More than 150 aspiring entrepreneurs from 15 Arab countries took part in an eco-bootcamp to come up with new business ideas to help counter the effects of climate change and reduce the carbon footprint of everyday activities.
An initiative of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation (AGF), one of the UAE’s leading philanthropic entities, and the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), the Eco-Preneurship Programme launched in September 2023 ahead of Dubai hosting COP28.
In October, more than two dozen youth teams took part in a 10-day bootcamp hosted by Expo City Dubai in the Terra Sustainability Pavilion. Five teams, two thirds of which were Emirati nationals and female, were selected to move on to the next pre-accelerator phase, where each team received a grant of Dhs 25,000 (US$6,800).
Now, they will be given an opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of senior officials, experts, and potential investors at the upcoming COP28 conference.
Of the five who pitch at COP28, three will be chosen for a final stage of incubation and each will receive an additional Dhs 50,000 (US$13,615) to develop their businesses.
“Innovation thrives when it meets purpose – and through the Eco-preneurship Programme, we're forging purposeful innovation that will shape our global future,” said Najla Al-Midfa, CEO of Sheraa.
“Through our exciting partnership with the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation, and by combining entrepreneurship with eco-consciousness, we're nurturing start-ups as well as cultivating a movement that addresses the most pressing challenges of our time,” she added.
