Climate Action

Climate Action that supports social and environmental entrepreneurship delivers market-based solutions which are inclusive of the people most impacted by climate change. Small and growing enterprises – with environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive business models – adopt low carbon technologies and offer products and services that empower communities to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

SEED shares insights at Eco MedaGreen Summit 2017 in Barcelona

Published: 11 December 2017
SEED was invited to participate in the Mediterranean Cities Economic Forum to share lessons learnt from its SWITCH-Africa Green project “Promoting Eco-Entrepreneurship in Africa” during a session on “Waste Management and Recycling in the Realm of Circular Economy”. Read more
SDGs:

SEED Award Winners attend the UN Environmental Assembly 2017 Sustainable Innovation Expo

Published: 07 December 2017
SEED Award Winners Muliru Farmers, City Waste Recycling, Dagoretti, and Ecopost attended the UN Environment Assembly on 4-6 December 2017. Read more
SDGs:

Transform, Innovate, GoSustainable

Published: 28 November 2017Authors: Julia Rohe-Frydrych, Regina Treutwein
Coming up with new ideas is essential for the success of a business. Innovative enterprises are pro-active in solving problems, for instance, in reaching new customers or to refining their value proposition. An often unexplored opportunity for innovation is to integrate social and environmental dimensions into a company's business model.

  Read more
SDGs:

Three Great Insights for Building a Great Eco Enterprise: Lessons Learnt from UNLEASH LAB 2017, Denmark

Published: 04 October 2017Authors: Jackson Nyarko
Some participants from our SEED Starter and SEED Replicator Programmes joined the UNLEASH Innovation Lab 2017* in Denmark, where they had the opportunity to work on their business ideas in order to create scalable solutions to the Sustainable Development Goals. Read more
SDGs:

SEED Burkina Faso Dialogue Forum 2017

Published: 04 October 2017
The SEED Dialogue Forum in Burkina Faso was held on 20 September 2017 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The event was organized by SEED and its local partners, Fondation Afrik Eveil and La Fabrique, which promote eco-inclusive enterprises by providing necessary services. Read more
SDGs:

Call for Applications: Replicator Connect Workshops in Ghana, Mauritius (Rodrigues) and South Africa

Published: 22 September 2017
SEED, SWITCH-Africa Green and the Government of Flanders are pleased to receive applications for our upcoming (SAG-) SEED Replicator Connect Workshops in Tamale, Port Mathurin and Cape Town. Read more
SDGs:

The 4 types of people who can help you grow your business using the SEED Relationship Mapping tool

Published: 18 September 2017Authors: Kay Eunkyung Kang, Sonya Ong
Growing a business can be a tricky and intimidating process. Business owners are overwhelmed with different aspects to focus on. Should we invest in better customer experience, partnerships, staff wellbeing, or procuring more equipment? Read more
SDGs:

2017 SAG-SEED Awards Ceremony for three South African Winners

Published: 11 September 2017
South Africa hosted the SAG-SEED Awards Ceremony for three South African winners on 18th August 2017 in Pretoria. Read more
SDGs:

SEED Mauritius Dialogue Forum 2017

Published: 06 September 2017
The Mauritius Dialogue Forum hosted by SEED and NELIS (Next Leaders Initiative for Sustainability) was held on August 8th in Port Louis. The event brought together around 50 stakeholders from enterprises, the policy level and key support organisations. Read more
SDGs:

A perfect match: How replication partnerships can effectively meet local challenges

Published: 25 August 2017Authors: Benita Rose, Christine Meyer
Within the last couple of months, we have facilitated over 15 Replicator Connect Workshops in Uganda, Kenya, South Africa and Ghana. Time to pause, reflect what replication can achieve and take a closer look at our matches. Read more
SDGs:

SEED side-event at UN High-Level Political Forum 2017

Published: 10 August 2017Authors: Arab Hoballah
The HLPF 2017 SEED side event on Innovative and Eco-Inclusive Entrepreneurship showcased the role of SMEs in achieving SDGs and was held on 13 July 2017 at the UN Headquarters, New York. Read more
SDGs:

SEED Annual Report 2016

Published: 28 July 2017Authors: Arab Hoballah, Christine Meyer, Jona Liebl, Kay Eunkyung Kang, Marion Müller vom Berge, Sonya Ong
This Annual Report guides you through the innovative ways that SEED has advanced in 2016 to serve as an active thought leader in the realm of eco-inclusive entrepreneurship for sustainable development, while also introducing to you this year’s SEED Winners that are all individually driving sustainable development forward in their communities and in their countries. Read more
SDGs:

Eco-inclusive enterprises lead the way to West Africa’s sustainable growth - 2017 SEED West Africa Symposium

Published: 28 July 2017
SEED West Africa Symposium 2017 was attended by more than 150 key stakeholders from government, enterprises, financial institutions, policy makers and accelerator programmes from Ghana and Burkina Faso. Read more
SDGs:

No Overthinking—Replicate to multiply impacts of Clean Cookstove Enterprises

Published: 28 July 2017Authors: Ebenezer Kumi
At SEED, we have been working with a number of successful Clean Cookstove enterprises: Nishant Bioenergy, WANA Solutions, Awamu, 5 Star Stoves and Greenway Grameen Infra, to explore pathways in expanding their reach and impact beyond their locality, region or country. Read more
SDGs:

SEED West Africa Symposium 2017

Published: 28 July 2017
More than 150 key stakeholders from government, enterprises, financial institutions, the policy level and accelerator programmes from Ghana and Burkina Faso came together to discuss and develop innovative approaches and explore partnerships essential to the replication of business models in order to successfully contribute to inclusive green economy and sustainable development in West Africa. Read more
SDGs:

Toolification: My personal journey in shaping the way we do business support at SEED

Published: 24 July 2017Authors: Mirko Zürker
My journey with SEED and providing one-on-one business support for eco-inclusive enterprises started in 2009. Read more
SDGs:

Meet the 2017 SWITCH Africa Green-SEED Award Winners

Published: 13 July 2017
The 15 winners of this year’s SWITCH Africa Green -SEED Awards were  announced during the UN High Level Political Forum 2017 in New York. Read more
SDGs:

Enterprise Brief: Brent Technologies

Published: 12 June 2017
Brent Technologies uses an innovative, low-cost technology (S-TECH) to transform waste motor oil into fresh motor oil, diesel fuel and roofing asphalt shingles. This overcomes shortages of motor oil and diesel fuel and increases transportation to areas that have limited access to basic necessities. Read more
SDGs:

Enterprise Brief: Coopérative Sahel Vert

Published: 12 June 2017
Coopérative Sahel Vert encourages the generation and use of clean biogas and organic fertiliser by constructing and
maintaining biodigesters in rural areas. Besides the various positive environmental impacts, the sale of surplus agricultural production and organic fertilisers offers households additional income opportunities. Read more
SDGs:

Enterprise Brief: Ekasi Energy

Published: 12 June 2017
Ekasi Energy produces biomass cooking fuel and clean cooking appliances for informal settlements with little or no grid power. The alternative clean energy solutions reduce health threats caused by burning wood, charcoal and paraffin fires usually used for cooking. Read more
SDGs:

Enterprise Brief: Gorilla Conservation Coffee

Published: 12 June 2017
GCCoffee is a for-profit social enterprise aiming to improve livelihoods of coffee farmers and protect mountain gorillas in the area. GCCoffee buys coffee at a premium, processes and sells it as a branded roasted coffee, whose purchase includes a donation to Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH). Read more
SDGs:

Enterprise Brief: Horizon Business Ventures Limited

Published: 12 June 2017
Horizon Business Ventures processes seed oil extracted from tree seeds and leaves and markets it to the local and international cosmetic industry. The enterprise builds capacity within local seed collection groups and thus offers employment opportunities through sustainable management of existing natural resources. Read more
SDGs:

Enterprise Brief: ICOSEED Enterprises

Published: 12 June 2017
ICOSEED turns banana stems leftover from harvesting into fibre that can be used to make fabrics for bags, purses or table mats. The enterprise creates alternative income opportunities for farmers in the production of fibre and in the sewing of products. Read more
SDGs:

Enterprise Brief: iThemba Phakama

Published: 12 June 2017
iThemba Phakama is a voluntary association of informal waste pickers providing tricycles and safety gear to its members. The tricycles are used as an alternative to stolen shopping trolleys that many in the informal waste picking sector use illegally. Read more
SDGs:

Enterprise Brief: Kencoco Limited

Published: 12 June 2017
Kencoco produces and sells charcoal dust and charcoal briquettes from recycled agricultural coconut waste and resells clean cookstoves. The products are a viable low-cost alternative to environmentally damaging fuels such as firewood, kerosene and wood charcoal. Read more
SDGs: