Why Focus on Climate Resilience?

Climate resilience is the ability of communities to:

• Absorb the stresses of climate change – those already underway – that threaten their health, livelihoods, and security
• Adopt more sustainable systems to cope with future climate change impacts

In addition, women are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than men, so it is important to identify gender-sensitive strategies that can reduce the environmental and humanitarian tragedies caused by global warming. 

We view this as climate justice and a right to development.

Our Commitment to Climate Resilience 

Miller Center has worked with more than 570 social enterprises, of which more than 50% provide solutions — in clean water, energy, health, and sustainable rural development sectors — aimed at coping with climate change disruptions. 

Partnering with Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (GACC)

Since 2014, GACC and Miller Center have partnered to support the adoption of clean cookstoves and fuels through the development of clean cookstove entrepreneurs in the GSBI Accelerator and GSBI Online programs, and through several GSBI Boost workshops. This year, 50% of the GACC awards went to Miller Center GSBI Alumni. 

Miller Center GSBI Alumni Partner with GSBF Action Research

Global Social Benefit Fellows work side-by-side with social enterprises focused on climate resilience. 

Miller Center and New Ventures (NV) of India have partnered together to help distributed renewable energy companies provide clean energy to 1 million Indians by 2018. The project is supported by USAID under the Energy Access Investment Readiness Program. The GSBI will mentor and coach entrepreneurs and NVI will facilitate the investment of $41 million to the enterprises to help scale their businesses.

Benefits to Social Entrepreneurs:

• Receive GSBI’s structured curriculum and experience a business audit to identify goals and challenges layered with in-depth mentorship from Silicon Valley entrepreneurs
• Benefit from NVI’s on the ground knowledge
• Acquire the benefit of our investment facilitation with banks, non-banking finance companies as well as impact investors 

Benefit to Investors: 

• Connect with investment-ready enterprises that have been vetted and coached by our seasoned team members and mentors
• Obtain investable opportunities that match your criteria
• Provide your portfolio companies with business support to prepare them for their next funding round

What Types of Clean Energy Companies Can Participate?

• We support renewable energy companies across various technologies (solar, wind, biomass, biogas, small hydro) and applications (lighting, cooking, agriculture, water, livelihood generation, food processing, horticulture, education and health).
• We are looking for enterprises that are implementing various businesses and financing models, working in different markets in various geographies across India.

Banner photo courtesy of Onergy