The Flip’s Post

Earlier this year, we (The Flip) started to consider producing a series on climate in Africa. The topic intrigued us. Anecdotally, I had seen more money coming into the ecosystem for climate startups, and more dedicated climate funds being raised. Climate startups have raised almost $700 million in 2024, which represents nearly 40 percent of the total funding that went to startups in Africa this year, the highest ratio to date according to Africa: The Big Deal. But we felt this tension. The pervasive narrative surrounding climate action is that we need to reduce emissions. What does that mean for the African continent, which is faced with significant economic development challenges? Should a region that contributes just 3 to 5 percent of global emissions annually have to reduce its emissions too? The Flip’s mission is to tell stories of progress across Africa, and to help people better understand what’s actually happening on the ground. With this mission in mind, and in the context of these climate-related questions, I knew we had to explore this topic further. Our exploration started with even more questions. What does climate-friendly economic development for Africa even look like? What is the continent's role in the global fight against climate change? And what can we learn from the founders at the last mile who are attempting to solve climate-related problems and have a positive economic impact on their beneficiaries at the same time? The African founders we spoke to are solving local problems with global implications. But to fight climate change and grow the continent, we need a blueprint. We’re calling this series The Greenprint. Our inaugural five-episode series, in partnership with the African climate investors Catalyst Fund, Delta40 Venture Studio, and Africa Climate Ventures, explores topics like building green industries, increasing agricultural productivity, delivering more reliable energy, and how to fund it all. If you care about climate issues, we want to show you the outsized role that Africa can play in getting to net zero. And if you care about Africa’s development, we want to show the opportunity to create jobs and economic impact in the fight against climate change. So after 14 interviewees, 11 production days across 4 countries, and nearly 2 TB of footage, I hope you enjoy The Greenprint. Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eFfaMEpt And follow me (Justin Norman) for more stories of progress from across the continent.