At COP24, the Solar Impulse Foundation and Scotland announce new partnership to find innovative solutions to climate change

For years now, the Solar Impulse Foundation has been delivering its powerful message on the urgent need to implement the clean, efficient and profitable solutions that already exist today to transition our world to a low-carbon economy. At COP24 in Katowice, Poland, First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has announced that her government will back the Solar Impulse Foundation with £1M, coupled with an agreement to strengthen cooperation in the identification and promotion of solutions to fight climate change.

Bringing Scottish solutions to the world, and world solutions to Scotland

Through this new partnership, we aim to bring even more Scottish solutions in our #1000solutions challenge and therefore to the world. Scotland is known for being a land of innovation, especially in the cleantech sector. Already, a number of companies are part of our World Alliance for Efficient Solutions, the non-profit we have created to bring together all players in the field of clean technologies. 

These companies include:

• Nova Innovation, a technology which converts the natural flows of the seas, estuaries and rivers into electricity for the grid, businesses or remote off-grid communities.
• Windswept and Interesting ltd, developing lightweight low-cost scalable autogyro kite turbines
• EGG lighting, a technology company that identifies, develops and installs energy saving solutions for businesses.
• Logan Energy, a company which designs, installs, commissions and maintains Energy Centres across the UK and Europe.
• Cirkel, a zero waste home textiles company.

These companies are in the process of being labeled as Solar Impulse Efficient Solutions, and we hope to bring them and even more into our solutions portfolio (more on the label here).

This collaboration will also allow us to scale clean and profitable solutions in Scotland, a world-leading country in climate and renewable energy targets which has beaten its 2020 climate targets six years early. The Scottish government published a bill this year, setting a legally-binding target of 90% reduction of GHG by 2050, with the aim of achieving “net-zero” emissions as soon as possible. The Solar Impulse Foundation will cooperate with the Scottish government to bring the tools needed to achieve these ambitious goals.

Bertrand Piccard, Initiator and Chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation, said:

“The fight against climate change will take boldness and ambition. Scotland is currently paving the way in showing what these notions mean in concrete action. Their legally binding target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions should be an example for all. Moreover, this collaboration between Scotland and the Solar Impulse Foundation shows how governments and society at large can get together to bring concrete solutions. I am proud to partner with Scotland, with such a message of hope for our planet.”

And Nicola Sturgeon declared:

“It is a moral obligation on all of us – governments, businesses and individuals – to do what we can to reduce and mitigate the effects of climate change.  One of the ways we can do that is by identifying different ways of doing things, ways that do not impact negatively on our planet.  Scotland has a proud history of innovation and we are well placed to use those skills to uncover alternatives to products and practices that currently harm our environment. As such, I’m very pleased that we are going to be able to work with the Solar Impulse Foundation in their future efforts.”

This is our contribution for climate action!