Dr. Sandra Piesik

Dr Sandra Piesik is an award-winning architect, author and researcher specialising in the implementation of global sustainable legislation, nature-based solutions and traditional knowledge adaptation. She is the founder of 3 ideas B.V. Amsterdam based consultancy, a Visiting Professor at the UCL Global Institute for Prosperity, former Policy Support Consultant on Rural – Urban Dynamics to UNCCD and a contributor to the UN-HABITAT “Urban-Rural Linkages: Guiding Principles and Framework for Action to Advance Integrated Territorial Development”.

Dr Piesik is a stakeholder and network member of several UN organisations including UNFCCC: The Resilience Frontiers, the Nairobi Work Programme (NWP), the Paris Committee on Capacity Building (PCCB) and Climate and Technology Centre & Network (CTCN).

Her published work includes Arish: Palm-Leaf Architecture (published by: Thames & Hudson in 2012), she is also the general editor of the encyclopaedia, HABITAT: Vernacular Architecture for a Changing Planet (published by: Thames & Hudson, Abrams Books, Flammarion, Editions Detail and Blume in 2017).

Dr. Kusum Lata

Kusum Lata is a professional in the field of climate change working on policies, strategies, capacity building. Presently, she is a well-known expert on economic diversification and just transition of the workforce while she leads the support to international negotiations on the impact of the mitigation policies. She has written technical papers for international negotiations, research papers in reputed journals and chapters in books in the area of her progressive career. She spent the first fifteen years of her career working in India on developing technology for bio-methanation (waste to energy) and biomass gasification and shares two patents through her research. She completed her doctorate in the field of waste to energy and published many research papers in reputed journals for her doctoral degree research work. Later, she also established herself as qualified technical lead assessor and undertook more than fifty audits in the duration of five years with UNFCCC for accrediting organizations for validating and verifying carbon emission reduction projects. She enjoys working on projects which directly impact the life of people especially in developing countries, which inspired her to work over six months in Togo, Africa to support development and implementation of projects like efficient cook stoves, waste management etc.

Mr. Christoph Schwarte

Christoph Schwarte is a qualified German lawyer with over 20 years of practical experience in different arenas of international environmental law. He is the executive director of Legal Response International (LRI) - a London based charity that provides free legal support to developing countries and civil society observer organisations in connection with the international climate negotiations. Christoph was a member of the International Law Association’s Committee that developed legal principles related to climate change (adopted in 2014) and has been actively involved in the international climate negotiation for many years. He has co-authored a guide book on the Paris Agreement and regularly advises on climate law. Previously, Christoph served with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) as an Associate Officer (P-2) and worked at the Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (FIELD).

Dr. Moustapha Kamal Gueyeata

Dr Moustapha Kamal Gueye is Coordinator, Green Jobs Programme, at the International Labour Organization. Previously, he served as Head, Green Economy Advisory Services at the United Nations Environment Programme and as a Senior Programme Manager at the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development in Geneva. Earlier, he spent twelve years across Asia working at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies in Japan. He currently serves in the Steering Group of the Green Economy Coalition and the Advisory Committee of GEO for Business. Kamal holds a Ph.D. from Nagoya University, Japan; DEA and LL.M from Dakar University; and Executive Certificates from the World Bank Institute; Columbia University; Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development, Japan; and Integrated Research and Action for Development, India.

Welcome to Ethical Pitch Accelerator!

Ethical Pitch is an accelerator programme initiated by SLYCAN Trust with the objective of supporting local start-up ecosystems and capacity-building on different thematic areas for potential entrepreneurs and those interested in better understanding of setting up sustainable and climate-friendly business initiatives.

Thematic Focus

Food systems

Fashion

Waste management

Tourism

All submissions need to elaborate the ethical and sustainable aspect related to their initiative. For example, food systems initiatives could focus on plant-based, cruelty-free food, while fashion initiatives could focus on upcycled and organic-material clothes.

All sustainable, ethical, and climate-friendly solutions are welcome !

Who can apply?

Ethical Pitch aims to support:

● Youth
● Community members of targeted geographical areas
● Understanding economic context for startups, concepts of sustainability, impacts of climate change and resilience, and integration to their initiatives
● People in the start-up sphere who are interested in technical support to make theirentrepreneurship a climate-resilient and sustainable one, and a net-zero version.

How does the programme work?

Ethical Pitch has three initial phases which includes different support for applicants based on the selection level.

Phase I: All applicants

● Capacity-building of participants on key aspects related to setting up a start-up
● Ideation and framing their concept into an initiative
● Understanding economic context for startups, concepts of sustainability, impacts of climate change and resilience, and integration to their initiatives
● Marketing and outreach skills
● Certification requirements in general with contributions from SLAB

Phase II: Short-listed applicants

● Targeted marketing and outreach skills building on Phase I
● Capacity-building on legal aspects related to starting a venture and setting up a registered entity
● Specific marketing advice based on the focus areas of the short-listed entities

Phase III: Selected applicants

● One on one advice provision
● Supporting the registration of the entity
● Provision of work space - where required and within identified geographical locations
● Marketing and outreach support
● Identifying seed fund raising/ investments

Everyone is a winner

All applicants of Ethical Pitch will be winners, as everyone will receive capacity-building and technical support on setting up a startup or enhancing their existing initiative into a more ethical, sustainable, climate-friendly, and successful one. Additionally, the short-listed participants will receive specific targeted capacity-building addressing the focus area of the startup, while selected participants will receive up to LKR 500,000 worth of technical and start-up ecosystem support to set up or enhance their existing start-up to be ethical, sustainable, and climate-friendly.

How to apply

Download the application below and submit by 15th October 2021. For further information on Ethical Pitch, please write to us at [email protected]

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