In the latest episode of "How to Save the Planet", the UAE-based Climate Tribe , in collaboration with the Climate Collective, introduced viewers to the clean cooking space and its power to transform lives for the better.
Jui Joshi, a Partner at the Climate Collective who has accelerated 862 startups globally, spoke with Zest Associates Managing Director Jeffrey Beyer and Femi Oye, a Nigerian clean tech entrepreneur and social investor. Oye describes himself as a "unreasonable optimist" and "crazy thinker".
As the founder of Green Energy Biofuels, Oye has dedicated three decades to combating an issue that is very close to home for him — the health impacts of traditional cooking methods in Africa, which claimed the life of his grandmother.
At COP28, Oye showcased his ongoing commitment to delivering change and measuring his results based on social impact. He has worked with 100,000 women to distribute eco-friendly cookstoves across Africa. These stoves reduce the health hazards associated with traditional cooking, which tragically mean that "women cook to die".
Oye started his enterprise with just approximately $400 of his own funding. He then leveraged the community around him to secure seed capital, and take part in an accelerator program in Washington, D.C. in 2012. After winning a prize from that program, he secured $1.5 million from the Acumen impact investment fund.
Oye continually emphasizes the importance of idealism and creativity in addressing the needs of populations that are concerned about their health. His story testifies to the potential of clean technology in driving positive change in emerging markets despite access barriers, paving the way for further sustainable development.