This weekend in Monterey, California – our team announced the 2021 winners of the Keeling Curve Prize! The Keeling Curve Prize allows us to directly fund projects and programs reducing human-made greenhouse gas emissions – like renewable energy, electric vehicles, zero-carbon innovation, and energy efficiency. We also focus on organizations that are developing ways of increasing carbon uptake and drawing down atmospheric carbon levels – like land and forest conservation and reforestation, as well as direct air capture carbon and carbon-conscious product innovation. 

Our five prize categories are broad, showing the wide-ranging scope and necessity of solutions. Our categories are Capture and Utilization, Energy, Finance, Social and Cultural Pathways, and Transport and Mobility. We awarded two teams in each category $25,000 to continue fostering their organization and their solution. And the winners are… 

Capture and Utilization

Agora Energy is developing a revolutionary, cost-effective, and carbon-negative battery that stores renewable energy by utilizing carbon dioxide. Their approach enables the efficient integration of clean energy at the grid and microgrid levels. 

Oceans 2050 taps into the benefits of seaweed farming to improve the health of our oceans. The team is working to quantify the carbon sequestration by seaweed in sediment and hopes to create market incentives for seaweed aquaculture as a solution to help address the climate crisis. 

Energy

Ignite Power is providing solar home development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Ignite Power is leveraging state-of-the-art technology and sunlight to provide internet access, electricity, and healthcare to African communities.

Village Infrastructure Angels is helping one billion people gain access to clean electricity, farming machinery, and solar water pumps. Their mission is to help rural villages in developing countries access the infrastructure needed to reduce poverty. 

Finance

Energise Africa is a sustainable and ethical investment platform, allowing everyday investors to support small solar businesses throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. The team is bringing clean energy and economic opportunities to families with the goal of a six percent annual return for investors.

BASE is developing innovative, actionable, financial strategies and market-driven solutions to unlock investment in climate change solutions. BASE is acting as the nexus between sustainable energy, finance, and international development. 

Social and Cultural Pathways

The Educated Choices Program educates students across America about the impacts of their food choices, inspiring them to make decisions that are consistent with their own values as related to human health, the environment, and animals.

Solar Cookers International is improving human and environmental health by expanding effective, carbon-free solar cooking in world regions. One solar cooker can preserve more than one ton of wood every year, saving people and the environment.

Transport and Mobility

CLIP.bike is on a mission to empower the world to adopt biking as their primary choice for transportation. They’ve developed CLIP, a portable device that can instantly upgrade any bike to a pedal-assist e-bike at a fraction of the cost of traditional e-bikes.

Solar E-Cycles Kenya is providing affordable, environmentally friendly, solar-powered mobility and power for homes and small businesses across Africa. Their open-source, pay-as-you-go financing model encourages an effective transition to sustainable transportation.