Climate Change & Small Business Environmental Opportunities
Link to Slideshow: Climate Change & Small Business Environmental Opportunities
A. Canadian Focus
1. Canadian government incentives:
Recent news about climate change can be expected to increase incentives for climate action and there are already substantial incentives. For example:
a) Federal Gov’t Clean Growth Hub webpage summarizing federal programs for clean growth: Clean Growth Hub
b) Full range of Canadian Gov’t funding programs for businesses: Canadian Gov’t Grants and Funding Summary
c) Environment related Canadian Gov’t funding programs: Canadian Gov’t Environment-Related Funding
d) Canadian Gov’t tree planning program creates opportunities for small businesses: Federal 2 Billion Tree Program
a) Electricity Human Resources Canada’s Wage Subsidy Programs
b) ECO Canada’s Environmental Employability Pathways
c) ECO Canada’s Training & Wage Subsidies for Environmental Jobs
d) Mentor Works’ Canadian Hiring Grants for Employers
e) TechNation Canada’s Career Ready Program
a) Canadian Gov’t budget document about tax credits for carbon capture: Canadian CCUS Tax Credits
b) Federal Budget 2022 included a refundable investment tax credit for businesses that incur eligible CCUS expenses, starting in 2022. The investment tax credit would be available to CCUS projects to the extent that they permanently store captured CO2 through an eligible use. Eligible CO2 uses include dedicated geological storage and storage of CO2 in concrete, but does not include enhanced oil recovery.
From 2022 through 2030, the investment tax credit rates would be set at:
60 per cent for investment in equipment to capture CO2 in direct air capture projects;
50 per cent for investment in equipment to capture CO2 in all other CCUS projects; and
37.5 per cent for investment in equipment for transportation, storage and use.
4. Organizations supporting Clean Tech including Carbon Tech entrepreneurs:
In addition, there are other associations and alliances in Canada that would likely support initiatives to accelerate Carbon Tech across Canada. For example, the Canada Cleantech Alliance is a Canadian coalition of 22 clean-tech industry associations and accelerators representing over 2,000 cleantech manufacturers, innovators, investors, industry adopters and researchers across the country.
5. Carbon Tech companies and related information:
Given below is a webpage we created containing considerable information about carbon-related technology (Carbon Tech) companies along with related information:
Carbon Tech Companies and Related Information.
6. How farmers can make money by storing carbon in soil and reducing fertilizer costs:
Given below is a webpage we created containing considerable information about how farmers can make money by storing carbon in soil and reducing fertilizer costs:
B. Africa Focus
1. Climate finance resources relating to Africa
Given below is a link to a webpage we created containing a video presentation and considerable information about climate finance resources relating to Africa:
Climate Finance Resources Relating to Africa
2. Climate finance support centres
The are several centres in Africa that help small businesses access funding for climate finance. Given below are some examples:
a) The Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN)
b) Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC)
c) Katapult Africa
d) Spring Accelerator, Nairobi, Kenya
e) Startupbootcamp Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
f) UNFCCC report: Climate Technology Incubators and Accelerators
g) List of 20 Business Accelerators / Incubators for African Startups by VentureBurn
h) A List Of Startup Accelerators In Africa by Afrikan Heroes, May 29, 2021
There are several breakthrough technologies that can be implemented by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that will generate substantial ongoing income for developing countries and produce valuable products while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For example, an innovative new company is now capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide with algae in seawater in a coastal desert area in Morocco. The company name is Brilliant Planet and it is currently in the process of scaling up its operations. This company expects it can capture and sequester carbon dioxide at scale for less than $50/tonne. Shown below is an image of their facility in Morocco, which is the world’s largest algae growth pond:
Another proven climate solution that removes carbon from the atmosphere, generates considerable benefits, and can be implemented on a global scale, is biochar. This product is produced from biomass in an oxygen-limited environment and is already being produced by many different organizations. Since producing biochar from biomass and incorporating it into soil is an internationally recognized way of removing carbon from the atmosphere, substantial money can be earned by creating this biochar. Even more beneficial than incorporating only biochar in soil is to combine it with nutrients and then place it in soil. For example, one study found that biochar combined with compost increased average crop yield by 40% compared with the control, which was compost without biochar. There has been a wide range of studies completed about biochar that have documented its substantial benefits, especially when combined with other nutrients. One notable discovery from this research is that the increase in crop yield is often even greater in the second and third year after adding this biochar to soil.
A major initiative called Biochar Life by Warm Heart Worldwide is underway to help smallholder farmers to receive payment for producing biochar. Therefore, small-holder farmers that generate and utilize biochar can earn money from this biochar as well as grow more food. To view more information about biochar and the opportunity to implement it on a global scale, visit this webpage we created: Biochar Overview: What it is, its benefits and an opportunity to scale it globally. This webpage includes this photo showing comparison plots of growing food with and without biochar:
Both these carbon removal methods will generate ongoing revenues for SMEs. Most of the money can be provided by private companies purchasing carbon credits to achieve their Net Zero emission goals. Therefore, most of the funding needed for ongoing operations of these carbon removal methods will not need to be provided by governments.
There are many more technologies that can be implemented on a large-scale in many developing countries. For a more comprehensive list of technologies that can create considerable benefits for developing countries while substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions, visit: Carbon Tech Companies and Related Information.
Many of these technologies can be integrated with renewable energy to produce even more beneficial results. For example, an Allam Cycle power plant by Net Power can be combined with renewable energy farms and direct air capture technology to produce reliable power with negative carbon emissions.
5. Some additional notable Climate Solutions:
a) Reducing Food Waste Through Solar-Powered Cold Storage (Example supplier: TAGE).
b) Solar-powered irrigation system, such as one by SunCulture.
c) Solar-powered micro-grid, such as one by FlexGrid.
d) Water filter system and automated dispenser (ATM), such as the one by Susteq.
e) Water from air machine, such as this one by Skywater.