​The historical lack of diversity in the climate change activism space creates a self-perpetuating inaccessibility that dissuades Black community leaders from entering a conversation that is shaping the health and wealth of the Black community the UK or abroad. The lack of Black voices at global climate change summit, COP26, tells a chilling story of exclusion, oversight and erasure. In an effort to aid intersectional thinking on this subject, Do it Now Now invited researcher Cryton Chikoko to examine the impact of climate change on Black communities in this post.
 
In the UK, the climate crisis overwhelmingly affects the Black people who predominately live in urban areas and are most in need of climate responsible regeneration and support. Despite being the least responsible for climate change; least likely to own a car, least likely to engage in air travel etc. Black communities are simultaneously more susceptible to the damage wrought by climate change and hit hardest by current measures to combat it. Those are some of the findings of the Inequality in a Future Wales report, led by Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, which examined the impact on equality of future trends such as climate change. The study has highlighted new challenges for Black people in the UK as world leaders gather at COP26 to discuss plans to address climate change.
 
The recent report points out that laudable measures to combat climate change such as the electrification of cars, greener methods of transport, and improved housing are not affordable to most underserved people. It warns that climate change mitigation could benefit underserved communities if done well, but could also increase inequalities if the impacts on different groups in society are not expressly factored into the decision-making process.
 
Immediate action that puts people most harmed by the climate and natural disasters at the centre of policy-making is crucial to stop inequalities from worsening. The report was published together with stories by people from across Wales affected by devastating flooding. Indo Zwingina saw the results of the climate crisis in her home city of Abuja in Nigeria. She is now experiencing the impact in her new home of Treforest in south Wales told the researchers: ‘Politicians need to listen to people to tackle climate change – we can only make the changes we need if they engage people and understand their lives and the reality for them, they can’t force ideas on people, it needs to be about what communities need and can do.’
 
The report also highlights that older people, people with health conditions, and people from Black and South Asian communities are predisposed for COVID-19, and these groups were more likely to come from areas with the highest levels of economic deprivation and the highest levels of pollution.
 
Another recent report by the Environment Agency said deprived communities face higher flood risk exposure. Low-income households are less likely to be able to afford insurance against flood damage, or the necessary infrastructure changes to their property, which would make them more resilient. It added that recent analysis of social vulnerability to flooding highlighted the disproportionate disadvantage experienced by people of colour, particularly Black people.
 
CEO of Do it Now Now, Bayo Adelaja said: ‘There is a desperate need for more Black people to enter the space, build culturally relevant interventions, and challenge some of these practises which bring so much destruction to Black communities. We are often underrepresented in climate discussions but highly affected by decisions made.’
 
Climate change is a defining challenge of our times. We are not surprised that climate change unequally affects Black people. We have already seen how climate change is having a disproportionate impact on communities of colour in the global South as well as here in the UK. As COP26 draws to an end, the UK government must urgently re-examine climate mitigation policies, addressing the disadvantages to those who are most vulnerable. Climate change is an equality issue. Failing to address its impact through this lens, risks further entrenching economic, social, and medical divisions.

We are pleased to announce that we are working with Lion’s Head Global Partners to highlight and support some of the most innovative early-stage clean energy startups coming out of Sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this partnership is to assist Africa’s clean energy tech entrepreneurs in achieving their full potential, to empower diverse perspectives to contribute to the international discussion of Net Zero and the Extinction Rebellion and to spotlight the development of globally relevant innovative technology from African startups. 

Over the past 5 years, Afritech XYZ has successfully collaborated with the UN World Food Programme, British Council, International Trace Centre, international investors, Amazon, Google, Hogan Lovells and others to effectively support African tech entrepreneurs. 
After researching the needs of African tech entrepreneurs we recognised that two of the key elements missing in the support ecosystem available to them is publicity and direct links to expertise, locally and internationally. Our Innovation Prize allows us to select a small group of startups (5) that have the potential to solve a pan-African or global problem and provide them with access to experts and opportunities that will challenge them to think bigger, build quicker and more sustainably. Through the prize, we also offer a small amount of cash to the winner (£1000) to help them build out their innovative technology even further. This prize is happily partnered with Lion’s Head Global Partners.

Established in 2008, Lion’s Head Global Partners is a leading investment banking and asset management firm bringing innovative financial solutions to emerging and frontier markets, with a specific focus on Africa and the Middle East. Regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority and UAE’s Dubai Financial Services Authority, they provide investment management, financial advisory and capital raising services across multiple sectors and geographies. With offices in London, Nairobi, Lagos, New York and Dubai, they leverage their local market understanding and global investor networks, to deliver the best financial solutions to their client's diverse challenges. They combine a ‘client-first’ culture with a long term sustainability mindset to deliver outstanding products and services, whilst upholding the highest professional and ethical standards.
 
The Lion’s Head Asset Management team provides fund management services to partner DFIs, impact and institutional investors. They currently manage four pioneering funds, including three Africa-focussed, clean energy orientated funds, the Off-Grid Energy Fund (OGEF), the Facility for Energy Inclusion (FEI) and Africa GoGreen (AGG). They now have over US$550 million of assets under management with investments in 18 African countries, giving them unique insights into local market activity. They are also creating a new jointly-owned venture fund that invests in fast-growing, tech-enabled businesses across Africa. Their Investment Banking group provides bespoke financing solutions and skilled transaction execution to sovereign, corporate, donor and public sector clients across a wide variety of key sectors, including healthcare, technology, infrastructure, power & energy, financial services and sustainable finance.

Our mission with Afritech XYZ is to support tech startups to ensure that they are closing the skills and opportunity gaps that will ensure the forward movement of their innovative startups through effective mentorship based training programmes. Our last cohort of finalists has gone on to build significant relationships with investors in the UK and USA. The cohort of finalists before them have gone on to raise more than £3M in funding to develop their startups further. This partnership with Lion’s Head Global Partners has the potential to transform the trajectories of our finalist startups in just a few months.

Our upcoming Clean Energy Tech Innovation prize will run between August 15th and November 15th 2021. 
The startup criteria

1. Up to 5 years active
2. Must be incorporated
3. The majority of your team schooled in Africa
4. Must have at least 1 woman in your senior leadership team
5. Must not have received more than £50K investment
6. Must have a working prototype
7. Must have an active customer base
8. Your primary industry must be Clean Energy Technologies

To register your interest in the Innovation Prize, please fill in this form. By September 15th, 2021. 

​To find out more about Lion’s Head Global Partners please visit their website or connect with them on LinkedIn. ​