The Global Climate Action Summit brings together leaders and people from around the world and celebrates the extraordinary achievements of states, regions, cities, companies, investors and citizens with respect to climate action. One of the ways it does this is through their Climate Trailblazers. Climate Trailblazers are people who spread awareness about climate change activities and those who show through their actions that everyday people can do extraordinary things to reduce the effect of climate change.
One of the pioneer entrepreneurs in the GCIC incubator, Bernice Dapaah, Founder and CEO of Ghana Bamboo Bikes, was selected as one of the 22 Climate Trailblazers in this year’s Global Climate Action Summit that took place on the September 12th-14th in San Francisco.
She was recognized for her role in leading the change in driving down global carbon emissions through the creation of innovative and sustainable bamboo bicycles.
“I am deeply committed to driving an ambitious campaign to promote cycling against emission. Moreover, I am proud to be a Climate Trailblazer because I believe that the noblest expression of all human achievements is found in those that make life better lived for generations”, Bernice says.
Increasing the modal share of bicycles is one of the surest ways of ensuring eco-mobility and building the next generation of sustainable cities and communities. Since the transport sector is one of the biggest contributors to emissions, innovation in the sector is a potent way of adapting to the effects of climate change by neutralizing negative externalities emerging from the auto industry. This is envisioned to have long-lasting effects on the global greenhouse gas emissions trajectory.
In the fight against climate change, every voice counts, however faint it sounds, insofar as it adds to the global call to action. The additive effect resulting from the contributions from various individuals, organizations, agencies and regulatory bodies is sure to lead to lasting gains. Meeting the challenge of climate change is within our reach but requires a healthy impatience in searching for solutions.
Featuring two plenaries and several high-profile sessions, the Summit ended by reinforcing odd commitments and made new pledges in renewables and climate investments.
The Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC) is a pioneering business incubator whose objective is to support entrepreneurs and ventures involved in developing profitable and locally appropriate solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation in Ghana. The Centre’s key focus is on building businesses operating within the areas of energy efficiency, domestic waste management, solar energy, water supply management and purification and climate-smart agriculture. GCIC is part of the World Bank Group’s infoDev Climate Technology Program. Supported by the governments of Denmark and the Netherlands, the Centre is managed by a consortium led by the Ashesi University College and including Ernst & Young, SNV Ghana, and the United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa.
