Climate advocates call for innovative ideas to reduce oil dependence

MANILA, Philippines – If you think you can help reduce the world’s dependency on oil, you might want to join a global competition called the Oil Breakthrough Lab 2017.

 

The Oil Breakthrough Lab 2017 is a competition geared at welcoming new solutions to reduce oil dependence worldwide, organized by the Climate Strategies Accelerator (CSA).

 

Chosen participants will attend a one-week fully funded boot camp and take part in a three-month acceleration sprint with a network of experts and seasoned innovators to develop their project ideas.

 

After the lab, candidates will come out with a polished proposal which will be presented in September this year to the CSA network of funders who will decide if any of them will receive grants to pursue their ideas.

 

“It’s not enough to rely on the institutions and individuals who are already trying to reduce our oil dependency. The CSA is on the hunt for new ideas from new places, solutions that will unravel our addiction to oil,” the Climate Tracker, CSA’s partner in this project, said in a statement.

 

“(It will) set the stage for game-changing shifts in how we do business,” it added.

 

Oil is used to make petroleum products that fuel cars and airplanes, and aid in businesses and other daily necessities. But even though it has a lot of benefits, it can also harm the environment, triggering innovators to explore alternative options.

 

The CSA is both a funder with $20 million in funding to invest in new projects and an accelerator with experts ready to guide innovative ideas into concrete projects.

 

Projects in the lab do not need to be limited to pipelines and oil projects. It can be about reimagining transit systems, urban planning, land rights, manufacturing, or consumer behavior, but should be high-potential concepts with far political and social reach.

 

Previous winners from this competition include promoting bicycles in China as a form of low carbon transport and a campaign encouraging insurance companies to stop investments on fossil fuel projects.

 

Participants will receive $5,000 and, if chosen by funders, will win up to $2 million to pursue their ideas.

 

The competition is open to everyone. Individuals from non-government organizations (NGOs), universities, and think tanks are welcome to join. No age limit or professional background is required.

 

Applicants may send their resume to Roy Joseph Roberto, Climate Tracker’s Regional Coordinator for Southeast Asia, at royjosephroberto@yahoo.com to get instructions on how to apply.

 

Deadline for applications is on January 31, 2017. – Rappler.com/with a report by Cathrine Gonzales