The Climate Innovation Challenge: an Opportunity for Green Entrepreneurs NOW

I am putting this out there because the deadline for this amazing opportunity launched by the Jamaica National (JN) Foundation is this coming Sunday, October 11, 2020. Yes, you’ve got three days.

“Climate change is impacting our region now,” says climate change consultant Asia Williams. Temperatures are rising on land and sea; sea levels are rising; our coastlines are eroding; prolonged droughts cause water shortages and are harming our agricultural crops; the impact on our marine environment includes coral reef loss, biodiversity loss and the pH level of our seas has dropped – in other words, it’s acidification.

It’s a long list of symptoms that our suffering Planet is enduring, thanks to our own human activities. If we were talking about COVID-19, we would call them “comorbidities.” However, let’s look at solutions. The JN Foundation’s Climate Innovation Challenge is being extended to “Water Warriors, Green Entrepreneurs and Climate Change Activists” who have sustainable business ideas to help Jamaica adapt to climate change.

The challenge will take place on October 26 to 27 – a two-day “boot camp” which will see teams going through some rigorous training. It will end with a pitch competition among the challengers, whereby over J$3 million in development grants, placements in the Climate Change Innovation Centre accelerator, and mentorship opportunities are to be won.

This is all part of JN Foundation’s Water Project, designed to address water management issues in the face of climate change. We seem to have either too much or far too little these days, don’t we?

You can read much more about this project here. Jamaica National is a building society, and the Water Project focuses specifically on water adaptation technology in Jamaica’s housing sector to build climate resilience. It is about the efficient use of what the media always calls the “precious commodity,” through rainwater harvesting and other methods; building climate resilient housing; as well as ensuring a safe and secure water supply. Water is life!

So, please get to it. You have just three days to apply!