There is no greater issue faced collectively by mankind today than climate change. As per a recent study, climate change is fuelling deadly heat waves in India, threatening the country’s development along with the risk of reversing progress made in areas such as poverty alleviation, health as well as economic development. Since 1992, the country has witnessed 24,000 deaths due to heat waves, the study found.
In such a scenario, can tech step in to address this mounting issue?Admittedly, technology, in various ways, has contributed to climate change, but can it be employed to address that?
Also read: How digital infrastructure drives small merchants’ financial inclusion in rural India
Today, India has startups in areas ranging from quick commerce to space tech. Gladly, we also have those that work to address climate change.
Let’s have a look at some such climate-tech startups:
BluSmart
While ride-hailing companies have provided convenience to riders, for the most part, the fuel burned by countless vehicles plying on the roads adds significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, and, in turn, to climate change. Enter BluSmart, an app-based all-electric ride-hailing platform. The company started in 2019 and is already operational in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru. As per a news report, the company has plans to grow its fleet to 14,000 taxis next year, followed by 100,000 in five years along with expanding to four more cities. It also sits well with the current government’s vision with Prime Minister Modi wanting 30% of all cars sold by 2030 to be electric.
Chargeup
There are multiple bottlenecks stifling the widespread adoption of EVs. Solving such an issue is Delhi-NCR-based Chargeup. The startup offers battery-swapping services to about 2.4 million e-rickshaws. The way it works is that an e-rickshaw driver swaps the depleted battery with a charged one. It solves twin purposes: addressing the concerns of the drivers regarding the range of their Evs, on one hand, and doing away with the need to install charging stations.
AtherEnergy
Another company working in the EV space is the Bengaluru-based AtherEnergy. It not only manufactures electric scooters but has also established EV charging infrastructure, called Ather Grid, across the country.
ZunRoof
Last year during summers, as the mercury rose to unprecedented levels in India, the country found itself staring at a coal crisis. Despite the non-renewability of this fuel, pollution is a prominent issue. On several occasions, calls have been made to switch to renewable, clean energy sources. One such clean energy startup working for this is ZunRoof, which focuses on solar energy. The segment is divided into three: commercial, industrial, and residential. Among these, residential is complex as it is largely unorganised, and also consumers need to be educated about the setup. ZunRoof works for that bit and works to “share of residential solar all across the country to make solar a household utility for everyone,” it says.
Solar Square
Another startup working in the clean energy segment is Solar Square. It is a B2C rooftop solar startup, which aids consumers to both install and maintain rooftop solar energy setups. The way it works is that Solar Square procures rooftop solar panels from third-party vendors. It then designs them in its facility and then installs them as per consumers’ needs. It also provides after-sales service. The company, which was founded in 2015, last year raised Rs 100 crore in a Series A funding round.
Also read: CEO-designate Kapoor resigns, JKC says Jet revival plan intact
Myplan8
When it comes to climate change, sensitising people is the crucial first step. An innovative solution has come from the startup Myplan8. It lets you measure the carbon footprint of your family, based on a set of questions. It evaluates lifestyle aspects like the number of family members, water usage, the preferred mode of transportation, electricity, food habits, and waste management. Last year in December, it launched an application to spread eco-sensitivity. “Every nation stresses on carbon footprint reduction…We aim to eliminate roughly 1 Giga tons of carbon emissions by 2030 by enrolling 100 million people in Myplan8,” its co-founder Nidhi Mehra had said in a statement then, as per news reports. It has also introduced a Myplan8 card, which “measures your carbon impact, is made of recycled plastic, and rewards you with tree plantings while you shop”.
Clearly, a collective effort is the way forward to battle climate change.