Our Co-Lab Approach
To supercharge an ecosystem for inclusive innovation in climate action, our Co-Labs:
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Boost shared expertise and knowledge
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Foster vital partnerships and break down silos
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Empower innovators to magnify their impact
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Enhance resilience and adaptation for climate-threatened, low-income sectors
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Collaborate and innovate for a climate-resilient future
Carbon Finance
Mission: To design and promote carbon finance programs that will reach the most vulnerable and result in the creation of improved livelihoods for women and drive public and private sector funding to underfunded areas in carbon finance.
Co-Lab Leaders: BFA Global, Mercy Corps
Participating Institutions: MasterCard Foundation, Technoserve, PayPal, One Acre Fund, FSD Africa, IUCN, Omnivore, BII
Knowledge Products:
Climate Adaptation and Resilience Metrics (CARmet)
Mission: Better metrics are needed that focus on how innovation can specifically address climate resilience, as a way to inform impactful investment and drive fintech platform development at scale. The goal is to collectively think around the idea of defining feasible, and scalable metrics on the resilience of the communities that are served by startups.
Co-Lab Leader: BFA Global
Participating Institutions: Atlas AI, Maze, GIZ, Deetken Impact, Technoserve, NZGIF, The GEF, CAMCO, Accion, GARI, ANDEN, Race to Resilience/UN, UNIDO, 60 Decibels, Vivid Economics, Village Capital, The Lightsmith Group, PFAN
Blockchain for Resilience
Mission: Accelerate blockchain-based climate innovations that mitigate GHG emissions and build the resilience of underserved populations. Two initial areas of focus for this WG: a) undertake a landscape analysis and, b) showcase innovators in this space.
Co-Lab Leaders: BFA Global, PayPal
Participating Institutions: FSD Africa, Mercy Corps, Plan Vivo Foundation, IUCN
Knowledge Products:
Climate Resilient Agriculture
Mission: Strengthening the climate resilience smallholder farmers, particularly women. To do so it will track and, where possible, support, the development, deployment, upscaling, and dissemination of digital technology for agri-food systems.
Co-Lab Leader: Microsave
Participating Institutions: World Bank, GSMA, WRI, Praxis Consulting Ltd., FSD Africa, Mercy Corps, IUCN, BII
Knowledge Products:
Climate Venture Investment
Mission: Develop a white paper on the business case for investing in fintech for climate resilience, highlighting impact case and return potential. Showcase innovators from our collective portfolios at startup-investors events during COP.
Co-Lab Leaders: BFA Global, Mercy Corps, Catalyst Fund
Participating Institutions: FSD Africa, Gawa Capital, BII, Temasek, IUCN, Omnivore, Microsave
Knowledge Products:
Universal Climate Resilience
Mission: An action-project which will aim to offer the private sector mechanism for loss and damage
Co-Lab Leaders: BFA Global, FSD Africa
Participating Institutions: Africa Risk Capacity, Atlantic Council, BFA Global, Celo Climate Collective, Celo Foundation, Climate Champions, Data Kind, Equity Bank, FSD Africa, Give Directly, IDEO, KIVA, Lawrence Berkely Lab, Mastercard Foundation + Mastercard Inc, Mercy Corps Ventures, MetLife Foundation, MTN MoMo / Ayo, PayPal, Swiss Capacity Building Facility
Knowledge Products:
Africa Blue Wave
Mission: Advisors to the Africa Blue Wave, on areas of opportunity, business models and climate strategy counseling.
Co-Lab Leaders: BFA Global
Participating Institutions: Ocean Hub, AquaRech LTD, CORDIO East Africa, Technoserve, FSD Africa, We Forum, ABALOBI, IUCN
Knowledge Products:
Elevating the Voices of Affected People
Mission: Ensuring that the customer is at the center of The CIFAR Alliance efforts. It will do so by bringing the latest evidence on how vulnerable customers, especially women, are impacted by climate risks, and where financial services can play a role in supporting their resilience and adaptation to ongoing climate shocks and stresses.
Co-Lab Leaders: CGAP, Microsave
Participating Institutions: BFA Global
Climate Smart Innovation Hub
Mission: The Hub will explore fintech solutions for climate vulnerable users, ultimately aiming to understand and provide guidance for how such solutions can create new or improved climate resilient livelihoods.
Co-Lab Leaders: BFA Global, MasterCard Center For Inclusive Growth
Participating Institutions: AfricArena, Better Than Cash Alliance, Catalyst Fund, BFA Global, CGIAR, GreenCape, GSMA, International Rescue, JP Morgan Chase, Mercy Corps, Sustainable Ocean Alliance, TAPT4 Design Consulting, UCT Financial Innovation, VUA Inc, World Bank, WRI
Knowledge Products: