Technology

AVPN Announces 18 Grantees of USD 5 Million Sustainability Seed Fund 2.0 and the Sustainability Solutions Lab Resource Hub

Published

3 months ago

September 2, 2024

The Fund will continue to support grantees in scaling their technology-led climate change solutions, while the Lab will enhance visibility and capacity building for grantees from SSF 1.0 and 2.0

SINGAPORE, Sept. 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — AVPN, the largest network of social investors in Asia, announced the grantees of the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund (SSF) 2.0, which is a USD 5 million catalytic initiative supported by Google.org, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), as the strategic and outreach partner. AVPN will award 18 non-profit organisations with funding to implement and scale innovative technology-led solutions that tackle pressing climate and sustainability challenges in the Asia Pacific region. Building on the June 2024 launch of the APAC Sustainability Solutions Lab, which received an additional USD 2 million grant from Google.org, the Lab will now serve as a resource hub for grantees from both APAC SSF 1.0 and 2.0. It will provide capacity building support to grantee partners and increase their visibility, enhancing the impact of their innovative solutions.

The Asia Pacific region is home to seven of the world’s ten most climate-vulnerable countries, where climate change poses an ‘existential threat'[1] and the potential to cause long-term impact to future generations. Weather events in APAC in 2022 affected more than 50 million people directly, with an upwards of USD 36 billion in economic losses[2]. The failure to adapt to growing climate risks has posed significant economic and social threats. While technology has emerged as a transformative force to offer innovative avenues to address these challenges, climate technologies remain severely underfunded.

Building on the success of SSF 1.0 Fund, the APAC SSF 2.0 seeks to nurture and amplify solutions that harness technology to address urgent climate impact areas such as renewable energy and decarbonisation, climate adaptation, waste management and/or circular economy, air quality, water preservation and biodiversity protection. The grantees, based across the Asia Pacific region, will leverage technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), and application software in their climate solutions. Grantees include:

Australia – Cool.orgIndia – INREM Foundation, CEPT Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), Institute for Financial Management and Research, Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust Indonesia – YAKKUM Emergency Unit, Gringgo Indonesia Foundation, Perkumpulan Jaringan Pantau Gambut Japan – Social Innovation Japan, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies New Zealand – Wildlife.ai TrustSingapore – Imagine H2O Asia South Korea – Coalition for Our Common Future Thailand – Asian Institute of Technology, Sathira-Dhammasathan The Philippines – University of the Philippines Public Administration Research and Extension Services Foundation, Inc., Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST) Vietnam – Vietnam Rural Industries Development and Research Institute (VIRI)

The Fund will support grantees’ efforts in scaling their solutions, provide networking opportunities and capacity building, fostering and simplifying solutions that harness the power of technology for climate adaptation and mitigation to ensure a positive and lasting impact in Asia.

Additionally, AVPN will offer selected grantees of APAC SSF 1.0 and 2.0 access to the Sustainability Solutions Lab. The Lab will provide technical capacity building support, develop impactful case studies, create opportunities for dialogue and hold roundtable discussions with stakeholders. Its goal is to enhance grantees’ impact, build their capacity, and to create a supportive ecosystem. By increasing the visibility of successful grantees, the Lab will enable them to showcase how advanced technologies tackle key sustainability issues and effectively communicate their solutions to social investors, government, and other key stakeholders, thus facilitating the scaling of their innovations.

Naina Subberwal Batra, CEO of AVPN, shared, “At AVPN, we recognise capital – financial, human, and intellectual – is crucial for initiating and advancing climate innovations often overlooked by traditional funding mechanisms. Through APAC SSF 2.0, we aim to channel resources into the early stages of the Continuum of Capital to support these grantees. By mobilising these resources, we can support and unlock the potential of their innovations to help the region adapt and respond to climate impacts. Done right, this not only drives the development of transformative solutions, but ensures their expansion and adoption in the regions that need them the most.”

Andrew Ure, Managing Director, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Southeast Asia at Google, said, “The Asia-Pacific region faces significant vulnerabilities due to climate change. However, amidst this challenge lies tremendous opportunity. Organisations, social investors, and researchers across the region are uniting to develop innovative solutions, leveraging technologies like AI to address this critical issue. We are proud to support social impact organisations like AVPN in the region to foster scalable solutions and accelerate collaborative efforts. Together, we can build a more sustainable and resilient future for the region.”

Stephanie King-Chung Hung, Chief Information Officer and Director General, Information Technology Department at Asia Development Bank said, “Advanced digital solutions are pivotal in boosting resilience and adaptive capacities in the face of climate challenges. Our support for the Fund underscores the importance of targeted financing in promoting these innovations. We are committed to helping communities, especially those most vulnerable, thrive amidst environmental pressures by facilitating the development and broader implementation of vital climate solutions.”

[1] UNDP, For Asia-Pacific, climate change poses an ‘existential threat’ of extreme weather, worsening poverty and risks to public health, says UNDP report, 2023

[2] AVPN – Harnessing The Power Of Digital Technologies For Climate Adaptation, 2024

About AVPN
AVPN is the largest network of social investors in Asia, comprising over 600 funders and resource providers across 33 markets. Our mission is to increase the flow and effectiveness of financial, human, and intellectual capital in Asia by enabling members to channel resources towards impact. As an ecosystem builder, AVPN enables its members to connect, learn, act, and lead across key pillars and improve the effectiveness of deployed capital, bringing local field needs, regional expertise, and policy insights to the forefront. For more information about AVPN and our work, please visit our website and read our latest Annual Review 2022/23.

About Google.org
Google.org, Google’s philanthropy, brings the best of Google to help solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges combining funding, product donations and technical expertise to support underserved communities and provide opportunity for everyone. We engage nonprofits, social enterprises and civic entities who make a significant impact on the communities they serve, and whose work has the potential to produce scalable, meaningful change.

Annex: Information on Grantees

Australia

Cool.org – The not-for-profit education organisation will use the support from AVPN to develop Cool AI. This initiative focuses on developing an advanced, data-driven tool to aid educators in crafting customised lessons on environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

India

CEPT Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) – The Indian national institution, focused on designing, planning, constructing, and managing human habitats, will use machine learning technology and satellite imagery to simplify the estimation of the carbon sequestration capacity of lakes, which can enable local governments to take proactive and corrective actions.Gujarat Mahila Housing Sewa Trust – The organisation, which works to strengthen grassroots collectives of women in the urban informal sector, will develop an AI-powered model for climate resilience in Ahmedabad. AI will be used to identify Urban Heat Islands and suggest targeted solutions. By working closely with local women, especially those in urban slums, the project aims to devise community-centric strategies like cool roofs and routes.INREM Foundation – The research, innovation and policy advisory organisation will develop AI-enabled open digital solutions to enhance the agency of community representatives to access data on Water contamination, and find local solutions to their problems. This will empower 125,000 Water Quality Champions across villages of India and build an inter-connected Water Quality Network.Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) – WELL Labs – WELL Labs: Water, Environment, Land and Livelihoods is a centre based at the IFMR Society, a not-for-profit society set up to provide research-based inputs to industries and the government in the areas of finance and economics. IFMR will unlock multiple foundational datasets and make them easily accessible to key stakeholders through various use cases and multiple mediums – Application Programming Interface (APIs) or tools. The tech stack will lead to stakeholders being able to devote more attention to human aspects of rural development challenges rather than time spent reckoning with bad data.

Indonesia

Gringgo Indonesia Foundation – The organisation, focused on revolutionising waste management and fostering sustainability by leveraging cutting-edge technology, will deploy innovative waste processing units and optimise waste collection to significantly reduce landfill dependency and environmental pollution. This will generate valuable by-products and empower communities through education and job creation, ultimately fostering a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for all.Perkumpulan Jaringan Pantau Gambut – The non-governmental organisation focusing on research, advocacy, and campaigns for the protection and sustainability of peatlands in Indonesia aims to revolutionise peatland monitoring and fire prevention in Indonesia. By leveraging advanced data visualisation and AI-driven tools, this initiative seeks to significantly reduce the frequency and severity of uncontrolled peat fires, contributing to the protection and sustainability of Indonesia and the vital peatland ecosystems.YAKKUM Emergency Unit – The organisation with a mandate on inclusive emergency response and building community resilience through community-led disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation will create a collaborative partnership model where the locally-led water irrigation system will use smart mist technology with the internet of things to improve access to water resources, save time, and support inclusion. This will save farmers’ time and efforts when irrigating the farmland and enhance the community’s resilience during droughts and other climate impacts.

Japan

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) – The independent, non-profit environmental policy think tank will scale up the URBAN RIG technology, previously piloted in Thailand, to address Iriomote Island’s marine plastic waste issue in Japan. This innovative solution converts plastic waste into valuable resources like oil and charcoal, aligning with local environmental regulations. By expanding URBAN RIG’s operations to Japan and scaling up its existing work in Thailand, IGES aims to reduce waste volume, create economic opportunities, and promote sustainable practices on both islands.Social Innovation Japan – The non-profit organisation focusing on creating social innovation initiatives, education and leadership programmes, and community building for impact plans to significantly improve their “mymizu” community-driven, crowdsourced technology platform and user experience, in order to accelerate the shift away from single-use plastics towards a circular economy.

New Zealand

Wildlife.ai Trust – The independent charitable organisation that uses artificial intelligence to accelerate wildlife conservation will create a user-friendly, affordable camera that empowers biologists and nature enthusiasts everywhere to track wildlife across vast areas and over time.

Singapore

Imagine H2O Asia – The water solutions accelerator and NGO, with a mission to make innovation more accessible to water and climate-stressed communities in the Asia-Pacific, aims to make innovation more accessible for utility operators and other decision makers committed to managing and mitigating pollution faster and cheaper. It will design and co-finance technology pilots that empower climate-vulnerable communities in South Asia and Southeast Asia to address groundwater contamination, ecosystem health, and saltwater intrusion.

South Korea

Coalition for Our Common Future – The ‘Think and Do Platform’ dedicated to achieving Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth will equip the project development teams to increase the accuracy and speed of the carbon mitigation and adaptation projects, and will power the building of a transparent information exchange platform, among others, which will act as a medium for matching supply (tech and finance) and demand (carbon credits).

Thailand

Asian Institute of Technology – The Postgraduate institution will support system development, data verification and knowledge sharing platform that integrate the hotspot data from various satellite sources, calculate emissions based on these hotspots, and perform effective data management; use AI to focus on differentiating the land use types, developing the inventory, and creating the online knowledge-sharing platform; and conduct training and workshops for government officials. Sathira-Dhammasathan – The non-profit organisation and a learning community that promotes the skills of everyone to live in peace and harmony will address water management challenges in Bodhisattva Valley and ensure the success of reforestation efforts through: developing Water Master Plan, designing innovative water conservation solutions. providing tree inventory management capacity building, and knowledge sharing with the national and international community.

The Philippines

Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST) – The non-profit organisation geared towards capacity-building, promoting sustainable practices, and achieving social impact plans to scale up the green skills model through: geographic expansion into neighboring ASEAN countries, scope expansion by updating and broadening the green skills curriculum, and technological expansion by incorporating advanced delivery methods like Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and AI technologies.University of the Philippines Public Administration Research and Extension Services Foundation, Inc. – The non-stock, non-profit organisation that undertakes programmes and projects related to research and community extension will revolutionise paratransit systems in developing countries by addressing fossil fuel dependence, poor energy efficiency in public transport operations and the need for inclusive and just transition. This will include smart contracts and blockchain-based energy accounting, and establishment of an open and real-time system for monitoring public transport demand and supply and service quality indicators.

Vietnam

Vietnam Rural Industries Development and Research Institute (VIRI) – The organisation focusing on the sustainable development of rural industry and for improvement of living standards of disadvantaged people in a sustainable manner will develop seaweed farms along the coastal lines of Vietnam with high technology seedlings production, regulated farming community and co-ops, and appropriate co-operation from local authorities. The seaweed development shall bring good lifes for local people while contributing to decarbonisation efforts and to the adaptation of climate change.

Read more about APAC Sustainability Seed Fund (SSF) 2.0.

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SOURCE AVPN

Technology

H3C takes a deep dive into the challenges – and opportunities – AI brings

Published

10 minutes ago

November 22, 2024

BEIJING, Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Nothing carries quite the gravitas of the Nobel Prizes, the five awards that were founded in Switzerland back in 1901 to recognize developments that have been of the “greatest benefit to humankind” in the fields of in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and in the promotion of peace.

These awards have traditionally noted people who have helped alter the course of human history and so it was telling when they were handed out by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences at the start of October that, for the first time, the work of people developing Artificial Intelligence was recognized.

This year’s winners in the sections both for physics (John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hianton) and chemistry (David Baker and joint-winners Demis Hassabis and John Jumper) have been expanding the use of AI software into science and their recognition has again shown how far this new technology’s reach has now spread, so quickly.

That’s a conversation that was carried on to GITEX Global 2024 in Dubai from October 14-18 – an event which brands itself as the “biggest tech & startup show in the world” – with the scope of the impact AI is having around the world once again on show.

At the center-point of displays and discussions were the very latest in AI advances as were the issues of where these developments are going to take the world as the digital economy continues to evolve.

On hand in Dubai was Ray Xu, senior vice-president of H3C, as well as president of the Chinese business innovation and digital transformation group’s cloud, compute, and storage product line. Based out of the eastern Chinese tech hub of Hangzhou, H3C officially launched two new H3C UniServer systems in Dubai (R5500 G7 and R5300 G7) – servers which can support more than 70 kinds of AI.

A week later, Xu sat down to reflect on that experience and on how an AI-led digital transformation, and technological innovation, are reshaping our world.

“These AI technologies are changing our lives and present a lot of new opportunities,” said Xu. “That has sparked a lot of imagination about what the future will be. On the other hand, AI applications also face some challenges in areas such as data privacy and algorithm bias. In the end, though, I’m an optimist. I think the opportunities far outweigh the challenges.”

Through its global commercial partnerships, H3C has helped expand AI technology usage across sectors including “AIGC [Artificial Intelligence Generated Content], autonomous driving in the new energy vehicle industry, and data-driven decision-making and personalized services in finance and enterprise sectors, as well as large-scale computing centers established by governments and operators.”

AIGC is one development that has had a major impact on the way work is done all over the globe. Innovations such as ChatGPT are driving new growth across industries as those industries adapt to generative technology and explore ways to expand AI’s uses.

Xu said there were a number of important challenges ahead, including developing the necessary infrastructure to support the power needed to drive this new technology, the development of more efficient power sources and servers, the building of data centers and learning how to deal with issues of privacy when it comes to data.

“At H3C we are committed to partnering with our customers when it comes to dealing with the challenges of business innovation and digital transformation,” said Xu. “With our comprehensive product line, we have solutions for cloud, computing, networking, security, and terminal issues as well as Information and Communication Technologies [ICT] solutions. With these solutions, we help a lot of our customers in their new journey of digital information transformation.”

The development of arithmetic power was another issue Xu identified, especially in terms of the Chinese market.

“I think there are four key challenges,” he said. “The first thing is computing power. We need huge amounts of computing power, so how to scale up this computing power quickly is very important. Second, how to use this arithmetic power efficiently? How to schedule this power is critical. The third challenge is about storage. We need data so how do we make this data transfer very efficiently, very quickly?

“More computing means more data, more energy. So, how do we leverage this energy more efficiently? Making data centers more green will be the fourth challenge but in order to address these challenges, the first thing we need to do is scale up computing power more quickly.”

H3C has addressed these issues by focusing on “the upgrade and evolution of digital infrastructure to meet the needs of the AI era.”

The company has also launched “diverse heterogeneous computing platforms for intelligent computing centers, high-performance AI servers, advanced data center network architectures, and AI storage solutions to provide strong, stable, and scalable digital infrastructure support.”

There has also been a focus on a green strategy when it comes to data center design and across the H3C production line, in keeping with the requirements of the industry. This includes such innovations as liquid cooling and box immersion, which are helping drive new growth on a global scale.

Overall, H3C has identified a “multifaceted” approach that has focused on increased investment in and construction of “computing infrastructure to rapidly scale up computing power,” the company said.

Other focuses include “the development of more efficient and intelligent computing power allocation and data storage technologies to enhance resource utilization and ensure data security and stability”, while the company continues to explore “the promotion of innovation and application of energy-efficient technologies to reduce energy consumption during computing operations.”

That’s why, Xu said, the company is “open to different kinds of vendors.”

“We have the service capability to help customers build their ecosystem in anticipation of AI development, so they can actively embrace them,” he said. “We can always find ways to solve challenges and deliver more and more opportunities, backed by the belief that AI will bring us a bright and a smart future.”

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SOURCE H3C

Technology

IMMOTION WINS BEST VR AWARD FOR THE GREAT MIGRATION AT WCFF 2024

Published

10 minutes ago

November 22, 2024

MONTERREY, Mexico, Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — IMMOTION, the global leader in immersive edutainment, received the Best Virtual Reality Award at the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival (WCFF) last month for The Great Migration, its groundbreaking 360º VR film experience.

“What their team accomplished with their intricate and non-intrusive camerawork was previously unseen by our judges.”

The WCFF annually awards the best in conservation filmmaking that spotlight global conservation advocacy.

In The Great Migration, IMMOTION immerses viewers into the incredible journey of over 2 million animals traveling between Tanzania’s Serengeti and Kenya’s Maasai Mara reserves as part of an annual phenomenon known as the Great Migration of East Africa. This journey is filled with predators preying on vulnerable herds that instinctually cross the treacherous Mara River each year.

IMMOTION’s team of VR filmmakers, led by Creative Director Ken Musen, captured breathtaking, immersive footage of the migration using custom-built 360º VR cameras within “rock-cams,” “croc-cams,” drones, and hot air balloons.

“We placed special VR cameras in places along the migration’s paths that no one has ever tried before,” said Musen. “The footage we captured was spectacular; for the first time in VR, you can see inside a herd of wildebeest as they struggle across the river or even come face-to-face with a hippo in the Mara.”

When up for consideration, the film’s production quality and craftsmanship were apparent from start to finish.

“After watching The Great Migration, the decision to award IMMOTION was instantly unanimous,” said Mauricio De La Maza, Interim CEO at the WCFF. “What their team accomplished with their intricate and non-intrusive camerawork was previously unseen by our judges.”

This award adds to the acclaim the film has received since debuting at the Association of Zoos and Aqaurium’s Mid-Year conference in March.

“The reaction from our partners and viewers has been astounding,” said Rod Findley, President and CEO of IMMOTION. “We are honored to receive this award from the WCFF as our missions align on advocating for global wildlife conservation education.”

The Great Migration is the most powerful film in IMMOTION’s growing library, including new immersive content slated for next year.

About IMMOTION

IMMOTION offers dynamic, motion-based virtual reality experiences, featuring live-action and animated educational content guided by marine biologists, wildlife experts, and conservation organizations such as the Marine Megafauna Foundation, Bimini Shark Lab, and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund. With over 100 locations worldwide and more than 2M unique annual users, IMMOTION helps leading zoos, aquariums, museums, and science centers generate ancillary revenue through award-winning, on-mission immersive attractions while reinforcing the impact of their education and conservation programs.

About WCFF

The Wildlife Conservation Film Festival aims to inform, engage, and inspire audiences about the utmost need and importance of protecting global biodiversity through its annual film festivals in New York, Los Angeles, and Monterrey, Mexico.

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SOURCE Immotion

Technology

CCTV+: Embarking on a Renewed Dialogue at Liangzhu Between Global Civilizations–The ‘Liangzhu: A Dialogue across World Civilizations’ Promotional Video and Documentary to Premier

Published

10 minutes ago

November 22, 2024

BEIJING, Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Exchanges make civilizations colorful, and mutual learning makes them prosper. A documentary on the recently-concluded Portugal and Greece stops of the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ ‘Liangzhu: A Dialogue across World Civilizations’ cultural exchanges is about to be aired. A representation of cultural exchanges between the land of divine emblems and inscriptions of Liangzhu and the realm of Athena and navigational compasses, it presents Liangzhu culture’s popularity abroad and appreciation by local youth, media outlets, as well as cultural and academic communities.

The documentary, filled with exciting moments at the Events, could serve as a preview to the upcoming second Liangzhu Forum, building up the anticipation for an even more splendid future of human civilization. Also, it features further explorations into the stories and significance behind the Events.

This event was organized by the Information Office of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government, the Foreign Affairs Office of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government, and Zhejiang Media Group. It was hosted by the Overseas Center, or ZTV-World, of Zhejiang Media Group and was supported by the Chinese Embassy in Portuga, the Chinese Embassy in Greece, University of Lisbon, Portugal, and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, among other institutions.

Video – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2565121/2024.mp4

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