{"id":8220,"date":"2024-09-02T16:22:38","date_gmt":"2024-09-02T09:22:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/?p=8220"},"modified":"2024-09-02T16:22:38","modified_gmt":"2024-09-02T09:22:38","slug":"avpn-announces-18-grantees-of-usd-5-million-sustainability-seed-fund-2-0-and-the-sustainability-solutions-lab-resource-hub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/?p=8220","title":{"rendered":"AVPN Announces 18 Grantees of USD 5 Million Sustainability Seed Fund 2.0 and the Sustainability Solutions Lab Resource Hub"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"prntac\">The Fund will continue to support grantees in scaling their technology-led climate change solutions, while the Lab will enhance visibility and capacity building for grantees from SSF 1.0 and 2.0<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"legendSpanClass\"><span class=\"xn-location\">SINGAPORE<\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"legendSpanClass\"><span class=\"xn-chron\">Sept. 2, 2024<\/span><\/span> \/PRNewswire\/ &#8212; AVPN, the largest network of social investors in <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia<\/span>, announced the grantees of the <a href=\"https:\/\/avpn.asia\/philanthropic-fund\/apac-sustainability-seed-fund-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">APAC Sustainability Seed Fund (SSF) 2.0<\/a>, which is a <span class=\"xn-money\">USD 5 million<\/span> catalytic initiative supported by Google.org, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as the strategic and outreach partner. AVPN will award 18 non-profit organisations with funding to implement and scale innovative technology-led solutions that tackle pressing climate and sustainability challenges in the <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia Pacific<\/span> region. Building on the <span class=\"xn-chron\">June 2024<\/span> launch of the <a href=\"https:\/\/avpn.asia\/capital-mobilisation\/ecosystem-building-initiatives\/apac-sustainability-solutions-lab\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">APAC Sustainability Solutions Lab<\/a>, which received an additional <span class=\"xn-money\">USD 2 million<\/span> grant\u00a0 from Google.org, the Lab will now serve as a resource hub for grantees from both APAC SSF 1.0 and 2.0. It will provide capacity building support to grantee partners and increase their visibility, enhancing the impact of their innovative solutions.<\/p>\n<div class=\"PRN_ImbeddedAssetReference\">\n<\/div>\n<p>The <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia Pacific<\/span> region is home to seven of the world&#8217;s ten most climate-vulnerable countries, where climate change poses an &#8216;existential threat'[1] and the potential to cause long-term impact to future generations. Weather events in APAC in 2022 affected more than 50 million people directly, with an upwards of <span class=\"xn-money\">USD 36 billion<\/span> in economic losses[2]. The failure to adapt to growing climate risks has posed significant economic and social threats. While technology has emerged as a transformative force to offer innovative avenues to address these challenges, climate technologies remain severely underfunded.<\/p>\n<p>Building on the success of SSF 1.0 Fund, the APAC SSF 2.0 seeks to nurture and amplify solutions that harness technology to address urgent climate impact areas such as renewable energy and decarbonisation, climate adaptation, waste management and\/or circular economy, air quality, water preservation and biodiversity protection. The grantees, based across the <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia Pacific<\/span> region, will leverage technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), and application software in their climate solutions. Grantees include:<\/p>\n<p>     Australia\u00a0&#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cool.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cool.org<\/a>   <span class=\"xn-location\">India<\/span>\u00a0&#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/inremfoundation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">INREM Foundation<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/crdf.org.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CEPT Research and Development Foundation (CRDF)<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/welllabs.org\/our-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Institute for Financial Management and Research<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mahilahousingtrust.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust<\/a>\u00a0   <span class=\"xn-location\">Indonesia<\/span> \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.yeu.or.id\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YAKKUM Emergency Unit<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/gringgo.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gringgo Indonesia Foundation<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.pantaugambut.id\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Perkumpulan Jaringan Pantau Gambut<\/a>\u00a0   <span class=\"xn-location\">Japan<\/span> &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mymizu.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Innovation Japan<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.iges.or.jp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Institute for Global Environmental Strategies<\/a>\u00a0   <span class=\"xn-location\">New Zealand<\/span> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/wildlife.ai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wildlife.ai Trust<\/a>   Singapore\u00a0&#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.imagineh2o.org\/asia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Imagine H2O <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia<\/span><\/a>\u00a0   <span class=\"xn-location\">South Korea<\/span> &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/ourfuture.kr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Coalition for Our Common Future<\/a>\u00a0   <span class=\"xn-location\">Thailand<\/span> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/ait.ac.th\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"xn-org\">Asian Institute of Technology<\/span><\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sds.or.th\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sathira-Dhammasathan<\/a>\u00a0   The Philippines\u00a0&#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ppaf.org.ph\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"xn-org\">University of the Philippines<\/span> Public Administration Research and Extension Services Foundation, Inc.<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/assistasia.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST)<\/a>\u00a0   Vietnam\u00a0&#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/viri.org.vn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vietnam Rural Industries Development and Research Institute (VIRI)<\/a>\u00a0    <\/p>\n<p>The Fund will support grantees&#8217; efforts in scaling their solutions, provide networking opportunities and capacity building, fostering and simplifying solutions that harness the power of technology for climate adaptation and mitigation to ensure a positive and lasting impact in <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, AVPN will offer selected grantees of APAC SSF 1.0 and 2.0 access to the Sustainability Solutions Lab. The Lab will provide technical capacity building support, develop impactful case studies, create opportunities for dialogue and hold roundtable discussions with stakeholders. Its goal is to enhance grantees&#8217; impact, build their capacity, and to create a supportive ecosystem. By increasing the visibility of successful grantees, the Lab will enable them to showcase how advanced technologies tackle key sustainability issues and effectively communicate their solutions to social investors, government, and other key stakeholders, thus facilitating the scaling of their innovations.<\/p>\n<p>Naina Subberwal Batra, CEO of AVPN, shared, &#8220;At AVPN, we recognise capital \u2013 financial, human, and intellectual \u2013 is crucial for initiating and advancing climate innovations often overlooked by traditional funding mechanisms. Through APAC SSF 2.0, we aim to channel resources into the early stages of the Continuum of Capital to support these grantees. By mobilising these resources, we can support and unlock the potential of their innovations to help the region adapt and respond to climate impacts. Done right, this not only drives the development of transformative solutions, but ensures their expansion and adoption in the regions that need them the most.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-person\">Andrew Ure<\/span>, Managing Director, Government Affairs and Public Policy, <span class=\"xn-location\">Southeast Asia<\/span> at Google, said, &#8220;The <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia-Pacific<\/span> region faces significant vulnerabilities due to climate change. However, amidst this challenge lies tremendous opportunity. Organisations, social investors, and researchers across the region are uniting to develop innovative solutions, leveraging technologies like AI to address this critical issue. We are proud to support social impact organisations like AVPN in the region to foster scalable solutions and accelerate collaborative efforts. Together, we can build a more sustainable and resilient future for the region.&#8221;\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Stephanie King<span class=\"xn-person\">-Chung Hung<\/span>, Chief Information Officer and Director General, Information Technology Department at Asia Development Bank said, &#8220;Advanced\u00a0 digital solutions are pivotal in boosting resilience and adaptive capacities in the face of climate challenges. Our support for the Fund underscores the importance of targeted financing in promoting these innovations. We are committed to helping communities, especially those most vulnerable, thrive amidst environmental pressures by facilitating the development and broader implementation of vital climate solution<span>s.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"prnml4\"><span class=\"prnews_span\">[1] UNDP, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.undp.org\/asia-pacific\/news\/asia-pacific-climate-change-poses-existential-threat-extreme-weather-worsening-poverty-and-risks-public-health-says-undp-report\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"prnews_a\" rel=\"noopener\">For Asia-Pacific, climate change poses an &#8216;existential threat&#8217; of extreme weather, worsening poverty and risks to public health, says UNDP report,<\/a> 2023<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"prnml4\"><span class=\"prnews_span\">[2] AVPN &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/avpn.asia\/insights\/harnessing-the-power-of-digital-technologies-for-climate-adaptation\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"prnews_a\" rel=\"noopener\">Harnessing The Power Of Digital Technologies For Climate Adaptation<\/a>,\u00a02024<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>About AVPN<br \/>AVPN is the largest network of social investors in <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia<\/span>, comprising over 600 funders and resource providers across 33 markets. Our mission is to increase the flow and effectiveness of financial, human, and intellectual capital in <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia<\/span> by enabling members to channel resources towards impact. As an ecosystem builder, AVPN enables its members to connect, learn, act, and lead across key pillars and improve the effectiveness of deployed capital, bringing local field needs, regional expertise, and policy insights to the forefront. For more information about AVPN and our work, please visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/avpn.asia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">website<\/a> and read our latest <a href=\"https:\/\/avpn.asia\/annual-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Annual Review 2022\/23<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>About Google.org<br \/>Google.org, Google&#8217;s philanthropy, brings the best of Google to help solve some of humanity&#8217;s biggest challenges combining funding, product donations and technical expertise to support underserved communities and provide opportunity for everyone. We engage nonprofits, social enterprises and civic entities who make a significant impact on the communities they serve, and whose work has the potential to produce scalable, meaningful change.<\/p>\n<p>Annex: Information on Grantees<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">Australia<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cool.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cool.org<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The not-for-profit education organisation will use the support from AVPN to develop Cool AI. This initiative focuses on developing an advanced, data-driven tool to aid educators in crafting customised lessons on environmental, social, and economic sustainability.    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">India<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"https:\/\/crdf.org.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CEPT Research and Development Foundation (CRDF)<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The Indian national institution, focused on designing, planning, constructing, and managing human habitats, will use machine learning technology and satellite imagery to simplify the estimation of the carbon sequestration capacity of lakes, which can enable local governments to take proactive and corrective actions.   <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mahilahousingtrust.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The organisation, which works to strengthen grassroots collectives of women in the urban informal sector, will\u00a0 develop an AI-powered model for climate resilience in Ahmedabad. AI will be used to identify Urban Heat Islands and suggest targeted solutions. By working closely with local women, especially those in urban slums, the project aims to devise community-centric strategies like cool roofs and routes.   <a href=\"https:\/\/inremfoundation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">INREM Foundation<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The research, innovation and policy advisory organisation will develop AI-enabled open digital solutions to enhance the agency of community representatives to access data on Water contamination, and find local solutions to their problems. This will empower 125,000 Water Quality Champions across villages of <span class=\"xn-location\">India<\/span> and build an inter-connected Water Quality Network.   <a href=\"https:\/\/welllabs.org\/our-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) &#8211; WELL Labs<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0WELL Labs: Water, Environment, Land and Livelihoods is a centre based at the IFMR Society, a not-for-profit society set up to provide research-based inputs to industries and the government in the areas of finance and economics. IFMR will unlock multiple foundational datasets and make them easily accessible to key stakeholders through various use cases and multiple mediums &#8211; Application Programming Interface (APIs) or tools. The tech stack will lead to stakeholders being able to devote more attention to human aspects of rural development challenges rather than time spent reckoning with bad data.    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">Indonesia<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"https:\/\/gringgo.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gringgo Indonesia Foundation<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The organisation, focused on revolutionising waste management and fostering sustainability by leveraging cutting-edge technology, will deploy innovative waste processing units and optimise waste collection to significantly reduce landfill dependency and environmental pollution. This will generate valuable by-products and empower communities through education and job creation, ultimately fostering a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for all.   <a href=\"https:\/\/en.pantaugambut.id\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Perkumpulan Jaringan Pantau Gambut<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The non-governmental organisation focusing on research, advocacy, and campaigns for the protection and sustainability of peatlands in <span class=\"xn-location\">Indonesia<\/span> aims to revolutionise peatland monitoring and fire prevention in <span class=\"xn-location\">Indonesia<\/span>. By leveraging advanced data visualisation and AI-driven tools, this initiative seeks to significantly reduce the frequency and severity of uncontrolled peat fires, contributing to the protection and sustainability of <span class=\"xn-location\">Indonesia<\/span> and the vital peatland ecosystems.   <a href=\"http:\/\/www.yeu.or.id\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YAKKUM Emergency Unit<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The organisation with a mandate on inclusive emergency response and building community resilience through community-led disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation will create a collaborative partnership model where the locally-led water irrigation system will use smart mist technology with the internet of things to improve access to water resources, save time, and support inclusion. This will save farmers&#8217; time and efforts when irrigating the farmland and enhance the community&#8217;s resilience during droughts and other climate impacts.    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">Japan<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"http:\/\/www.iges.or.jp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The independent, non-profit environmental policy think tank will scale up the URBAN RIG technology, previously piloted in <span class=\"xn-location\">Thailand<\/span>, to address Iriomote Island&#8217;s marine plastic waste issue in <span class=\"xn-location\">Japan<\/span>. This innovative solution converts plastic waste into valuable resources like oil and charcoal, aligning with local environmental regulations. By expanding URBAN RIG&#8217;s operations to <span class=\"xn-location\">Japan<\/span> and scaling up its existing work in <span class=\"xn-location\">Thailand<\/span>, IGES aims to reduce waste volume, create economic opportunities, and promote sustainable practices on both islands.   <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mymizu.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Innovation Japan<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The non-profit organisation focusing on creating social innovation initiatives, education and leadership programmes, and community building for impact plans to significantly improve their &#8220;mymizu&#8221; community-driven, crowdsourced technology platform and user experience, in order to accelerate the shift away from single-use plastics towards a circular economy.    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">New Zealand<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"https:\/\/wildlife.ai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wildlife.ai Trust<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The independent charitable organisation that uses artificial intelligence to accelerate wildlife conservation will create a user-friendly, affordable camera that empowers biologists and nature enthusiasts everywhere to track wildlife across vast areas and over time.    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">Singapore<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"http:\/\/www.imagineh2o.org\/asia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Imagine H2O <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The water solutions accelerator and NGO, with a mission to make innovation more accessible to water and climate-stressed communities in the <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia-Pacific<\/span>, aims to make innovation more accessible for utility operators and other decision makers committed to managing and mitigating pollution faster and cheaper. It will design and co-finance technology pilots that empower climate-vulnerable communities in <span class=\"xn-location\">South Asia<\/span> and <span class=\"xn-location\">Southeast Asia<\/span> to address groundwater contamination, ecosystem health, and saltwater intrusion.    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">South Korea<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"http:\/\/ourfuture.kr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Coalition for Our Common Future<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The &#8216;Think and Do Platform&#8217; dedicated to achieving Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth will equip the project development teams to increase the accuracy and speed of the carbon mitigation and adaptation projects, and will power the building of a transparent information exchange platform, among others, which will act as a medium for matching supply (tech and finance) and demand (carbon credits).    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">Thailand<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"https:\/\/ait.ac.th\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"xn-org\">Asian Institute of Technology<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The Postgraduate institution will support system development, data verification and knowledge sharing platform that integrate the hotspot data from various satellite sources, calculate emissions based on these hotspots, and perform effective data management; use AI to focus on differentiating the land use types, developing the inventory, and creating the online knowledge-sharing platform; and conduct training and workshops for government officials.\u00a0   <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sds.or.th\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sathira-Dhammasathan<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The non-profit organisation and a learning community that promotes the skills of everyone to live in peace and harmony will address water management challenges in Bodhisattva Valley and ensure the success of reforestation efforts through: developing Water Master Plan, designing innovative water conservation solutions. providing tree inventory management capacity building, and knowledge sharing with the national and international community.    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">The Philippines<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"https:\/\/assistasia.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST)<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The non-profit organisation geared towards capacity-building, promoting sustainable practices, and achieving social impact plans to scale up the green skills model through: geographic expansion into neighboring ASEAN countries, scope expansion by updating and broadening the green skills curriculum, and technological expansion by incorporating advanced delivery methods like Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and AI technologies.   <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ppaf.org.ph\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"xn-org\">University of the Philippines<\/span> Public Administration Research and Extension Services Foundation, Inc.<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The non-stock, non-profit organisation that undertakes programmes and projects related to research and community extension will revolutionise paratransit systems in developing countries by addressing fossil fuel dependence, poor energy efficiency in public transport operations and the need for inclusive and just transition. This will include smart contracts and blockchain-based energy accounting, and establishment of an open and real-time system for monitoring public transport demand and supply and service quality indicators.    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">Vietnam<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"https:\/\/viri.org.vn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vietnam Rural Industries Development and Research Institute (VIRI)<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The organisation focusing on the sustainable development of rural industry and for improvement of living standards of disadvantaged people in a sustainable manner will develop seaweed farms along the coastal lines of <span class=\"xn-location\">Vietnam<\/span> with high technology seedlings production, regulated farming community and co-ops, and appropriate co-operation from local authorities. The seaweed development shall bring good lifes for local people while contributing to decarbonisation efforts and to the adaptation of climate change.    <\/p>\n<p>Read more about <a href=\"https:\/\/avpn.asia\/philanthropic-fund\/apac-sustainability-seed-fund-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">APAC Sustainability Seed Fund (SSF) 2.0<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><!-- wp:html --><\/p>\n<p class=\"prntac\">The Fund will continue to support grantees in scaling their technology-led climate change solutions, while the Lab will enhance visibility and capacity building for grantees from SSF 1.0 and 2.0<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"legendSpanClass\"><span class=\"xn-location\">SINGAPORE<\/span><\/span>, <span class=\"legendSpanClass\"><span class=\"xn-chron\">Sept. 2, 2024<\/span><\/span> \/PRNewswire\/ &#8212; AVPN, the largest network of social investors in <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia<\/span>, announced the grantees of the <a href=\"https:\/\/avpn.asia\/philanthropic-fund\/apac-sustainability-seed-fund-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">APAC Sustainability Seed Fund (SSF) 2.0<\/a>, which is a <span class=\"xn-money\">USD 5 million<\/span> catalytic initiative supported by Google.org, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as the strategic and outreach partner. AVPN will award 18 non-profit organisations with funding to implement and scale innovative technology-led solutions that tackle pressing climate and sustainability challenges in the <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia Pacific<\/span> region. Building on the <span class=\"xn-chron\">June 2024<\/span> launch of the <a href=\"https:\/\/avpn.asia\/capital-mobilisation\/ecosystem-building-initiatives\/apac-sustainability-solutions-lab\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">APAC Sustainability Solutions Lab<\/a>, which received an additional <span class=\"xn-money\">USD 2 million<\/span> grant\u00a0 from Google.org, the Lab will now serve as a resource hub for grantees from both APAC SSF 1.0 and 2.0. It will provide capacity building support to grantee partners and increase their visibility, enhancing the impact of their innovative solutions.<\/p>\n<div class=\"PRN_ImbeddedAssetReference\">\n<\/div>\n<p>The <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia Pacific<\/span> region is home to seven of the world&#8217;s ten most climate-vulnerable countries, where climate change poses an &#8216;existential threat'[1] and the potential to cause long-term impact to future generations. Weather events in APAC in 2022 affected more than 50 million people directly, with an upwards of <span class=\"xn-money\">USD 36 billion<\/span> in economic losses[2]. The failure to adapt to growing climate risks has posed significant economic and social threats. While technology has emerged as a transformative force to offer innovative avenues to address these challenges, climate technologies remain severely underfunded.<\/p>\n<p>Building on the success of SSF 1.0 Fund, the APAC SSF 2.0 seeks to nurture and amplify solutions that harness technology to address urgent climate impact areas such as renewable energy and decarbonisation, climate adaptation, waste management and\/or circular economy, air quality, water preservation and biodiversity protection. The grantees, based across the <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia Pacific<\/span> region, will leverage technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), and application software in their climate solutions. Grantees include:<\/p>\n<p>     Australia\u00a0&#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cool.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cool.org<\/a>   <span class=\"xn-location\">India<\/span>\u00a0&#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/inremfoundation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">INREM Foundation<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/crdf.org.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CEPT Research and Development Foundation (CRDF)<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/welllabs.org\/our-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Institute for Financial Management and Research<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mahilahousingtrust.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust<\/a>\u00a0   <span class=\"xn-location\">Indonesia<\/span> \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.yeu.or.id\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YAKKUM Emergency Unit<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/gringgo.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gringgo Indonesia Foundation<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.pantaugambut.id\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Perkumpulan Jaringan Pantau Gambut<\/a>\u00a0   <span class=\"xn-location\">Japan<\/span> &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mymizu.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Innovation Japan<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.iges.or.jp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Institute for Global Environmental Strategies<\/a>\u00a0   <span class=\"xn-location\">New Zealand<\/span> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/wildlife.ai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wildlife.ai Trust<\/a>   Singapore\u00a0&#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.imagineh2o.org\/asia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Imagine H2O <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia<\/span><\/a>\u00a0   <span class=\"xn-location\">South Korea<\/span> &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/ourfuture.kr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Coalition for Our Common Future<\/a>\u00a0   <span class=\"xn-location\">Thailand<\/span> &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/ait.ac.th\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"xn-org\">Asian Institute of Technology<\/span><\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sds.or.th\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sathira-Dhammasathan<\/a>\u00a0   The Philippines\u00a0&#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ppaf.org.ph\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"xn-org\">University of the Philippines<\/span> Public Administration Research and Extension Services Foundation, Inc.<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/assistasia.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST)<\/a>\u00a0   Vietnam\u00a0&#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/viri.org.vn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vietnam Rural Industries Development and Research Institute (VIRI)<\/a>\u00a0    <\/p>\n<p>The Fund will support grantees&#8217; efforts in scaling their solutions, provide networking opportunities and capacity building, fostering and simplifying solutions that harness the power of technology for climate adaptation and mitigation to ensure a positive and lasting impact in <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, AVPN will offer selected grantees of APAC SSF 1.0 and 2.0 access to the Sustainability Solutions Lab. The Lab will provide technical capacity building support, develop impactful case studies, create opportunities for dialogue and hold roundtable discussions with stakeholders. Its goal is to enhance grantees&#8217; impact, build their capacity, and to create a supportive ecosystem. By increasing the visibility of successful grantees, the Lab will enable them to showcase how advanced technologies tackle key sustainability issues and effectively communicate their solutions to social investors, government, and other key stakeholders, thus facilitating the scaling of their innovations.<\/p>\n<p>Naina Subberwal Batra, CEO of AVPN, shared, &#8220;At AVPN, we recognise capital \u2013 financial, human, and intellectual \u2013 is crucial for initiating and advancing climate innovations often overlooked by traditional funding mechanisms. Through APAC SSF 2.0, we aim to channel resources into the early stages of the Continuum of Capital to support these grantees. By mobilising these resources, we can support and unlock the potential of their innovations to help the region adapt and respond to climate impacts. Done right, this not only drives the development of transformative solutions, but ensures their expansion and adoption in the regions that need them the most.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-person\">Andrew Ure<\/span>, Managing Director, Government Affairs and Public Policy, <span class=\"xn-location\">Southeast Asia<\/span> at Google, said, &#8220;The <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia-Pacific<\/span> region faces significant vulnerabilities due to climate change. However, amidst this challenge lies tremendous opportunity. Organisations, social investors, and researchers across the region are uniting to develop innovative solutions, leveraging technologies like AI to address this critical issue. We are proud to support social impact organisations like AVPN in the region to foster scalable solutions and accelerate collaborative efforts. Together, we can build a more sustainable and resilient future for the region.&#8221;\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Stephanie King<span class=\"xn-person\">-Chung Hung<\/span>, Chief Information Officer and Director General, Information Technology Department at Asia Development Bank said, &#8220;Advanced\u00a0 digital solutions are pivotal in boosting resilience and adaptive capacities in the face of climate challenges. Our support for the Fund underscores the importance of targeted financing in promoting these innovations. We are committed to helping communities, especially those most vulnerable, thrive amidst environmental pressures by facilitating the development and broader implementation of vital climate solution<span>s.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"prnml4\"><span class=\"prnews_span\">[1] UNDP, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.undp.org\/asia-pacific\/news\/asia-pacific-climate-change-poses-existential-threat-extreme-weather-worsening-poverty-and-risks-public-health-says-undp-report\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"prnews_a\" rel=\"noopener\">For Asia-Pacific, climate change poses an &#8216;existential threat&#8217; of extreme weather, worsening poverty and risks to public health, says UNDP report,<\/a> 2023<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"prnml4\"><span class=\"prnews_span\">[2] AVPN &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/avpn.asia\/insights\/harnessing-the-power-of-digital-technologies-for-climate-adaptation\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"prnews_a\" rel=\"noopener\">Harnessing The Power Of Digital Technologies For Climate Adaptation<\/a>,\u00a02024<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>About AVPN<br \/>AVPN is the largest network of social investors in <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia<\/span>, comprising over 600 funders and resource providers across 33 markets. Our mission is to increase the flow and effectiveness of financial, human, and intellectual capital in <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia<\/span> by enabling members to channel resources towards impact. As an ecosystem builder, AVPN enables its members to connect, learn, act, and lead across key pillars and improve the effectiveness of deployed capital, bringing local field needs, regional expertise, and policy insights to the forefront. For more information about AVPN and our work, please visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/avpn.asia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">website<\/a> and read our latest <a href=\"https:\/\/avpn.asia\/annual-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Annual Review 2022\/23<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>About Google.org<br \/>Google.org, Google&#8217;s philanthropy, brings the best of Google to help solve some of humanity&#8217;s biggest challenges combining funding, product donations and technical expertise to support underserved communities and provide opportunity for everyone. We engage nonprofits, social enterprises and civic entities who make a significant impact on the communities they serve, and whose work has the potential to produce scalable, meaningful change.<\/p>\n<p>Annex: Information on Grantees<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">Australia<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cool.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cool.org<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The not-for-profit education organisation will use the support from AVPN to develop Cool AI. This initiative focuses on developing an advanced, data-driven tool to aid educators in crafting customised lessons on environmental, social, and economic sustainability.    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">India<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"https:\/\/crdf.org.in\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CEPT Research and Development Foundation (CRDF)<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The Indian national institution, focused on designing, planning, constructing, and managing human habitats, will use machine learning technology and satellite imagery to simplify the estimation of the carbon sequestration capacity of lakes, which can enable local governments to take proactive and corrective actions.   <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mahilahousingtrust.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The organisation, which works to strengthen grassroots collectives of women in the urban informal sector, will\u00a0 develop an AI-powered model for climate resilience in Ahmedabad. AI will be used to identify Urban Heat Islands and suggest targeted solutions. By working closely with local women, especially those in urban slums, the project aims to devise community-centric strategies like cool roofs and routes.   <a href=\"https:\/\/inremfoundation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">INREM Foundation<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The research, innovation and policy advisory organisation will develop AI-enabled open digital solutions to enhance the agency of community representatives to access data on Water contamination, and find local solutions to their problems. This will empower 125,000 Water Quality Champions across villages of <span class=\"xn-location\">India<\/span> and build an inter-connected Water Quality Network.   <a href=\"https:\/\/welllabs.org\/our-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) &#8211; WELL Labs<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0WELL Labs: Water, Environment, Land and Livelihoods is a centre based at the IFMR Society, a not-for-profit society set up to provide research-based inputs to industries and the government in the areas of finance and economics. IFMR will unlock multiple foundational datasets and make them easily accessible to key stakeholders through various use cases and multiple mediums &#8211; Application Programming Interface (APIs) or tools. The tech stack will lead to stakeholders being able to devote more attention to human aspects of rural development challenges rather than time spent reckoning with bad data.    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">Indonesia<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"https:\/\/gringgo.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gringgo Indonesia Foundation<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The organisation, focused on revolutionising waste management and fostering sustainability by leveraging cutting-edge technology, will deploy innovative waste processing units and optimise waste collection to significantly reduce landfill dependency and environmental pollution. This will generate valuable by-products and empower communities through education and job creation, ultimately fostering a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for all.   <a href=\"https:\/\/en.pantaugambut.id\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Perkumpulan Jaringan Pantau Gambut<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The non-governmental organisation focusing on research, advocacy, and campaigns for the protection and sustainability of peatlands in <span class=\"xn-location\">Indonesia<\/span> aims to revolutionise peatland monitoring and fire prevention in <span class=\"xn-location\">Indonesia<\/span>. By leveraging advanced data visualisation and AI-driven tools, this initiative seeks to significantly reduce the frequency and severity of uncontrolled peat fires, contributing to the protection and sustainability of <span class=\"xn-location\">Indonesia<\/span> and the vital peatland ecosystems.   <a href=\"http:\/\/www.yeu.or.id\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YAKKUM Emergency Unit<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The organisation with a mandate on inclusive emergency response and building community resilience through community-led disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation will create a collaborative partnership model where the locally-led water irrigation system will use smart mist technology with the internet of things to improve access to water resources, save time, and support inclusion. This will save farmers&#8217; time and efforts when irrigating the farmland and enhance the community&#8217;s resilience during droughts and other climate impacts.    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">Japan<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"http:\/\/www.iges.or.jp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The independent, non-profit environmental policy think tank will scale up the URBAN RIG technology, previously piloted in <span class=\"xn-location\">Thailand<\/span>, to address Iriomote Island&#8217;s marine plastic waste issue in <span class=\"xn-location\">Japan<\/span>. This innovative solution converts plastic waste into valuable resources like oil and charcoal, aligning with local environmental regulations. By expanding URBAN RIG&#8217;s operations to <span class=\"xn-location\">Japan<\/span> and scaling up its existing work in <span class=\"xn-location\">Thailand<\/span>, IGES aims to reduce waste volume, create economic opportunities, and promote sustainable practices on both islands.   <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mymizu.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Innovation Japan<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The non-profit organisation focusing on creating social innovation initiatives, education and leadership programmes, and community building for impact plans to significantly improve their &#8220;mymizu&#8221; community-driven, crowdsourced technology platform and user experience, in order to accelerate the shift away from single-use plastics towards a circular economy.    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">New Zealand<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"https:\/\/wildlife.ai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wildlife.ai Trust<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The independent charitable organisation that uses artificial intelligence to accelerate wildlife conservation will create a user-friendly, affordable camera that empowers biologists and nature enthusiasts everywhere to track wildlife across vast areas and over time.    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">Singapore<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"http:\/\/www.imagineh2o.org\/asia\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Imagine H2O <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The water solutions accelerator and NGO, with a mission to make innovation more accessible to water and climate-stressed communities in the <span class=\"xn-location\">Asia-Pacific<\/span>, aims to make innovation more accessible for utility operators and other decision makers committed to managing and mitigating pollution faster and cheaper. It will design and co-finance technology pilots that empower climate-vulnerable communities in <span class=\"xn-location\">South Asia<\/span> and <span class=\"xn-location\">Southeast Asia<\/span> to address groundwater contamination, ecosystem health, and saltwater intrusion.    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">South Korea<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"http:\/\/ourfuture.kr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Coalition for Our Common Future<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The &#8216;Think and Do Platform&#8217; dedicated to achieving Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth will equip the project development teams to increase the accuracy and speed of the carbon mitigation and adaptation projects, and will power the building of a transparent information exchange platform, among others, which will act as a medium for matching supply (tech and finance) and demand (carbon credits).    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">Thailand<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"https:\/\/ait.ac.th\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"xn-org\">Asian Institute of Technology<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The Postgraduate institution will support system development, data verification and knowledge sharing platform that integrate the hotspot data from various satellite sources, calculate emissions based on these hotspots, and perform effective data management; use AI to focus on differentiating the land use types, developing the inventory, and creating the online knowledge-sharing platform; and conduct training and workshops for government officials.\u00a0   <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sds.or.th\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sathira-Dhammasathan<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The non-profit organisation and a learning community that promotes the skills of everyone to live in peace and harmony will address water management challenges in Bodhisattva Valley and ensure the success of reforestation efforts through: developing Water Master Plan, designing innovative water conservation solutions. providing tree inventory management capacity building, and knowledge sharing with the national and international community.    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">The Philippines<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"https:\/\/assistasia.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST)<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The non-profit organisation geared towards capacity-building, promoting sustainable practices, and achieving social impact plans to scale up the green skills model through: geographic expansion into neighboring ASEAN countries, scope expansion by updating and broadening the green skills curriculum, and technological expansion by incorporating advanced delivery methods like Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and AI technologies.   <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ppaf.org.ph\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"xn-org\">University of the Philippines<\/span> Public Administration Research and Extension Services Foundation, Inc.<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The non-stock, non-profit organisation that undertakes programmes and projects related to research and community extension will revolutionise paratransit systems in developing countries by addressing fossil fuel dependence, poor energy efficiency in public transport operations and the need for inclusive and just transition. This will include smart contracts and blockchain-based energy accounting, and establishment of an open and real-time system for monitoring public transport demand and supply and service quality indicators.    <\/p>\n<p><span class=\"xn-location\">Vietnam<\/span><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"https:\/\/viri.org.vn\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vietnam Rural Industries Development and Research Institute (VIRI)<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 The organisation focusing on the sustainable development of rural industry and for improvement of living standards of disadvantaged people in a sustainable manner will develop seaweed farms along the coastal lines of <span class=\"xn-location\">Vietnam<\/span> with high technology seedlings production, regulated farming community and co-ops, and appropriate co-operation from local authorities. The seaweed development shall bring good lifes for local people while contributing to decarbonisation efforts and to the adaptation of climate change.    <\/p>\n<p>Read more about <a href=\"https:\/\/avpn.asia\/philanthropic-fund\/apac-sustainability-seed-fund-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">APAC Sustainability Seed Fund (SSF) 2.0<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:html --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cision-pr-newswire","category-cision-pr-newswire-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8220"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8220\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}