Parshotam Singh Bhalla
Ishaan Nangrani
Sumanshu Aggarwal
AMAN PARASHAR
Shrey Shah
Goa Institute of Management
Divya Singhal
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In the words of Mr. Vijay Shankar, ClimateX aims to "Limit global warming by providing tailored climate solutions and services to corporates, national/state governments, city administration, MSMEs, and NGOs". He emphasized on ClimateX's commitment to deliver more equitable, inclusive, climate-resilient, and sustainable world by promoting climate-compatible development, sustainable management of natural resources, and secure livelihoods.
ClimateX Focuses on three main areas:
Mr. Vijay Shankar says that in the initial days of ClimateX, He and his team focused on primarily the southern states of India, by calling them "Windy States" and how the concentration of industries there was much higher compared to the Northern states. Therefore, His team was able to convince a big player like TATA Telecommunications to use green wind power to power their data centre in Chennai. He also shares that he has also convinced mega-players like Toyota and Kirloskar to shift to green power.
His mantra of "The Earth is what we have we have in common" tells us how dedicated he is towards the UN SDGs and how his startup is targeting multiple SDGs at once.
Under the leadership of Mr. Vijay Shankar, ClimateX has introduced sustainable solutions to creatively handle the problems that Jharkhand's rural communities confront. Among these is the distribution of 10,000 SOLAR pumps , which have increased agricultural productivity tremendously and brought about societal changes by allowing farmers to vary their crop production. In addition, small-scale farmers now have access to new markets thanks to solar-powered processing facilities that generate chilli powder, dal, and grind ragi. The main concerns are those related to topographical constraints, such as insufficient irrigation of canals and irregular electrical supply.
By satisfying the energy needs of many stakeholders, including huge corporations and rural farmers, Climatex's creative solutions seek to establish a sustainable and circular economy. The business conducts energy evaluations and expedites the shift to green energy solutions in partnership with major market players such as Jindal and Tata.
He discussed various aspects of the renewable energy sector, focusing on the challenges and opportunities, especially in states like Jharkhand. He emphasized the need for policy interventions to support sustainable technologies, particularly for farmers and rural communities. Mr. Vijay Shankar shared examples of successful policies, such as subsidizing solar pumps, and highlighted the importance of creating dedicated funds for clean energy projects. Additionally, he discussed the slow pace of decision-making in both multilateral agencies and government bodies, citing examples from their experience in different states. The conversation concluded with a mention of startups contributing to sustainable solutions, with a specific recommendation for the startup "Gramin Greenway Infra," which manufactures efficient cookstoves for rural areas that work on solar power, reducing the cost of operating a cookstove, for a farmer and also cooking food while locking its nutritional content within.
Steering Climate Actions
The inventions result from Mr. Vijay Shankar's earlier experiences, especially his work with the UNDP, which demonstrated the potential of sustainable technology to enhance living circumstances in rural regions. ClimateX's commitment to advancing social impact initiatives and renewable energy solutions is indicative of the leader's desire to build a more sustainable future.
His main inspirations to enter this sector were
He highlights the need to concentrate on the lower echelons of society and make sure that sustainable technology, which major institutions first embrace, eventually makes its way to rural communities. The intention is to dispel the myth that sustainability is a luxury reserved for the affluent and instead encourage sustainable lifestyles and local economic development.
He also highlights how he took inspiration from the concepts of circular economy, the global push for renewable energy and sustainable resource utilization and his previous experience in the renewable energy sector. He says- "This sector is very niche and neglected. One of our primary goals was to encourage corporates and governments to setup infrastructure to support this kind of industry and to provide some kind of leverage to people working in this industry. After all, we are the pioneers in providing a cleaner and greener environment."
ClimateX's ideas have impacted Jharkhand's rural development in both the short and long terms. The proliferation of solar pumps has increased agricultural productivity, allowing farmers to transition from cultivating a single crop to two, resulting in positive social and economic effects. The advent of solar-powered processing facilities has opened up new markets for small-scale farmers, which helps them generate income.
The long-term goals of these developments include improving rural development and general well-being by addressing problems like erratic electrical supply and insufficient canal irrigation. The positive improvements that the local populace has experienced are indicative of the effect and highlight the significance of sustainable technology in tackling urgent issues.
He also discussed his experience about how the Government employees have a laid-back thinking about sustainability in the energy sector - " My experience about Jharkhand, when we did the pilot project for the rural community for installing cold room, it took us three year to pitch the project to the govt. employees and convince them to adapt this technology and do the pilot and do some sort of provisioning for the same. Afterwards, we reached to the CM level, and when the directive came from the CM then only the guys(govt employees) awake that now the directive has come from the CM we have to do some".
ClimateX's creative ideas have benefited the company in a number of ways. Working together on energy assessments with industry leaders like Jindal and Tata has probably created new business prospects and income streams. The company's emphasis on energy efficiency improvement, carbon trading, and sustainability reporting fits with the increasing need for environmentally friendly corporate practices and may draw in customers and investors.
Mr. Shankar ,while elaborating the benefits , told us " Switching to greener power sources directly benefit the businesses. Firstly, this inclined with their CSR activity. Secondly it lets the businesses attract new investors who focus on sustainability and third and most important point is that this lets businesses decrease their operating cost like electricity, maintenance etc. Altogether , this helps businesses future-proof themselves for the future."
He added- "Furthermore, ClimateX's social impact initiatives, which are founded on past experiences, show the company's dedication to bringing about constructive change. This dedication may improve the company's standing, employee happiness, and long-term viability."
The inventions of ClimateX are very beneficial to society and the environment. The demands of rural people are met by the distribution of solar pumps and the construction of solar-powered processing facilities, which offer answers to problems like erratic electrical supply and insufficient canal irrigation. By generating jobs and enhancing general well-being, these inventions support rural development.
When asked about how this innovation benefits society and the environment, he answered " The answer to this question is simple. Our business helps reduce carbon footprints for other organisations, we are in line with the UN SDGs. Giving a more real life example, we all know about how polluted the air is around Delhi NCR . Our business provides , not only to the private players but also govt. players to go green and induce green finance into their organisations. This will directly impact the society and environment by directly reducing the pollution in such megacities and bringing the flora and fauna back to the megacities ultimately increasing the overall greenery and landscape of the areas. "
Additionally, he said "The focus on fair development across India is promoted by sustainable technology reaching neglected groups. By concentrating on the lower echelons of the pyramid, social inclusion is promoted and the advantages of renewable energy solutions are not exclusive to the rich. ClimateX's innovations are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, namely those concerning responsible consumption and production, sustainable communities, and accessible, clean energy."
Sources:
1. Interview with Mr. Vijay Shankar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TUxF4lEtcI
2. Company Website https://www.climatex.in/
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Vijay Shankar Bharadwaj, Founder & Director-CLIMATEX
The business is centered around the solutions and services that contribute to the net zero goal and stabilizing the earth’s environment.
The company provides tailored climate solutions and services to corporations, national/state governments, city administration, MSMEs, and NGOs. These solutions include suggesting a net-zero emission strategy, adopting clean energy/mobility solutions, measuring the product/corporate level GHG emission, offsetting GHG/carbon emissions, making a responsible investment, or driving other climate actions.