Local governments around the world are committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and achieving carbon neutrality (Net Zero) to try to keep the Earth's temperature 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels (the goal of the Paris Agreement). Implementing ambitious measures is urgent, given that the average global temperature has already risen 1.1 degrees Celsius, according to the IPCC's 2023 Synthesis Report on Climate Change released in March. It seems like a small amount, but every tenth of a degree matters, scientists point out, because global warming is responsible for increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, tending to exacerbate food and water insecurity worldwide.

To support cities and regions in the urgent challenge of decarbonization, the Connected Places Catapult leads UK-LATAM Net-Zero and Resilience Program, funded by Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, through the Science and Innovation Network (Science and Innovation Network), with the support of the British Government. The objective of the initiative is to identify barriers to achieving carbon neutrality and the potential for these barriers to be overcome through innovation and new technologies from Latin America and the United Kingdom.

“"We help British companies find opportunities in Brazil and we help Brazilian companies find opportunities in the United Kingdom.", Martin Whalley summarized, Director of the Trade Investment Team between Brazil and the United Kingdom at the British Consulate in São Paulo.

The first phase of the Program was implemented with the support of ICLEI South America and ICLEI Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean in the cities of Buenos Aires (Argentina), Campinas (Brazil), Monterrey and the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (Mexico). Two other cities, Porto Alegre (Brazil) and Santiago (Chile), are observers of the Program and can identify additional challenges and replicate the model developed with the four central cities to accelerate local decarbonization.

“We are very pleased to be working with the cities of Santiago and Porto Alegre as observer cities for this project, as they are developing their own Net Zero profiles. This allows us to understand where they stand in terms of challenges, so we can move to the next stage and also select companies from the UK, Santiago, and Porto Alegre to jointly address local challenges.”, highlighted Guilherme Johnston, Director of Global Partnerships at Connected Places Catapult.

In January 2023, a Call for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) was launched to stimulate the formation of partnerships. Between February and March, more than 150 local leaders and stakeholders participated in two in-person workshops each, where they identified and selected their priority challenges for decarbonization and climate resilience. With these definitions, the UK and Latin American innovation ecosystem was activated, and 11 startups presented solutions to the priority challenges identified by the cities. These initiatives were presented by representatives of the 11 startups during the South Summit Brazil 2023, one of the largest innovation events, in Porto Alegre. The Innovation Mission to Brazil also included visits to governmental and private organizations in São Paulo and Campinas.

“Cities are responsible for 75% of the world’s GHG emissions and are where people are most vulnerable to climate risks. Innovation is necessary to overcome these challenges. That is also what this Program aims to do: generate a safer institutional environment so that local governments can embrace innovation dynamics,” stated the Executive Secretary of ICLEI South America, Rodrigo Perpétuo.

“ICLEI is pleased to be in an ongoing partnership with Catapult, supporting the British Government and the British Embassy in Brazil, trying to emphasize how these connections are necessary to create local development in a way that connects sustainability to innovation. We are fully committed to making these solutions happen in the territory,”, added Rodrigo Corradi, Deputy Executive Secretary of ICLEI South America.

O UK-LATAM Net-Zero and Resilience Program, This initiative, which places small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at the heart of collaborations between the UK government and Latin American cities in addressing climate challenges, fosters the development of sustainable solutions within the innovation ecosystem and creates opportunities for new businesses and access to financing from development banks and the private sector. Implementation is in its early stages and will seek additional funding to carry out a range of activities in the coming years.

Results from the first phase of the Program:

• Internal teams and stakeholders from the mapped and identified local ecosystems;
• Documentary research was conducted to identify market trends and understand the regional context.;
• Interviews with 26 expert stakeholders from academia, government, and industry;
• City Academy workshops in the four cities to present the research results and co-design the detailed challenges to be solved in the next phase of the project: +100 participants;
• Workshops with stakeholders from the four cities to understand the challenges and opportunities of designing a testbed for deploying and testing technologies: +50 participants;
• 11 selected SME solutions;
• Commitment from local leaders and willingness to experiment with new approaches;
• Research and scenario planning regarding the potential impacts of implementing specific solutions compared to maintaining the status quo in the territories;
• Market analysis to identify organizations that innovate in challenging areas in the United Kingdom and in each of the participating cities;
• Investigation of similar and relevant initiatives already underway in partner cities;
• Business Matchmaking between SMEs with relevant innovations in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, Monterrey, Campinas, Buenos Aires and the United Kingdom;
• Test scope defined, test locations identified, and test partners engaged;
• UK-LATAM Net-Zero and Resilience Program Presented in three panels at South Summit Brazil: “Innovative Solutions for Cities to Achieve Net-Zero and Resilient”, on The Next Big Thing stage; “UK-LATAM Net Zero and Resilience Pitching Event”, on the Explore stage; ”The Importance of Bilateral Collaboration for Net Zero”, on the Demo stage.
• Networking;
• Exchange of experiences;
• Opening of markets;
• Partnerships and business prospecting: Water Offsets and Gentian together in Monterrey.

Discover the challenges facing cities and the solutions offered by startups:

Campinas | Mobility and Last Mile Logistics – To enable data-driven transportation planning and services to encourage the transition to alternative and sustainable transportation methods. The workshops took place on March 1st and 2nd, 2023, with 20 participants.

• WeDRT: A company based in Hempstead, UK, that provides on-demand transport to municipalities and aims to trigger a modal shift away from single-occupancy cars. Check it out. testimony of Eugenia Agell-Bernard, Business Development Manager of WeDRT.

• Inteliports: A company based in Southampton, UK, that develops intelligent drones for the maritime, medical, surveillance, and parcel and port delivery sectors, offering rapidly deployable and modular drones. Check out the... testimony of David Park, Co-founder of Inteliports.

• Scipopulis: A startup from São Paulo developed the Trancity platform, which integrates static and real-time data from the public transportation network, assisting transportation agencies in developing evidence-based public policies. Check it out! testimony of Bruno Maximino, Transportation Specialist at Scipopulis.

Buenos Aires | Last Mile Logistics – Optimize last-mile logistics to meet the growing demand for deliveries and reduce the number of freight vehicles in the city center. The workshops took place on March 7th and 8th, 2023, with 50 participants.

• Rasic LTD: A London-based startup that developed software to quickly plan routes, process data and collect information from sensors in vehicles and mobile devices, communicate with drivers, locate vehicles, etc. Check it out. testimony of Nicolas Rincon, Developer at Rasic LTD.

• Grid Smarter Cities: Grid's Kerb® is a Newcastle, UK-based company specializing in sidewalk management to address major logistical challenges and environmental issues in cities. It's like an "Airbnb for the middle-ground." Check it out! testimony of Toby Hiles, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Grid Smarter Cities.

• Moova: A platform developed by a Buenos Aires startup that transforms idle logistics capacity into a highly efficient, low-cost, and environmentally friendly delivery solution. Check it out! Lucas Jaime's testimony, National Manager for Peru and Chile at Moova.
  

Monterrey | Water Resilience – Implement changes and solutions that improve the city's water resilience. The workshops took place on the following days. February 23rd and 24th from 2023, with more than 40 participants.

• Water Offsets: A startup from Hertfordshire, UK, has software to support cities on the path to water neutrality and resilience. During the program, it partnered with the startup Gentian to work together in Monterrey. Confirm the testimonials of... Tapiwa Gavaza, CEO of Water Offsets, and of Niall Williams, which is part of the company.

• Gentian: company London developed a remote sensing tool to monitor biodiversity, using AI, satellite imagery, and deep ecological knowledge. During the program, it partnered with Water Offsets to enhance its work in Monterey. Check it out. testimony of Daniel White, CEO of Gentian.

• BMA (Business Modeling Applications): A Leeds-based startup in the UK has developed the Decisio™ artificial intelligence decision processor, which helps build a more complete understanding of its clients' businesses and the ecosystem in which they operate. Check it out! testimony of Michael Avant-Smith, Director of BMA.

• Alis (Algae Innovation Solutions): A biotech company in Monterrey that uses microalgae in water treatment. Check it out. testimony of Ramón de Hoyos, founder and CEO of Alis. 

Guadalajara Metropolitan Area | Mobility – To improve public transportation services by enabling data-driven solutions to provide real-time information. The workshops took place on the following days. 28 February e March 2nd, with more than 40 participants.

• WhereIsMyTransport: A London-based company, a leader in the technology sector and a source of mobility data in emerging markets. With its Rumbo app, it provides real-time information on passenger transport in Mexico City, Lima, and Bangkok. Check it out! testimony of Felipe Duque, Business Development Director of WhereIsMyTransport.

• ITP (Integrated Transport Planning): Sustainable urban transport consultancy based in Nottingham, UK. Offers creative and viable solutions to urban transport challenges for clients in over 60 countries across six continents. Check out their website. testimony of Stuart William Clapham, Associate Consultant and Leader of ITP in Latin America.

Want to know more about startups? Access the project report here..

Cibele Carneiro