous years and providing a valuable chance to scale up climate action.

GOV.UK. (2020, February 18). Alok Sharma Appointed

8

COP26 President. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/alok-sharma-appointed-cop26-president

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NEXT STEPS

60 June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS 60

Climate is a growing focus for Ashoka as we continue building a global ecosystem of climate changemakers, including social entrepreneurs, young leaders, and partners across sectors. Over the next five years, we aim to elect 50 Ashoka Fellows directly working on Planet & Climate issues. By identifying climate innovations, accelerating action, and sharing knowledge, Ashoka is committed to restoring humanity’s relationship with nature by collaborating for systemic change.

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Identifying Climate Innovations

Accelerating Collective Action

After mapping the climate changemaker

We will continue learning from Ashoka

ecosystem and identifying guiding

Fellows’ innovative models, amplifying

insights for the future of the Planet

the voices of social entrepreneurs

& Climate field, Ashoka is continuing

working on the ground in their

to engage with Fellows to deepen

communities, and advancing the impact

our collective understanding of the

of systemic change through connecting

historic paradigm shifts this moment

diverse stakeholders and Fellows who

demands. Anticipating COP26, we will

are working on Planet & Climate issues

share these expanded insights with the

around the world.

international community. We will publish a complementary report in which we will identify additional principles for future work in the field of Planet & Climate.

Sharing Knowledge Anticipating COP26, we will share these expanded insights with the international

We continue to be committed to electing

community through a complementary

visionary Fellows in the Planet & Climate

report that identifies additional principles

field. Our goal is to elect 50 Fellows

for future work in the field of Planet &

over the next five years, specifically

Climate.

embodying the values laid out in our emerging insights section: (1) Everyone

To follow our work on climate including

in the ecosystem has a role to play; (2)

articles and upcoming events, you can

Environmental sustainability is not one

visit the NextNow Planet & Climate page

field, it is every field; (3) Unexpected allies

here. Read more about the Our Planet,

make powerful partners.

Our Purpose challenge here.

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64 June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS 64

APPENDIX

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Appendix A: Expanded Methodology Through our quantitative survey

in the six regions we studied. Rather than

collection and in-depth interviews, we

describing a single tool or organizational

sought to understand where and how

strategy, these strategies apply broadly,

social entrepreneurs are tackling climate

address multiple barriers, and can

change. Furthermore, we wanted to

inform the work of a broad spectrum of

analyze how the work of Ashoka Fellows

stakeholders seeking to drive systemic

has adapted and evolved due to (1)

change. Strategies — also known as

technological advancements and (2)

Design Principles — often focus on forging

increased awareness of the importance of

new opportunities for changemaking or

climate change. We also asked questions

incentivizing action. By shifting mindsets

to understand how they are engaging in

and engaging old and new players in the

the broader community in their work.

ecosystem, these design principles spark transformation and create conditions to

Our analysis had three major objectives:

transform entire systems.

1. DISCOVERY: Through a combination of

3. OFFER RECOMMENDATIONS: Following

in-depth interviews and survey analysis,

our analysis, we identified key gaps where

we produced a global snapshot from

social innovation could create newfound

Ashoka Fellows and young changemakers

potential. We also discuss stakeholders

to assess where and how they

that, if activated, could be powerful agents

concentrate their efforts related to Planet

for strengthening the ecosystem for

& Climate. We linked back Fellows’ work

change. Lastly, we outline what this means

to SDGs and COP priorities to understand

for Ashoka going forward.

where the mass of innovations was, and where the gaps lay. We explored strategies, barriers and opportunities to achieve impact at the ecosystem level.

2. UNCOVER STRATEGIES: The strategies in this report have been distilled from the work of leading social entrepreneurs 66 June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS

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67 67

Appendix B: Carbon Sequestration as a Method of Impact What is carbon sequestration?

Carbon dioxide is the most commonly

oceans and trees each absorb 25%

produced greenhouse gas. Carbon

carbon dioxide emitted), geological

sequestration is the process of capturing

sequestering (process of storing

and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. It

carbon dioxide in rocks) and

is one method of reducing the amount of

technological sequestering (advanced

carbon dioxide in the atmosphere with the

technology that will allow capturing

goal of reducing global climate change.

carbon from the air).

We know that human activities are linked

43% of Fellows are actively

to the changes occurring in our “natural

sequestering carbon, making it one of

greenhouse.” Our ability to not only

the top methods of impact across all

reduce or eliminate our greenhouse gas

respondents. Fellows are transforming

emissions, but sequester carbon, holds

the way they—and their communities

the potential to transform innovations

— work by exploring the way carbon

from carbon negative to positive. There

sequestration can be applied to

are three possible ways to sequester

traditional industries like fishing

carbon – biological sequestering (currently

and construction.

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Carbon Sequestration in Action

“

Bren Smith, Co-Founder and Co-

GreenWave trains and supports

Executive Director of GreenWave, is a

regenerative ocean farmers in the era

pioneer of regenerative ocean farming.

of climate change. A lifelong fisherman

He is building a blue-green economy

who grew up working on boats and

centered on a farming system that grows

in large-scale aquaculture farms in

a mix of seaweeds and shellfish requiring

Newfoundland, Bren experienced the

zero inputs—no freshwater, fertilizer, or

destruction of the ocean by factory

feed—while also sequestering carbon

trawlers and decline of fishing as a

and rebuilding reef ecosystems. The

livelihood. Then he began searching

magic ingredient in GreenWave’s model?

for a sustainable way to work the

Kelp—a sea green that grows like weeds,

seas and breathe life back into our

sucks carbon and nitrogen out of our

oceans. His holistic perspective on

waters, and has a variety of uses as a

redemption and innovation paves a

nutritious addition to our dinner plates,

path forward for everyone to be part

in fertilizers and animal feeds, plastic

of the climate action movement.

alternatives, and more.

I often tell my story as one of ecological redemption from pillager of the seas to climate farmer, but we’re all having to come to terms with the same reality now.

And it’s not about assigning blame – for example to the coal workers or fishermen that supported the extractive economy we’ve all depended on. For me, and for all of us, it should be about stepping into an exciting opportunity to remake ourselves. This is an opportunity to create millions of jobs – ones that we can write and sing songs about – and revamp our economy in fundamental ways.

Bren Smith, Co-Executive Director and Co-Founder, GreenWave Ashoka Fellow June 2021 CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS

69

Photo Courtesy of Bren Smith / GreenWave

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References Ashoka. (2019). The Unlonely Planet: How Ashoka Accelerates Impact. Ashoka’s Impact Snapshot. https://www.ashoka.org/en-us/ashokas-impact-snapshot.

Clancy, H. (2016, February 1). Interface Steps Up Carpet Recycling. Greenbiz. https:// www.greenbiz.com/article/interface-steps-carpet-recycling.

Davenport, Coral. “Major Climate Report Describes a Strong Risk of Crisis as Early as 2040.” The New York Times, 8 Oct. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/10/07/climate/ipccclimate-report-2040.html.

Gerretsen, I., & Darby, M. (2020, December 10). Which Countries Have a Net Zero Carbon Goal? Climate Home News. https://www.climatechangenews.com/2019/06/14/ countries-net-zero-climate-goal/.

GOV.UK. (2020, February 18). Alok Sharma Appointed COP26 President. GOV.UK. https:// www.gov.uk/government/news/alok-sharma-appointed-cop26-president.

Ketcham, C. (2017, April 19). Allan Savory’s Holistic Management Theory Falls Short on Science. Sierra Club. https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2017-2-march-april/feature/ allan-savory-says-more-cows-land-will-reverse-climate-change.

Milman, Oliver. “Last Decade Was Earth’s Hottest on Record as Climate Crisis Accelerates.” The Guardian, 12 Aug. 2020, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/ aug/12/hottest-decade-climate-crisis-2019.

Office of the Secretary-General Envoy on Youth. (2020). #YouthStats: Environment and Climate Change. United Nations. https://www.un.org/youthenvoy/environmentclimate-change.

U.S. Department of the Interior. (2020). What is Carbon Sequestration? USCG: Science for a Changing World. https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-carbon-sequestration?qt-news_ science_products=0.

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UC Davis, Science and Climate. (2020, May 13). Technological Carbon Sequestration.

Science and Climate. https://climatechange.ucdavis.edu/science/carbon-sequestration/ technological/.

Further Reading Baker, S., Addlestone, R., Cruickshank, D., Owen, N., Borchers, V., Goodman, J., … Barber, M. (2017, January). 2030 Purpose: Good Business and a Better Future. Deloitte. https:// www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/About-Deloitte/gx2030-purpose-report.pdf.

Carbon Removal Newsroom Podcast with Nori. Nori. (2020). https://nori.com/podcasts/ carbon-removal-newsroom.

Crawford, V. (2020, March 31). How COVID-19 Might Help Us Win the Fight Against Climate Change. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/ covid-19-climate-change/.

Dallmann, J. P. (2020, December 15). Impact Investing, Just A Trend Or The Best Strategy To Help Save Our World? Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jpdallmann/2018/12/31/ impact-investing-just-a-trend-or-the-best-strategy-to-help-save-our-world/.

Gelles, D., & Sengupta, S. (2020, January 23). Big Business Says It Will Tackle Climate Change, but Not How or When. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes. com/2020/01/23/business/corporate-climate-davos.html.

Harvey, F. (2019, December 2). Climate Crisis: What is COP and Can it Save the World?

The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/dec/02/climate-crisis-what-iscop-and-can-it-save-the-world.

Huibrechtse-Truijens, A., van den Breul, L., Jan Haar, R., Korver, J., Kostense-Smit, E., Muller, J., … van der Valk, M. (2018). Sustainable Development Goals: A Business Perspective. Deloitte Netherlands. https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/ nl/Documents/risk/deloitte-nl-risk-sdgs-from-a-business-perspective.pdf.

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