Keeling Curve

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Peru is one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change in South America. Despite our vulnerable situation, there are not many options for young professionals to improve their technical capacities in climate change and sustainability. In addition, Peruvian sustainable entrepreneurs do not have the support, resources, and capabilities needed to measure and manage their impact in major global challenges: climate change, water scarcity, and unsustainable food production.

In this regard, we identify the need to make climate change and sustainability education more accessible to people, especially for young professionals in South America. Through our Collaborative Programs on Climate Change and Sustainability, which were first held in September of 2019, we aim to: (i) empower and strengthen the technical capacities of young professionals and sustainable entrepreneurs; (ii) contribute with SMEs‚ measure of their carbon footprint and to strengthen their capacities in climate change and sustainability; (iii) increase public awareness on climate change, water scarcity and sustainable gastronomy through workshops intended for SMEs' stakeholders; and (iv) manage and guide a community formed by our alumni and sustainable entrepreneurs, in their role as agents of change towards collective action and environmental governance to achieve low-carbon development.

This year, we will provide 3 programs, twice each one: (i) Carbon footprint and Climate Change, (ii) Water footprint and, (iii) Sustainable gastronomy.

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Being the third country most vulnerable to climate change, Peru faces many negative impacts, such as glacier and biodiversity loss, extreme weather events, water shortages, among others. Moreover, the Andean and Amazonian regions are even more vulnerable to climate change and yet have limited access to capacity building in adaptation and mitigation to climate change.

In this context, young professionals and entrepreneurships play a key role in facing these consequences brought by environmental problems, especially in a developing country. Within this framework, in 2019, Climetria developed The Collaborative Programs which aims to empower two different underrepresented groups through climate action and sustainability: sustainable entrepreneurs and young environmental professionals from all over South America.

On the one hand, we work with young professionals by improving their professional skills on climate change mitigation, water scarcity, sustainable gastronomy and environmental indicators, such as carbon and water footprint, that allow them to assess the potential impact of products and services. During this training, young professionals apply their knowledge in SMEs from all over the country through an internship. The internship includes carbon and water footprint assessment, identification of best practices for enterprises to reduce their environmental impact and performing an awareness workshop for the SMEs' stakeholders.

As most of the participants are university students, we have given them the opportunity to have their first work experience in the environmental field. During the internship, youngsters are guided by mentors so they could confidently deliver workshops to SMEs' stakeholders. Through this activity we have improved their capabilities and empowered them to be agents of change. 

On the other hand, Peruvian sustainable entrepreneurs have a major role facing consequences brought by socioeconomic disparities and environmental challenges such as climate change, especially in developing and vulnerable countries such as Peru. However, they do not have the economic resources and technical capabilities needed to measure environmental indicators and to identify possible areas of improvement.

In this context, we provide Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) technical support in climate change, water resource management and sustainable gastronomy through young professionals that are trained and assisted by our specialists. The support provided through an internship for these enterprises is provided free of charge and, up to now, we have assisted several SMEs who address different issues, such as food insecurity, gender inequality, and climate change through cleantech innovation, urban agriculture, circular economy among others sustainable solutions.

After completing the program, sustainable businesses and young professionals become part of a community of agents of change that keeps growing since the launch of the first program in 2019. In this community, they are empowered towards collective action and environmental governance through different workshops and meetings that aim to build synergies within the framework of climate change, water scarcity and unsustainable food production.

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