Climate Change and Social Entrepreneurship

Dr. Bremley W. B. Lyngdoh – Founder and Chief Executive

Climate Change becoming top CSR • Reducing carbon emissions, improving transparency in business and labor relations is

becoming top corporate social responsibility issues for companies in Asia-Pacific.

• According to a report named The Future of Corporate Social Responsibility by CSR Asia, more than 70 recognized experts on corporate social responsibility in the region were interviewed and identified that climate change will emerge as the top corporate social responsibility issue, followed by corporate governance, and labor and human resources.

• Some 50 out of 73 experts listed corporate governance as the second most important corporate social responsibility topic likely to emerge over the next 10 years. Labor and human resources, environmental issues and partnerships with stakeholders make up the top five hot issues.

• The report also said that the key institutions influencing corporate social responsibility are governments and politicians followed by non-government organizations and civil society organizations and companies themselves.

Shift in Business As Usual Approach

• Companies are seen as allocating more resources to this issue and the emergence of China as a key player in the discourse over appropriate policy will create a new impetus for business.

• Companies are going to have to demonstrate that they are reducing their own carbon impacts as well as working in partnerships with others on adapting to climate change.

• Companies should measure and report on their own GHGs and demonstrate what measures they are putting in place to mitigate their climate change impacts.

• Companies should contribute to climate change adaptation in the communities in which they operate.

"Climate Change" Graph - Image by NASA

Vision

• The vision of Worldview Impact is to create a Sustainable Business for a Sustainable Future.

• By making green investments grow, in projects that are mitigating climate change at the grassroots level, we will see sustainable livelihoods created for the poor and poverty reduced.

Mission• Protecting the environment and biodiversity through the mitigation of

climate change via rubber plantation, water & clean energy harvesting projects.

• Enabling local economic growth through the creation of sustainable livelihoods and green jobs for the poor in our pilot countries via our projects.

• Supporting social development through poverty reduction initiatives via skills building and training for rural youth in our pilot countries.

• Promoting conflict resolution through the creation of safe, respectful and sustainable working environments for parties in conflict to live in harmony.

• Supporting public health through the manufacturing of carbon free organic contraceptives and surgical gloves for disease prevention.

Global Campaigns

Mitigating Climate Change

Mitigating Climate Change• There is an urgent need for action to both neutralize carbon

emissions as well as reduce poverty on a large scale globally.

• In combining these targets, the overall priority of our business is to provide rapid impact in starting Asia and then moving on to Africa and Latin America.

• The environmental impact (including sequestration of Green House Gases) by planting of fast growing rubber trees has a positive effect, which continues until harvesting of the trees after 30 years and thereafter by new planting.

Rubber Plantation

Rubber Plantation• It is clear that planting rubber trees has widespread benefits and ensures the

goals of the project are fully met.

• Rubber based agro-forestry involves a complex and diverse cropping system (or multi-cropping) that combines the growing of rubber and other agricultural crops in the area in a sustainable manner.

• We have carefully selected the highest yield rubber trees, with a mix of various clones to secure the most sustainable plantation practices.

• The project’s concept of 100% organic agricultural methods, will ensure maximum carbon absorption value, in addition to avoiding the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides made of carbon based raw materials.

Rubber Tapping

Latex Collection

Rubber Nursery in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Project• Starting with Sri Lanka as our first pilot country, we aim to

mitigate 2 million tons of GHG from the atmosphere (which is equivalent to the yearly carbon footprint of 200,000 Europeans or Americans), by planting 2 million rubber trees in 4000 hectares of underutilized land over 30 years (approximately).

• The planting of rubber trees of commercial value will also ease pressure on precious remaining rainforests on the island.

• All our rubber trees will be grown organically in our rubber plantation in Sri Lanka. So we will be saving over 300,000 tons of carbon by using organic fertilizers instead of carbon based chemical fertilizers.

Renewable Energy in Sri Lanka • Worldview Impact follows a non-emission policy for its

plantation management.

• The technology that we use is environmentally friendly based on renewable energy systems to generate electrical power in the rubber plantations from solar, wind and micro-hydro sources.

• Bio gas is also used in our rubber production process and our

plants are designed to run on clean and efficient machines that have zero carbon output.

Rubber Nursery in India

Land Clearing in India

Pilot Project in Meghalaya, IndiaStatus as of July 2009:

• 5,000 rubber seedlings in nursery planted 9 months ago moving to plantation.

• Second batch of 5,000 new rubber seedlings being planted in nursery for 9 months.

• 75 rural women and men working full time on the ground to clear land and plant the rubber trees.

• Meghalaya pilot is currently privately funded.

• Land is borrowed from local community on a 30 year basis in exchange for creating local livelihoods (jobs).

• Co-share benefits agreement to be finalised with local chiefs about sharing future rubber income to distribute share ownership amongst local farmers.

Full Project in Meghalaya, IndiaPlan for next 5 years:

• Planting of 1 million rubber trees in degraded community lands.

• Creating 5,000 sustainable livelihoods for rural people in the community to reduce poverty.

• Creating of green micro finance fund for women farmers to diversify their livelihood strategies.

• Establishing manufacturing units for production of organic carbon free rubber products for value addition like condoms, gloves and boots.

• Marketing rubber products to hospitals and shops in Meghalaya.

Creating Sustainable Livelihoods

Training in Rubber Nursery

Stakeholder Engagement

Sustainable Livelihoods in Sri Lanka• About 200 green jobs are being created in Sri Lanka.

• As our first pilot country it will provide sustainable livelihoods to about 1000 people living in the rural and remote south eastern parts of the island.

• Furthermore, our aim is to establish a green micro finance fund to help rural women diversify their livelihood strategies.

• These will include handloom and handicrafts which will further increase the economic benefits of the project for the local population as well as the investors.

Sustainable Livelihoods in India• About 75 green jobs are being created in India.

• The Meghalaya pilot will aim to provide sustainable livelihoods to about 1,000 people living in the rural and remote north eastern parts of the state.

• Furthermore, our aim is to establish value added benefits to the raw

material from rubber tapping.

• These will include production of medical gloves and other dipped products, which will further increase the economic benefits of the project for the local population as well as the investors.

Reducing Poverty

Reducing Poverty • The competitive edge of our business lies on the fact that we will have

both environmental benefits and poverty reduction strategies incorporated into our business model.

• Poverty will be reduced instantly by the planting of rubber trees (following organic methods), as well as other food crops suitable for the local environments in the various pilot countries.

• Additional knowledge will be shared with local communities by training them how to clear lands; make compost and produce micro organisms for fertilizing; and techniques to maintain forests and plantations with the highest levels of return.

• In addition income from sales will be shared with local communities or local institutions providing the land, as part of share cropping, lease agreements, or other methods selected by local partners.

Corporate Social Responsibility• Worldview Impact follows a robust policy of corporate social

responsibility, following a Social Enterprise model.

• The company will secure the best working conditions and remuneration of the employees, with ownership shares to the workers, with part of the profit to be used for community development in the area.

• The company is committed to providing basic health and housing standards to the community and education for all (with scholarships to youth from the area for higher education, which is lacking today).

• Aiming at a complete welfare programme the project is committed to integrated development and beneficial contributions to the local community.

Global Replication Vision• Worldview Impact has established pilot example in India & Sri

Lanka for large scale replication of sustainable development.

• We are aiming at similar projects also covering Africa and Latin America within the next 10 years.

• We will be creating thousands of 'green' jobs; sustainable livelihoods for households in many rural communities.

• We will be providing positive environment benefits: restoration of degraded lands, reforestation, ground water recharge, top soil cover improvement (and possibly mitigating of Green House Gases if more community based reforestation projects are approved under the Post Kyoto agreement at the COP 15 in Copenhagen in December 2009).

Worldview Impact Foundation

Worldview Impact Foundation• Promote and support the implementation of the Millennium

Development Goals of the United Nations.

• Provide capacity building and training for young people in the developing countries for employment generation.

• Generate awareness and support initiatives that addresses the public health implications of global climate change.

• Create awareness and provide support to initiatives that addresses the nexus of poverty and environment.

• Provide a forum for young social entrepreneurs in the developing world to connect with their peers in the developed world.

Supporters and Partners• Paradise Farm• UnLtd Foundation• Futures Foundation• Wingate Foundation• Humanitad Foundation• State of the World Forum • Global Humanitarian Forum• Worldview International Foundation• London School of Economics Entrepreneurs • Geneva International Model United Nations

Carbon Neutral DanceWe invite people to join us in our fundraising parties that aim to raise funds for our climate change mitigation projects combine with our sustainable livelihoods projects for long term poverty reduction in different pilot countries.

Carbon Neutral ArtistKaren David recorded a new version of her song ‘Shillong Shillong’.

She donated it to Worldview Impact to support the rubber tree planting project in her homeland Meghalaya, North East India.

Carbon Neutral AthleteWe have joined Team Green Britain and invited Olympic Athletes to reduce their footprints by planting rubber trees in poor countries which will mitigate climate change via carbon absorption, create sustainable livelihoods for the poor from organic rubber production and reduce poverty at the community level in the long run.

UnLtd World BRIC Award 2009

Ernst & Young START Summit

Green Revolution @ TEDxPerm

International Media Impact

Thanks a Carbon Tonne!