Drone photo of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Ho Chi Minh City, 30 September 2024 – Vietnam’s rapidly growing climate tech startup ecosystem secured US$92.6 million in cumulative financing for 49 startups between 2015-2023, according to the first report to map the growth of the country’s funding ecosystem. 

The Vietnam Climate Tech Ecosystem report released today by New Energy Nexus and Clickable Impact with support from the Swiss Entrepreneurship Program (Swiss EP, shows that there is huge room for growth as climate tech funding contributed only four percent of Vietnam’s total venture capital investment in 2023—well below the global average of 10 percent.

“Vietnam witnessed a remarkable acceleration in investment from 2021-2023, with funding for climate tech startups averaging 365 percent growth year-over-year,” said Thao Tran, country head of New Energy Nexus Vietnam, one of the few organizations building a clean energy innovation ecosystem to support climate startups. “This shows that there’s a strong ecosystem to support clean energy innovators to develop their ideas, but that there’s a funding crunch when it comes to commercialisation and deploying this tech where it’s needed most,”

“We see great room for entrepreneurial support organizations like New Energy Nexus to help Vietnam’s climate tech entrepreneurs build more commercially sound businesses, improve their investment readiness, and connect with both domestic and international capital,” said Jason Lusk, managing partner of Clickable Impact.

Key findings from the report:

• Among the 49 funded startups, 76 percent have been founded since 2019.
• Most deals have been early-stage, with seed and Series A funding comprising 47 percent of the deal count. Only two startups have graduated to Series B, a funding round that signals a startup’s readiness to scale.
• Most climate tech startups operated out of Vietnam’s largest cities: Ho Chi Minh City (65.3%) and Hanoi (26.5%).
• Farming and food production startups raised 48.4 percent of all climate tech funding in Vietnam.

Although funding for the circular economy and carbon sectors remains limited, there is an emerging trend marked by an increasing number of startups in these areas. This aligns with the growth in grant funding, which could lead to a higher number of investable startups in the next business cycle.

Furthermore, while many startups and investors remain optimistic about fundraising, a gap persists between investable startups and investors with a deep understanding of the market and the specific challenges faced by early-stage ventures.

Vietnam is highly vulnerable to climate change; according to the World Bank, the country faces potential economic losses of up to 12-14.5 percent of its annual GDP by 2050.¹ Climate tech entrepreneurship is critical in mitigating Vietnam’s greenhouse gas emissions and empowering the country’s communities and industries to build climate resilience.

Notes:

[1] World Bank (2022). Vietnam Country Climate and Development Report.

The 3GE Team, [RE]Power Hackathon First Place winner, presents their clean energy policy proposal.

Announced at New Energy Nexus Indonesia’s [RE]Power event, the policies will be shared with policy leaders who will formulate the upcoming 2025-2029 RPJMN (National Medium-Term Development Plan).

• First place: Encouraging private sector engagement through efficiency and transparency in a public-private partnership for renewable energy infrastructure project in Indonesia | 3GE Team (Nain M. Farchan & Elmaira Ferlita S) – Universitas Jember
• Second place: Establishing a Coordinating Ministry for Climate Change as a Solution for Data Integration and Roadmap Synchronization to reach Indonesia’s Net Zero Emission Goals | Invaluable Team (Azaria Ahmad Haykal, Gema Wachid Aryasatya, Rafi Ramadhan Seba) – Institut Teknologi Bandung & University of Tokyo
• Third place: Proposing strategies to strengthen the clean energy research and development ecosystem in Indonesia | Arindama Team (Rizka Fitria Utami & Herlina Pebria) – Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa
  These teams were selected after completing a rigorous bootcamp, developing capstone projects, and participating in intensive mentoring sessions. The winning teams will share a total prize of IDR45,000,000.

“Young people are not only one-quarter of the Indonesia’s population, but they’re also at the forefront of climate change impacts. That’s why we’re showcasing their ideas and solutions, providing them the opportunity to collaborate with entrepreneurs, researchers and policymakers to influence future energy policy,” said Diyanto Imam, Program Director of New Energy Nexus Indonesia. “We’re so proud of the finalists and all the participants who demonstrated unyielding optimism to solve some of the world’s most intractable problems.”

According to the first-place winner 3GE Team, there are several key issues in Indonesia’s clean energy policies, particularly in relation to Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). These include a lack of transparency and persistent corruption within renewable energy projects, unclear risk-sharing mechanisms between the public and private sectors, and the absence of compelling incentives that limit the appeal of green energy initiatives under the current PPP framework.

“To address these challenges, we recommend improving public transparency and accountability through open reporting on project implementation, establishing clear risk-sharing mechanisms to strengthen public-private partnerships, and developing more attractive programs for investors with effective financing strategies,” said Elmaira Ferlita S, a member of the 3GE Team. “These measures are essential for driving sustainable development in Indonesia’s clean energy sector.”

“I never realized how much goes into creating a policy and how deeply it impacts our daily lives. While I’m thrilled that our team won, I’m even more grateful for the knowledge and networks we’ve gained through the [RE]Power Hackathon, especially the intensive discussions we had with our mentors and industry experts,” added Nain M. Farchan, also from the 3GE Team.

New Energy Nexus (NEX) Indonesia’s [RE]Power Hackathon is the country’s first youth-driven energy policy hackathon designed for young innovators to develop forward-thinking policies that will catalyze the adoption of clean technologies across Indonesia.

“I am pleased to see our youth dedicating their minds to creating policies that will drive Indonesia toward achieving its sustainable energy transition goals. The fact that dozens of young people applied to the [RE]Power Hackathon shows their deep interest in and commitment to these critical issues,” said Ir. Senda Hurmuzan Kanam., M.Sc on behalf of Eniya Listiani Dewi, Director General of New and Renewable Energy. “As someone who helps shape regulations, it gives me peace of mind knowing we are not alone in this journey. When my time ends, I am confident that our future leaders will take the reins and ensure Indonesia’s continued progress with just policies.”

The [RE]Power Hackathon also welcomed five startups from Bali showcasing products ranging from waste-derived innovations to eco-apps aimed at promoting sustainable tourism: Ambawarna, Kishara, Decoco Luminer, Ecous, Kelana Terra.

[RE]Power is proud to collaborate with eleven youth-led organizations: BEM FH Universitas Indonesia, Climate Rangers Jakarta, Economy for Ecology, Environmental Law Society FH Universitas Indonesia, Green Welfare Indonesia, School of Applied STEM Universitas Prasetya Mulya, Society of Renewable Energy ITB, Society of Renewable Energy ITK, Society of Renewable Energy Universitas Indonesia, Teens Go Green Indonesia, and Mindworks Lab. NEX Indonesia is also grateful for the support of our media partners, Changemakr Asia, Katadata.co.id, Katadata Green, and Zona EBT.

The support from Milkywire, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, and the Ministry of National Development Planning has been critical in NEX Indonesia’s efforts to foster a vibrant cleantech ecosystem in Indonesia.

Makati City, Philippines, 18 September 2024 — The Philippines currently has 91 clean energy and climate startups, representing a six-fold increase since 2020 (from 15), according to a new report, It takes a village: Growing an ecosystem to support Philippines’ clean energy startups, from New Energy Nexus. Of these startups, 18 have raised almost US$1.3 million.

“The Filipino clean energy innovation ecosystem has shown huge progress and promise in the past years, but the nascent space runs the risk of stalling because of lack of access to networks, funding, testing facilities, and skills training,” said Brenda Valerio, Country Director at NEX Philippines. “Local entrepreneurs are best placed to understand how to deploy solutions in their communities and transition our economy more equitably to clean energy. It really does take a village to build and deploy these solutions.”

The study also found that while these startups are mostly in Metro Manila (34.1%), entrepreneurs from Northern Mindanao (14.5%) and CALABARZON (16.5%) are carving up space in the industry.

Industries for climate and clean energy startup companies and enterprises

Nearly half of startups (49%) are in the renewable energy generation sector, while others are in the sustainable transportation / e-mobility sector,  energy access sector (both at 8%), and waste management (7%).

These developments are due in part to more opportunities for clean energy businesses to scale, with over 100 national energy policies and incentives easing the burden on entrepreneurs, increasing opportunities in the private sector, and incubator and accelerator programs run by organizations such as New Energy Nexus—which is still the only non-profit clean energy accelerator in the country. New Energy Nexus has directly supported over 90 percent of these startups since 2019.

Despite significant progress, the report outlines how public, private, and advocacy stakeholders can build an innovation ecosystem to support more thriving startups and accelerate the adoption and deployment of clean energy innovation.

• Among the gaps seen are in the public sector. Unstreamlined bureaucratic processes, lack of resources at the local level, and potential policy changes make it tough for many entrepreneurs to access the funding and incentive programs that the government provides. There is also a lack of research, testbeds, and facilities in the country that could accelerate the development of clean energy technologies.
• Another concern is private investments. Of the US$ 1.3 million in funding mentioned above, only 13 percent came from private loans and investments. Furthermore, some startups require substantial upfront investment,  yet many are not ready to meet the demand of managing large capital injections. This is where support from the private sector, government, and nonprofits is required—beyond early-stage funding, startups need to access venture capital and growth-stage funding in order to scale and access new markets.

“In my observation, most startups are not yet ready for the type of funding that’s currently available. We have to recognize that many of these companies are still at an early stage in their development,” said Rachel Santiago-Sacro of venture fund Clime Capital, which invests in sustainability and clean energy ventures. “It’s crucial that we provide support at every stage of a startup’s journey, not just when they’re ready for significant investment.”

• On the scarcity of capital, the report recommends experimenting with diverse funding mechanisms and de-risking strategies to create a more investor-friendly environment for both institutions and innovators. These include public-private partnerships, venture capital, and crowdfunding, which could boost financial support for energy innovation in the country.

Furthermore, the report calls for streamlining regulatory processes for ease of business, enhanced support on market access, integration of energy innovation and entrepreneurship topics in academic curricula, and fostering a community of various stakeholders to facilitate mutual learning.

“Many of these gaps could be filled by addressing fragmentation in the clean energy sector,” Valerio said. “Instead of working independently, government agencies, think tanks, and non-government organizations must collaborate to make processes more efficient for startups and to catch up with the country’s growing startup space.”

Sydney, 18 September 2024 – The second annual Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge announces today a new cohort of 12 startups with solutions to rapidly convert half the Australian vehicle fleet to electric vehicles (EVs), equivalent to more than 10 million vehicles.

The Challenge aims to find solutions that can deploy up to 1.3TWh of batteries that would be required to reach this goal, starting with approximately 600GWh of heavy truck and bus batteries (plus up to 25GWh for  mining), 400GWh for light trucks and commercial vehicles and 260GWh for passenger vehicles [1].

The startups selected for the cohort are:

• Australian EVS, Newcastle, NSW: light commercial EV retrofits for councils and fleets.
• Cuedo Controls, Melbourne, VIC: efficient EV software control systems for the entire retrofit market.
• Eclass Outboards, Kiama, NSW: electric outboard and marine hybrid retrofits for pleasure craft and fishing fleets.
• Electric Power Conversions Australia (EPCA), Hazelmere, WA: EV retrofitting mining haul trucks from 100 tonnes and up
• Electromotiv, Canberra, ACT: EV retrofitting buses for public transport and private fleets
• Evans Electric, Sydney, NSW: EV powertrain hardware and software developer specialising in axial flux motor development including e-axles
• IonDNA, ACT and NSW: power electric ATVs, utility vehicles, and farm tools from electricity generated via on-site solar power infrastructure.
• Jaunt, Melbourne, VIC: EV conversion systems for classic cars and specialist commercial vehicles.
• Net Zero Engineering Solutions, Adelaide, SA: bi-directional EV charging solution.
• OZ Electric Vehicles, Logan City, QLD: battery upscaling and “flat pack” EV retrofit kits.
• “Project Midas,” Sydney, NSW: next-generation graphene anode technology, improving lithium-ion battery performance and safety.
• REVR, Melbourne, VIC: Minimised installation requirement mass EV retrofit kits.

“This is the first innovation challenge of its type in Australia to focus on mass EV retrofitting vehicles. With the incredible increase in battery demand this would generate, we aim to change the conversation on the viability of battery and cell manufacturing in Australia, taking advantage of our huge competitive advantage in the lithium battery supply chain,” said Kirk McDonald, Project Manager for Supercharge Australia.

“Not only would retrofitting half the Australian vehicle fleet to electric vehicles rapidly reduce emissions from transport, it would also support a big capacity uplift in our startup innovation ecosystem and clean energy advanced manufacturing,” said Megan Fisher, CEO of EnergyLab.

Participants in the inaugural Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge in 2023 raised over AU$48 million in funding subsequent to the first Challenge. Applicants this year will benefit from technical support, networking, mentoring, wide exposure and introductions to investors and customers in an industry roundtable to accelerate their success.

Delivered over two months with most sessions online, startups will receive advice from international and domestic experts in finance, IP and business growth, and pitching the opportunity to investors. This will culminate in the second Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge Awards event, in Sydney on November 7.

The winning startup will also have the opportunity to join an expert guided visit by Danny Kennedy, EnergyLab Director and Venture Partner at New Energy Nexus Ventures, to California’s startup ecosystem, centred in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“It’s a perfect time to showcase the world-beating ambition and technical know-how this team has to decarbonise half Australia’s vehicle fleet, all with Australian-made lithium batteries,” said Danny Kennedy.

The Challenge aims to rapidly decarbonise the transport sector and accelerate battery demand.  In 2022 the transport sector contributed to 19% of Australia’s emissions, with trucks, buses and light commercial vehicles accounting for about 40% of the total transport figure. The potential CO2 savings are critically important; and vehicle acquisition cost savings of up to 50% per vehicle in comparison to new purchases have been identified in overseas markets.

Supercharge Australia is accelerating the lithium battery value chain in Australia, and is a joint project of not-for-profit cleantech startup support organisations New Energy Nexus globally and EnergyLab in Australia and New Zealand.

Notes:

Photos are available here.

[1] Calculations apply expert-advised current and at-scale estimates of lithium battery, electric motor, software control systems, wages and ancillary design and other costs to the Australian vehicle fleet data from Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics. “Motor Vehicles, Australia, January 2022 (First Issue).”

About New Energy Nexus

New Energy Nexus (NEX) is an international organization that strives towards a 100% clean energy economy for 100% of the population. It does this with a laser focus on diverse entrepreneurs, supporting them with accelerators, funds, skills, and networks they need to thrive.

NEX has accelerated over 1,200 startups, supported nearly 9,000 entrepreneurs, and mobilized over US$3.7 billion in investment. Celebrating 20 years since its founding in California in 2004, NEX now operates programs or advisory services in Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, the UAE, Uganda, the USA (California and New York), and Vietnam. More at www.newenergynexus.com

About EnergyLab

EnergyLab is Australia’s largest climate tech startup accelerator and innovation network dedicated to reaching net zero emissions. EnergyLab connects talented founders to the mentors, advisors, partners, peers and investors they need to succeed and has so far supported over 195 startups and 140 aspiring founders through its various programs.

In addition to running 10 programs, EnergyLab operates a climate focused angel investor network with over 200 angel investors, a mentor network with over 400 experts, coworking and events space at UTS in Sydney all of these services are leveraged to support the clean energy and decarbonisation startup ecosystem in Australia.

Sydney, 16 May 2024 – The second annual Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge, “Retrofit Nation”, is launching today in Sydney during Climate Action Week. The Challenge is calling on startups to rapidly convert half the Australian vehicle fleet to electric vehicles (EVs), which is over 10 million vehicles.

One of the immediately viable opportunities lies in retrofitting existing heavy vehicles with lithium batteries to support the move to an electric vehicle fleet. In 2022 the  transport sector contributed to 19% of Australia’s emissions. Trucks, buses and light commercial vehicles account for about 40% of the total transport figure and the industry comprises a relatively small group of decision makers that can accelerate change.

A recent report from Beyond Zero Emissions shows that battery technologies are emerging as one of the most promising sectors for Australia’s economic growth and decarbonisation efforts, potentially creating up to 20,000 jobs and AU$114 billion revenue by 2035.

The Challenge is open to startups, entrepreneurs, scientists and researchers are to develop and present solutions to questions such as:

• What are the next-generation drivetrain solutions and battery technologies we can apply and how do we produce them at scale?
• How do we invent and apply advanced manufacturing techniques?
• What are the software solutions to integrate drivetrain upgrades with existing vehicle technology, to add advanced driver-assist technologies and to maximise their energy storage benefits (Vehicle-to-Grid)?
• How do we most efficiently train and upskill the workforce required to complete the retrofits and adhere to safety compliance?

Startups receive prizes, support, networking and mentoring to accelerate their success.

“Transport is an obvious target for reform, particularly in Australia with our reliance on road freight and use of mining vehicles. We need to encourage the supply of more EV’s sooner into the Australian and global markets. Putting electric motors and batteries into existing vehicles at scale and massively increasing Australian battery demand is a sure-fire and fast-track way of getting it done,” said Danny Kennedy, CEO New Energy Nexus.

“The mass EV retrofit opportunity can help to upskill the Australian workforce including electricians, mechanics, software developers with critical skills in advanced manufacturing, batteries and EV’s – essential for our economy in the future. The Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge will unleash innovation from the startup community  and capture ideas that show how we can make this mass EV retrofit opportunity a reality,” said Megan Fisher, CEO EnergyLab.

“Australia produces half of the world’s lithium yet retains less than 1% of the value it produces. We can’t just keep sending our lithium offshore where others capture its value. It’s time we change this, together,” said Kirk McDonald, Project Manager Supercharge Australia.

“We’d need AU$181 billion worth of batteries to retrofit half the Australian vehicle fleet, or 20x our current near term forecast demand to 2030. This quantity would de-risk and incentivise lithium battery and cell production in Australia, in the best case using our world-class renewable energy resources.

“So, in support of the Prime Minister’s ‘Future Made in Australia’ initiative, there’s even broader advanced battery manufacturing ecosystem advantages as reasons to proceed and we look forward to seeing the innovative solutions that we know Australian startups are so good at.”

Participants in the inaugural Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge raised over AU$40 million in funding subsequent to the first challenge. The second Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge will uncover more opportunities for rapid support and growth for Australian solutions.

The second annual Supercharge Australia Innovation Challenge, “Retrofit Nation”, will launch on Thursday 16 May at 3pm (AEST) at EnergyLab Sydney: 4-12 Buckland St, Chippendale NSW 2008, Australia. Journalists are welcome to attend.

Oakland, 26 de marzo de 2024 – California está captando sólo el 2.4% de los empleos previstos en las operaciones planificadas en la cadena de suministro de baterías de litio de la nación, y la mayoría van a parar a estados que ocupan puestos bajos en términos de protección laboral, salud y seguridad de los trabajadores, y leyes salariales.

Las conclusiones publicadas hoy en un nuevo informe de New Energy Nexus, en colaboración con el Instituto para la Transformación Social de la Universidad de California en Santa Cruz, y socios del Centro Laboral de la Universidad de California en Berkeley, detallan cómo la propia iniciativa estatal del “Valle del Litio” en la región del mar Salton no aprovechará el creciente auge del litio, donde menos del 1% de los empleos están asociados con la extracción de litio. Se prevé que la inmensa mayoría de los más de 100.000 nuevos empleos serán en la fabricación de baterías y vehículos eléctricos (VE)..

El informe – “Generando prosperidad: Creando una cadena inclusiva de suministro de litio en la región del mar Salton de California” – analiza los datos de empleo en la cadena de suministro a través de una plataforma interactiva en línea, “Lithium Battery Supply Chains of North America,” (Cadenas de suministro de baterías de litio de Norteamérica), que por primera vez traza un mapa de los empleos en relación con los indicadores laborales, climáticos y de justicia económica. También recomienda cómo la región podría captar más empleos “de alto nivel” y beneficios comunitarios de la extracción de litio con un mayor enfoque político, inversiones públicas específicas y asociaciones sólidas entre la industria, los trabajadores, las comunidades y las tribus.

“Las decisiones que se tomen ahora determinarán si el auge de las baterías de litio será una carrera hacia la cima o una carrera hacia el fondo”, afirmó Rebecca Lee, coautora del informe y Directora General de New Energy Nexus California.

“California ha sido líder mundial en innovación de vehículos eléctricos y baterías, y para mantenerse a la vanguardia, necesita apoyar a las empresas que tomen la vía alta, y que se queden y fabriquen sus tecnologías en el estado. Esto podría ser un modelo global de prosperidad compartida, generando empleos que sustenten familias y beneficios para las comunidades locales, y al mismo tiempo descarbonizando la economía.”

La región del mar Salton en California es un rincón del estado en el que no se ha invertido lo suficiente, y donde una cuarta parte de la población total y la mitad de la población nativa americana de la región vive por debajo de los índices de pobreza. También alberga algunas de las mayores reservas de litio del mundo, lo que ha dado lugar al nombre de “Valle del Litio”.

La Ley Bipartidista de Infraestructuras y la Ley de Reducción de la Inflación crearon importantes incentivos financieros para la producción nacional de baterías de litio y vehículos eléctricos. Crear una cadena nacional de valor del litio – desde el procesamiento, la fabricación de baterías y el reciclaje- podría crear buenos empleos, nuevas oportunidades comerciales y beneficios significativos para las comunidades locales.

“Tenemos que asegurarnos de que los empleos en la extracción de litio en el condado de Imperial sean buenos empleos, pero un beneficio mayor para la región podría surgir de la ubicación conjunta de la fabricación de baterías y vehículos eléctricos”, afirmó Chris Benner, coautor del informe y profesor y director de la facultad del Instituto para la Transformación Social de la Universidad de California, Santa Cruz.

“Las empresas de baterías y vehículos eléctricos que se instalen aquí obtendrían beneficios en términos de reputación y de mercadotecnia por estar vinculadas a una de las fuentes de litio más limpias del planeta, así como un acceso cercano a un gran mercado de consumidores concienciados con el medio ambiente – la base de consumidores de vehículos eléctricos más grande del país.”

Conclusiones clave:

• California es actualmente el núcleo de la industria nacional del vehículo eléctrico, con aproximadamente el 19% de los empleos existentes en toda la cadena de suministro de litio y vehículos eléctricos, es con diferencia el mayor porcentaje de todos los estados.
• California, Arizona y Nevada representan casi un tercio (31%) de los empleos en toda la cadena de valor de las baterías de litio y los vehículos eléctricos, pero solo el 10% de las nuevas inversiones previstas. (1).
• Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama y Georgia representan en la actualidad aproximadamente el 16% del empleo total existente a lo largo de la cadena de valor, pero representan casi el 34% de los empleos previstos en nuevas instalaciones. Estos estados ocupan los últimos puestos en cuanto a protección laboral, salud y seguridad y salarios de los trabajadores..
• De los más de 150.000 empleos existentes en la cadena de valor del litio en EE.UU., el 43% corresponde a la fabricación de VE, el 26% a la fabricación de los componentes, baterías y paquetes de pilas, y solo el 6% de los empleos corresponde a la minería o a la extracción de minerales críticos.
• En la región del mar Salton, el número de empleos directos derivados de la extracción directa de litio será relativamente modesto: unos pocos cientos de empleos al principio, que aumentarán a unos 2.000 empleos en curso cuando se proyecte su pleno desarrollo dentro de muchos años.
• La gran mayoría de los empleos relacionados con el litio de la región del mar Salton se crearán a lo largo de la cadena de valor: unos 1.600 empleos en la fabricación de cátodos, 20.000 empleos en la fabricación de pilas y baterías, y más de 100.000 empleos en la fabricación de vehículos eléctricos (2).  Actualmente no existen acuerdos para traer estos empleos a la región del mar Salton, y mucho menos para garantizar que estos empleos sean de alta calidad o se destinen a residentes locales (3).

Noemí O. Gallardo, Comisionada de la Comisión de Energía de California: “La visión del Valle del Litio tiene el potencial de proporcionar una tremenda oportunidad económica que eleve simultáneamente a la industria, los trabajadores y los residentes. Basándose en los esfuerzos estatales existentes, las recomendaciones descritas en este informe pueden ayudar a hacer realidad esta posibilidad e impulsar la región del mar Salton.”

Brigette Browning, Secretaria General Ejecutiva del Consejo Laboral de los Condados de San Diego e Imperial: “Este informe muestra que California debe consolidar urgentemente su liderazgo en energías limpias y asegurarse de captar y conservar empleos que sustenten familias en el auge de las baterías de litio. Tanto en la fase de construcción de los proyectos como en las operaciones y el mantenimiento en curso, el sector debe apoyar buenos empleos sindicales y vías profesionales en los nuevos empleos de las industrias verdes, especialmente para los residentes locales.”

Sanjiv Malhotra, fundador y director ejecutivo de Sparkz: “Hemos visto un verdadero valor en adoptar el enfoque de “alto nivel” en el Valle del Litio, enfocándonos en la innovación, invirtiendo en nuestra fuerza laboral y generando buenos empleos. Estamos orgullosos de asociarnos con el sindicato United Auto Workers para asegurar al trabajador estadounidense un lugar en la nueva economía de la energía, y al mismo tiempo desarrollar la cadena de suministro de baterías a nivel nacional.”

California podría proporcionar un modelo global del desarrollo económico inclusivo y favorable al medio ambiente de las cadenas de suministro de litio y baterías. Las recomendaciones incluyen:

• Apoyar el desarrollo de la fuerza laboral “de alto nivel”. Esto incluiría imponer condiciones para la financiación pública de las empresas, basándose en Acuerdos de Beneficios Comunitarios negociados, así como la capacitación de trabajadores de la construcción, obreros y profesionales y técnicos en el condado de Imperial.
• Reforzar la “canalización de la innovación a la implementación”: proporcionar beneficios a las empresas de ” alto nivel” que desarrollen y fabriquen tecnologías en el Estado. Esto debería incluir un aumento en la financiación a organizaciones de apoyo para emprendedores de energías limpias que apoyan vías de alto nivel para la comercialización de empresas emergentes.
• Invertir en infraestructuras locales. Esto incluye infraestructuras físicas y sociales como servicios de salud pública, transporte público, viviendas resistentes al cambio climático y restauración medioambiental relacionada con la gestión del mar Salton y la calidad del aire.
• Abordar los obstáculos a la concesión de permisos. Por ejemplo, se podría acelerar la obtención de permisos para proyectos que hayan formalizado acuerdos y cuenten con el apoyo de las comunidades.
• Transparencia de la cadena de suministro de baterías. Deben existir mecanismos que controlen, midan y respeten los estándares medioambientales, laborales y de la calidad del aire, tales como el Pasaporte Global de Baterías.

El informe y el mapa Lithium Battery Supply Chain (Cadena de Suministro de Baterías de Litio) cuentan con el apoyo de una subvención de la Fundación James Irvine, y representan la culminación de más de un año de investigación, que incluye aportaciones de una amplia gama de partes interesadas de los sectores laboral, comunitario, industrial, público y tribal.

Notas para los redactores:

Resumen del informe (en español)

(1) California ocupa el primer lugar, Arizona el 18 y Nevada el 20, según el Índice de Mejores Estados para Trabajar de Oxfam. Best States to Work Index.

(2) Este cálculo se basa en la cantidad anual de litio extraído de todas las plantas geotérmicas existentes y utilizado para fabricar baterías

(3) Al menos dos empresas promotoras han firmado acuerdos de proyectos laborales (PLA por sus siglas en inglés) con sindicatos del sector de la construcción para la fase de construcción de los proyectos.

Acerca de New Energy Nexus:

New Energy Nexus es una organización sin fines de lucro que lucha por una economía 100% de energía limpia para el 100% de la población en el menor tiempo posible. Con 20 años de experiencia, ofrecemos aceleradores, financiación y capacitación de primera clase para ayudar a diversos emprendedores a desarrollar una transición energética limpia, más justa y equitativa..

New Energy Nexus comenzó en California en 2004 y ahora opera programas en Nueva York, China, India, Sudeste Asiático, África Oriental y Occidental, y Australia. Desde 2016, hemos apoyado a 1.200 empresas emergentes, más de 8.000 emprendedores y movilizado más de 3.700 millones de dólares en inversiones. Más información en: www.newenergynexus.com/california

Acerca del Instituto para la Transformación Social de UC Santa Cruz

El Instituto, integrado en la División de Ciencias Sociales de UC Santa Cruz, el Instituto apoya la investigación innovadora que cambia al mundo. El instituto es un centro intelectual y social crítico, que conecta a académicos de toda la UC Santa Cruz y a socios de fuera de la universidad, creando soluciones basadas en la investigación de urgentes problemas sociales, medioambientales y políticos del mundo. La investigación del instituto tiene como objetivo comprender y transformar las causas sistémicas subyacentes de los problemas en estas áreas, y aporta la experiencia basada en la investigación y los recursos de UC Santa Cruz a colaboraciones con otras entidades comprometidas con la creación de sociedades locales y globales que se basan en la equidad, el acceso y las oportunidades para todas las personas, la regeneración del medio ambiente y la revitalización democrática. https://transform.ucsc.edu/

Acerca del Centro Laboral de UC Berkeley

El Centro de Investigación y Educación Laboral de UC Berkeley es un programa de servicio público y divulgación del Instituto de Investigación sobre Trabajo y Empleo. Fundado en 1964, el Centro Laboral lleva a cabo investigación y educación sobre temas relacionados con el trabajo y el empleo. Los currículos del Centro Laboral y las capacitaciones de liderazgo sirven para educar a una nueva generación diversa de líderes laborales. El Centro Laboral lleva a cabo investigaciones sobre temas como la calidad del empleo y el desarrollo de la fuerza laboral, y trabaja con sindicatos, gobiernos y empleadores para desarrollar programas y perspectivas políticas innovadoras. El Centro también ofrece una importante fuente de investigación e información sobre los sindicatos y la evolución de la fuerza laboral para estudiantes, académicos, legisladores y el público en general. https://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/

Contacto para los medios de comunicación:

Tristan Tremschnig, Director de Global Communications, New Energy Nexus, correo electrónico:  tristan.tremschnig@newenergynexus.com (con sede en San Francisco)

Oakland, 26 March 2024 – California is capturing only 2.4% of projected jobs in planned operations in the nation’s lithium battery supply chain, with most going to states that are ranked low in terms of labor protection, worker health and safety, and wage laws.

The findings released today in a new report from New Energy Nexus, with partners at the Institute for Social Transformation at UC Santa Cruz and the UC Berkeley Labor Center, detail how even the state’s very own “Lithium Valley” initiative in the Salton Sea region is projected to miss out on the growing lithium boom, where less than 1% of jobs are associated with lithium extraction. The vast majority of the more than 100,000 expected new jobs are projected to be in battery and electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing.

The report – “Powering Prosperity: Building an Inclusive Lithium Supply Chain in California’s Salton Sea Region” – analyzes employment data in the supply chain through an interactive online platform, “Lithium Battery Supply Chains of North America,” which for the first time ever maps jobs in relation to labor, climate, and economic justice indicators. It also recommends how the region could capture more “high-road” jobs and community benefits from lithium extraction with greater policy focus, targeted public investment, and stronger industry, labor, community and tribal partnerships.

“The decisions taken now will determine whether the lithium battery boom will be a race to the top or a race to the bottom,” said Rebecca Lee, co-author of the report and Managing Director of New Energy Nexus California.

“California has been a world leader in EV and battery innovation, and to stay ahead of the curve, it needs to support companies that take the high-road, and that stay and manufacture their technologies in the state. This could be a global model for shared prosperity, generating family-supporting jobs and benefits for local communities, while also decarbonizing the economy.”

California’s Salton Sea region is an underinvested corner of the state where a quarter of the total population, and half of the region’s Native American population, live below the poverty line. It is also home to some of the largest lithium reserves in the world, which has given rise to the name “Lithium Valley.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act created major financial incentives for domestic lithium battery and EV production. Building out a domestic lithium value chain – from processing, battery manufacturing, and recycling – could potentially create good jobs, new business opportunities, and meaningful benefits for local communities.

“We need to ensure that the jobs in lithium extraction itself in Imperial County are good jobs, but a larger benefit to the region could come from co-locating battery and electric vehicle manufacturing,” said Chris Benner, co-author of the report and Professor and Faculty Director at the Institute for Social Transformation, UC Santa Cruz. 

“Battery and electric vehicle firms locating here would gain reputational and marketing benefits of being tied to one of the cleanest sources of lithium on the planet, as well as close access to a large environmentally conscious consumer market – the largest consumer base for electric vehicles in the country.”

Key findings:

• California is currently the core of the nation’s electric vehicle industry, accounting for roughly 19% of existing jobs in the full lithium and electric vehicle supply chain, by far the highest share of any state.
• California, Arizona and Nevada account for nearly a third (31%) of jobs in the full lithium battery and EV value chain, but only 10% of planned new investment. These states rank highly in the nation for policies that support good jobs and wages (1).
• Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia currently account for approximately 16% of total existing employment along the value chain, but represent nearly 34% of projected jobs in new sites. These states are low-to-bottom ranked in terms of labor protection, worker health and safety, and wages.
• Of the more than 150,000 existing jobs in the lithium value chain in the USA, 43% are in EV manufacturing, 26% are in battery component, cell, and pack manufacturing, and only 6% of jobs are in mining or critical minerals extraction.
• In the Salton Sea region, the number of direct jobs from direct lithium extraction will be relatively modest: a few hundred jobs initially, rising to roughly 2,000 ongoing jobs at projected full build-out many years from now.
• The vast majority of jobs associated with the lithium from the Salton Sea region will be created further along the value chain: roughly 1,600 jobs in cathode manufacturing, 20,000 jobs in battery cell and pack manufacturing, and over 100,000 jobs in EV manufacturing (2).  There are currently no agreements in place to bring these jobs to the Salton Sea region, much less ensure these jobs are high-quality or will be targeted for local residents (3).

Noemí O. Gallardo, Commissioner, California Energy Commission: “The Lithium Valley vision has the potential to provide tremendous economic opportunity that simultaneously uplifts industry, workers, and residents. Building on existing state efforts, the recommendations outlined in this report can help realize this possibility and boost the Salton Sea region.”

Brigette Browning, Executive Secretary-General, San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council: “This report shows that California must urgently build on its clean energy leadership, and ensure it captures and retains family supporting jobs in the lithium battery boom. Both in the construction phase of projects and ongoing operations and maintenance, the sector must support good union jobs and career pathways in new green industries jobs, especially for local residents.”

Sanjiv Malhotra, Founder and CEO, SPARKZ: “We’ve seen real value in taking the “high-road” approach in Lithium Valley, focusing on innovation, investing in our workforce, and generating good jobs. We are proud to partner with the United Auto Workers to secure the American worker’s place in the new energy economy, while also growing the battery supply chain domestically.”

California could provide a global model for the inclusive and environmentally friendly economic development of lithium and battery supply chains. Recommendations include:

• Support “high-road” workforce development. This should include conditional public funding for businesses based on negotiated Community Benefits Agreements, as well as training for construction trades, blue collar, and professional and technical workers in Imperial County.
• Strengthen the “innovation to implementation pipeline”: provide benefits for “high-road” companies that develop and manufacture technologies in the state. This should include an increase in funding to clean energy entrepreneur support organizations that support high-road pathways for startup commercialization.
• Invest in local infrastructure. This includes physical and social infrastructure such as public health services, public transportation, climate resilient housing, and environmental restoration related to Salton Sea management and air quality.
• Address permitting barriers. For instance, expedited permitting could be made available for projects that have formalized agreements and support from communities.
• Battery supply chain transparency. Mechanisms must be in place that monitor, measure, and uphold environmental, labor and air quality standards, such as the Global Battery Passport.

The report and the Lithium Battery Supply Chain map are supported by a grant from The James Irvine Foundation, and represents the culmination of more than a year of research, including input from a wide range of labor, community, industry, public sector and tribal stakeholders.

Notes to editors:

(1) California comes in first, Arizona at 18th, and Nevada at 20th according to Oxfam’s Best States to Work Index.

(2) This calculation is based on the annual amount of lithium extracted from all existing geothermal plants and used to make batteries.

(3) At least two developers have signed project labor agreements (PLAs) with building trades unions for the construction phase of the projects.

About the Institute for Social Transformation, UC Santa Cruz

Rooted in the Social Sciences Division at UC Santa Cruz, the institute supports innovative scholarship that changes the world. The institute is a critical intellectual and social hub, connecting scholars across UC Santa Cruz and partners beyond the university, developing research-based solutions to urgent social, environmental and political problems in the world. The institute’s research aims to understand and transform the underlying systemic causes of problems in these areas and brings the research-based expertise and resources of UC Santa Cruz to collaborations with others committed to building local and global societies that are rooted in equity, access and opportunity for all people, environmental regeneration and democratic revitalization. https://transform.ucsc.edu/

Jakarta, 18 January 2024 – Three climate tech startups from New Energy Nexus Ventures’ (NEX Ventures) portfolio in Indonesia – Swap Energy, SolarKita, and Synergy Efficiency Solutions – have secured additional investments totalling US$31 million for 2023, including follow-on funding.

“Despite a 40% decrease in global funding across the climate tech sector last year, these three startups have demonstrated their resilience by achieving success in fundraising,” said Yeni Tjiunardi, Managing Director at NEX Ventures.

“We are committed to supporting disruptive and agile startups and founders that can accelerate the clean energy transition. Our optimism extends to the potential opportunities for emerging early-stage ventures in addressing climate challenges, not only in Indonesia but also in other Southeast Asian countries, such as the Philippines and Vietnam.”

The three startups are deploying solutions critical to Indonesia’s climate and energy goals, ranging from solar to energy storage:

• SolarKita is a solar energy company that provides end-to-end solar services for the residential market in order to build an integrated community of rooftop solar users in Indonesia.
• Synergy Efficiency Solutions (SES) is mainstreaming energy efficiency  in Southeast Asia by designing, financing, and implementing a range of energy efficiency solutions.
• Swap Energy is rolling out swappable battery technology that allows riders to effortlessly exchange depleted batteries, propelling the EV revolution of two-wheelers in Indonesia.

NEX Ventures aims to catalyze early-stage investments in the clean energy and climate sector by investing and collaborating with other investors, and providing strategic guidance to support its portfolio companies. Indonesia 1 Fund has co-invested with Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia (SEEAA) in SolarKita and with Southeast Asia Clean Energy Facility (SEACEF) in SES. Additionally, Swap Energy secured US$22 million investments for their Series A round by the end of December 2023.

NEX Ventures, through its Indonesia 1 Fund, has invested in seven climate tech companies and deployed four follow-on investments since 2020. These companies have been performing strongly, attracting over US$70 million of investments from other investors since joining the fund while also tackling climate and energy challenges. To date, Indonesia 1 Fund’s portfolio companies have reduced over 165,000 tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to planting almost eight million trees.

SolarKita

“The funding received from Indonesia 1 Fund and SEEAA allows more rapid penetration into the residential market. This milestone marks the initial phase of SolarKita’s overarching expansion plan to reach 18MWp solar PV installations equivalent to 6000 houses by the next three years,” said Amarangga Lubis, CEO of SolarKita.

The funding will strengthen the company’s fundamentals, refine product quality, and expand its network of installers and sales partners across Indonesia.

“As part of SEEAA’s mandate to accelerate the transition towards renewable energy and net-zero, we are excited to support SolarKita in their mission to make solar rooftop solutions accessible for residential homeowners and small businesses. Sustainability calls for collective action and we believe this joint investment from SEEAA and New Energy Nexus will be a critical catalyst in helping more people be part of the energy transition journey,” said Gilles Vermot Desroches, President of Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia (SEEAA).

Synergy Efficiency Solution

Synergy Efficiency Solutions (SES) intends to utilize the funding from Indonesia 1 Fund and SEACEF to fund capital expenditures for its growing portfolio of energy-saving projects. The timing of this follow-on investment coincides with the award of the Energy Transition Partnership (ETP) Grant to SES.

Swap Energy

Swap Energy has successfully raised a total of US$22 million in its Series A round in December 2023. This latest round was led by Qiming Venture Partners, with participation from GGV Capital and existing investor Ondine Capital. The company has more than 1300 battery swapping stations across Indonesia. They have also partnered with many companies such as Grab to develop an integrated EV ecosystem in Indonesia.

Oakland, USA, 13 December 2023 – New Energy Nexus’ Board of Directors today announced it has launched its global search for a successor to its outgoing CEO, Danny Kennedy, who will continue in his role into 2024 and support an orderly leadership transition. 

In 2015, Danny accepted the role of Managing Director of the California Clean Energy Fund, renamed New Energy Nexus in 2018 to align with his vision and, with the Board’s support, extend its mission around the world.

From a small team focused on supporting the success of clean energy entrepreneurs in California, New Energy Nexus, under Danny’s leadership, has grown to support more than 6000 entrepreneurs and over 1000 startups. The team has also raised more than US$100 million to deliver as grants, debt, and equity into these companies, which has driven billions of dollars of value creation, jobs and climate solutions globally. New Energy Nexus now has offices in 12 countries, with a team of more than 150.

“Danny Kennedy’s vision and passion to accelerate the drive and reach of global clean energy entrepreneurs has succeeded well beyond our expectations,” said Julie Blunden, Chair of the Board. “His leadership of our outstanding global team supporting clean energy entrepreneurs from the Philippines to Uganda and California to India has created lasting impact, incubating businesses and accelerating them to drive climate solutions around the world.”

“New Energy Nexus is ready for the next stage of growth and impact,” said Danny Kennedy, New Energy Nexus CEO. “I have been incredibly lucky to work with 150 amazing champions of climate solutions as their Chief Energy Officer across New Energy Nexus. My heroes are this team and the thousands of entrepreneurs we seek to support, who are driving deployment of  solar, wind and batteries and doing the hard work of electrifying everything.”

“Launching the Clean Fight in New York; partnering with Tsinghua University in China to start the Energy Internet Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center in Chengdu; building Third Derivative with RMI; hosting New Energy Nexus’ ReSpark Festivals in Indonesia; and launching our recent COP28 Accelerator and program in the UAE – all these milestones and more will be hard to beat in my professional career,” said Kennedy. “It is now time for a new leader to take the organization to the next level. I cannot wait to see what New Energy Nexus achieves next as I move into my next phase of leveraging innovation for climate solutions.”

“New Energy Nexus enables clean energy entrepreneurs and their technologies, solutions, and businesses to benefit the entire planet, with a focus on programs to attract underrepresented entrepreneurs,” said Blunden. “Replacing Danny Kennedy will be a challenge, and we will seek diverse candidates globally that have expertise aligned with our intersection of not-for-profit management and entrepreneurship.”

A Californian-born Australian, Kennedy has been working for climate and energy solutions since the 1980s. He served in senior roles at Greenpeace and other nonprofits before a successful career as a solar entrepreneur, helping to start several companies including Sungevity, Mosaic, Powerhouse, Sunergise, Powerhive and Solar Philippines.

5 December 2023, Abu Dhabi – New Energy Nexus (NEX) today announces new opportunities for climate tech startups to grow in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

New Energy Nexus is the Program Operator for Hub71’s new program to support early stage climate tech companies from around the world, and is partnering with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to help growth and later stage climate tech companies set up and land in Abu Dhabi.

Danny Kennedy, CEO at New Energy Nexus, said: “One thing we’ve learnt from building entrepreneur support ecosystems in 12 countries for nearly 20 years is that good ideas and talk are not enough. We need capital, talent and demand. Diverse entrepreneurs are essential elements to the clean energy transition due to their ability to innovate quickly, disrupt industries, and launch and scale rapidly. And for its part, the UAE is a good place for clean energy startups to land and to find capital; as well as mentors, partners and customers. With ADIO and HUB71, we have well established partners to support startups around the world to access this huge potential and accelerate climate solutions across the region.”

Jamie Levy, Senior Advisor at ADIO, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be working with COP28 to host the New Energy Nexus COP28 Climate Tech Startup Accelerator to support 100 global climate tech startups. We’re attracting the world’s leading climate tech companies to Abu Dhabi to benefit from the Emirate’s positive and enabling investment environment. We empower companies by accelerating their growth, amplifying their impact and providing access to strategic opportunities across key markets and sectors.”

Ahmad Ali Alwan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Hub71, said: “As the world demands urgent climate action, we recognize the future hinges on innovative solutions. Startups are at the forefront of harnessing breakthrough technologies, so we created Hub71+ ClimateTech. This collaborative ecosystem offers a platform for climate innovators to thrive, with the support of world-class partners committing substantial capital and expertise. ClimateTech is not just a pathway to decarbonization but offers a solid foundation to contribute to a sustainable future for our planet. We are not only investing in the success of environmentally focused entrepreneurs but collectively empowering ClimateTech startups to scale globally from Abu Dhabi while making a positive impact that will further promote a net zero future.”

With ADIO, New Energy Nexus aims to strengthen capacity building of startups and increase their access to capital, strategic investors and the wider Abu Dhabi ecosystem.

Hub71 has launched with several partners a program called Hub71+ ClimateTech of which NEX is an implementing partner. Other partners of Hub71+ ClimateTech have committed over AED12 million (US$3.26 million) in 2024 to support the growth of climate tech startups, which will be able to leverage the knowledge and expertise of more than 25 corporate and investment partners and policymakers. This access will enable startups to explore commercial opportunities and tap into venture capital partners and investors looking to make impactful investments in climate tech.

Startups will also enroll in a customized and sector-specific three-month course to receive expert mentorship, tailored advice and critical support. Additionally, the supporting partners will collaborate to explore the future of climate tech, funding availability for climate ventures and pathways for startups to play a more significant role in the journey to Net Zero.

About Hub71

Hub71 is Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem that enables founders to build globally enduring homegrown tech companies in any sector by providing access to global markets, a capital ecosystem, a global network of partners, and a vibrant community filled with highly skilled talent, governed by forward-thinking regulation.

Backed by the Government of Abu Dhabi and Mubadala Investment Company, Hub71 is growing its vibrant community of tech startups, investors, government, and corporate partners to ensure the availability of investment, commercial activities, and incentives from the public and private sectors. Through Hub71’s entrepreneurial infrastructure, value-add programs, enabling services and support packages, founders can build and scale widely adopted technologies with purpose and impact. Hub71 is on a mission to introduce new minds and technologies to Abu Dhabi, finding new ways to build globally enduring technology companies and sustain the nation’s continuous economic development.

For more information visit www.hub71.com and follow us on @Hub71AD #Hub71.

About Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO)

The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) enables local, regional and international investors to thrive and grow in the UAE capital through its close collaboration with government partners, sovereign investors, and national champions. ADIO is Abu Dhabi’s premier platform that empowers the private sector to grow, partner and compete globally by providing access to growth opportunities, strategic partnerships and new markets across key sectors that range from real estate and infrastructure, to industries and agribusiness, enhancing the nation’s investment in talent, innovation and sustainability.

With a growing network of global offices, investors can contact ADIO by visiting its head office in Abu Dhabi or international offices located in Beijing, Frankfurt, London, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, and Tel Aviv.

Visit https://www.investinabudhabi.gov.ae for more information.