Political leaders at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) have spent the last two weeks discussing a slew of issues, challenges and proposed solutions around water scarcity, rising global temperatures, the effects of war and more. Leveraging technology will undeniably continue to play a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions to reach net zero — and Black founders have been leading the charge.
The Plug has identified over 40 Black-founded sustainable tech companies launched in the last decade that span several industries in the sustainability realm, from food to e-commerce.
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Venture capitalists have taken notice and are pouring money into innovative solutions around sustainability and clean tech.
Climate investment has seen a particular increase in the last couple of years — U.S. venture capital investment in climate tech reached $56 billion in 2021, an 80 percent increase from the previous year. And although investments slowed in 2022, the next few years are poised for exponential growth globally.
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Black founders are leading efforts to address issues political leaders have been discussing for the last 27 years at the United Nations Climate Change conference. It’s time to listen.