Late in 2022, the world population\u00a0topped 8 billion. That\u2019s more mouths to feed and more land to farm, which leads to more emissions put into the air. A recent United Nations report predicts the earth will\u00a0be unlivable\u00a0within the decade if we aren\u2019t able to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. While this news might induce anxiety for many, it inspires climate action for a select few. These people have decided to help stem the tide of the climate crisis and dedicated resources to work on climate solutions. They are environmentalists, activists, and entrepreneurs. We give these people, who also bring a wealth of business savvy to their work, a new, almost-heroic title: ecopreneurs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A Salesforce+ series, aptly called \u201cThe Ecopreneurs,\u201d features these activists and the work they\u2019re doing to save the planet. Here we highlight the first three episodes and showcase the work these folks do.<\/span><\/p>\n SeaTrees Helps Restore Coastal Ecosystems<\/b><\/p>\n In the\u00a0first episode, we meet Michael Stewart and Kevin Whilden, lifelong surfers and the co-founders of the nonprofit Sustainable Surf and its\u00a0SeaTrees\u00a0initiative. SeaTrees\u2019s technology platform lets individuals easily contribute to the restoration and protection of coastal ecosystems. Coastal wetlands, sea kelp forests, mangrove forests, and coral reefs effectively suck carbon out of the atmosphere (blue carbon). The financial contributions made through SeaTrees, which can be as small as $10, support communities in their efforts to plant and protect blue-carbon coastal ecosystems. SeaTrees also\u00a0partners\u00a0with corporate brands so those organizations can directly fund additional blue-carbon projects.<\/span><\/p>\n The vision<\/b><\/p>\n SeaTrees is a platform that allows people to easily contribute to planting sea trees and restoring coastal ecosystems.<\/span><\/p>\n The problem it solves<\/b><\/p>\n Since coastal wetlands can store much more carbon than they release (helping to limit carbon in the atmosphere), conservation and restoration of these areas is a\u00a0nature-based strategy to mitigate the effects of climate change. This strategy can help global communities adapt to the ongoing climate crisis.<\/span><\/p>\n The business model<\/b><\/p>\n SeaTrees\u2019s technology platform enables millions of people to make individual contributions to projects that restore and protect worldwide coastal ecosystems. \u201cThe idea was to build the website on an ecommerce platform and make everything we do a product someone can actually support \u2014 in the same way you get a rideshare,\u201d Stewart said. \u201cIf we can make it that easy, or even easier than that to plant a tree in the sea, then we\u2019re golden.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n BlocPower Looks to Offer Clean Energy to Everyone<\/b><\/p>\n In\u00a0\u201cThe Ecopreneurs\u201d episode 2, we meet Donnel Baird\u2019s BlocPower. The clean-tech start-up uses clean energy to help disadvantaged communities benefit from more sustainable living spaces, healthier environments, more efficient appliances \u2014 and the related jobs created.<\/span><\/p>\n The vision<\/b><\/p>\n BlocPower invests in retrofitting low-income multi-unit buildings and is expanding to\u00a0greening cities\u00a0across America, using capital from Wall Street.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The problem it solves<\/b><\/p>\n The benefits of sustainability shouldn\u2019t be limited to wealthy communities. BlocPower upgrades multi-unit buildings with energy-efficient heating and cooling systems in under-resourced communities. Their work translates to healthier air, high-paying green jobs, and increased investment in those neighborhoods.<\/span><\/p>\n The business model<\/b><\/p>\n BlocPower purchases clean-energy equipment and leases it to building owners. The lease terms of 10 to 15 years make it affordable for property owners. BlocPower also hires local green construction firms and trains them to install clean-energy equipment in the buildings. They\u2019ve also created software to support their mission, like\u00a0BlocMaps. The technology estimates the environmental impact of upgrading against the cost so construction firms and building owners can make more informed decisions. Through these initiatives, BlocPower funds clean-energy projects and offers services to often-overlooked communities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n BlocPower helps to improve health outcomes, create jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the U.S. So far, they\u2019ve\u00a0green retrofitted\u00a0over 1000 buildings. They recently\u00a0won a contract to \u201cgreen\u201d\u00a0Ithaca, N.Y., by meeting all the city\u2019s electricity needs with renewable energy and decarbonizing all its buildings. \u201cAt BlocPower, we\u2019ve tried to intentionally frame our work in a very hyper-inclusive way,\u201d Barid said. \u201cEverybody wants their kids to be healthy and not have to breathe in indoor air pollution. Everybody wants lower energy bills. Everybody wants their neighbors to have jobs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Acci\u00f3n Andina Helps Replant Native Forests and Wetlands<\/b><\/p>\n \u201c<\/b>The Ecopreneurs\u201d\u00a0episode 3\u00a0introduces us to\u00a0Acci\u00f3n Andina, a nonprofit helmed by Constantino \u201cTino\u201d Aucca and\u00a0Florent Kaiser. Aucca comes from an Andean indigenous community known as the Quechuan. His 30-plus years as an environmentalist planting\u00a0trees such as the Polylepis\u00a0have allowed him to see the impact of climate changes on the landscape, the water table, and the lives of the indigenous communities in the region. The years of environmental activism have helped Aucca forge relationships with local communities and acquire the know-how to tackle the climate work. Still, he needed more technology and fundraising to grow the organization. So, in 2018 he put out a call to global networks for partners. It\u2019s a call Kaiser answered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The two started working together and used technology to increase Acci\u00f3n Andina\u2019s impact. The result? Acci\u00f3n Andina and the local indigenous community planted 150,000 trees the first year, 500,000 the next, more than a million the following year, and more than 2 million in the fourth year. They rely on a customer relationship management [CRM] platform to fundraise, market their efforts, schedule their tree planting program, and scale their business. Their technology platform supports their work, but in the end, it\u2019s about combating deforestation. \u201cDeforestation is winning the battle,\u201d Aucca said. \u201cWe are losing a lot of glaciers, but when we put trees along the Andes, we are helping secure the water balance and preventing climate change.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The vision<\/b><\/p>\n Acci\u00f3n Andina works with indigenous communities to protect and restore the native forest, wetlands, and ecosystems of the Andes highlands.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The problem it solves<\/b><\/p>\n Acci\u00f3n Andina sustains and scales tree planting to increase water balance and water capture capacity, which will support the ecosystem and the communities that rely on it. \u201cThe main economic activity is agriculture,\u201d Aucca said. \u201cIf you save the forest, you save the wetlands also. Acci\u00f3n Andina is protecting those ecosystems. We are going to save water, sequester carbon, [and] provide more biodiversity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The business model<\/b><\/p>\n Local indigenous communities living in the Andes highlands cultivate the indigenous Polylepis trees. Acci\u00f3n Andina then purchases the tree saplings and works with farmers to plant the trees throughout the Andes. The positive results of climate action can be seen in the connectivity of this ecosystem. Acci\u00f3n Andina\u2019s aspires to restore a million hectares in the next 25 years. The goal allows people to think big., \u201cIt allows people to come together to see collective action,\u201d Kaiser said. \u201cAcci\u00f3n Andina started as a project.It is now becoming a movement.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Blog sourced from Salesforce.<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row rt_row_background_width=”default” rt_row_style=”default-style” rt_row_borders=”” rt_row_paddings=”true” rt_bg_effect=”classic” rt_bg_image_repeat=”repeat” rt_bg_size=”cover” rt_bg_position=”right top” rt_bg_attachment=”scroll” rt_bg_video_format=”self-hosted”][vc_column rt_wrp_col_paddings=”false” rt_border_top=”” rt_border_bottom=”” rt_border_left=”” rt_border_right=”” rt_border_top_mobile=”” rt_border_bottom_mobile=”” rt_border_left_mobile=”” rt_border_right_mobile=”” rt_bg_image_repeat=”repeat” rt_bg_size=”auto auto” rt_bg_position=”right top” rt_bg_attachment=”scroll” rt_padding_top=”30px” rt_padding_bottom=”30px” rt_padding_left=”30px” rt_padding_right=”30px” rt_bg_color=”#0099df”][vc_column_text]\nContact Us<\/h4>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]