Young Professionals Program brings clean energy to those in poverty

Not-for-profit social business Pollinate Energy is sending three young Aecom professionals to India, in order to improve the livelihood of families living below the poverty line and support local microentrepreneurs.

Aecom is Pollinate Energy’s first corporate partner for its Young Professionals Program, which brings together Australian professionals with Indian microentrepreneurs to help promote the distribution of safer, more affordable clean energy solutions to urban poor communities. Landscape architect Belinda Dods (Sydney), environmental engineer Rosanna Sanderson (Brisbane) and engineering geologist Johannes Wilson (Christchurch) will visit Bangalore for the program.

Pollinate Energy co-founder and director Emma Colenbrander said, “It is estimated that 1.3 billion people worldwide, including 300-400 million in India, live without access to electricity.” She said a lack of safe and affordable lighting “can mean everything from unsafe living conditions, difficulty performing household tasks and the inability to work or study when the sun goes down”.

Many Indian communities rely on kerosene lanterns, which are both dangerous and emit toxic fumes. The goal of Pollinate Energy, said Colenbrander, is to “train and support local microentrepreneurs as they deliver clean energy technologies, such as solar lighting and smokeless cook stoves, to India’s poor communities”, thus improving safety, sustainability and productivity.

According to Aecom Chief Executive, Australia New Zealand Michael Batchelor, “Belinda, Rosanna and Johannes will provide local entrepreneurs with feedback and ideas development, while having the opportunity to develop professionally through their involvement in an international social business.

“They will mentor entrepreneurs - ‘Pollinators’ - as they introduce smokeless cook stoves into their product range, contributing to the dramatic reduction of indoor air pollution, a killer of 875,000 people in India every year.”

Batchelor said Aecom’s employees are “extremely passionate about improving liveability, sustainability and connectivity - in their own communities and around the world - and we are glad to support innovations and programs that do so”.

The young professionals will be blogging throughout their journey at Aecom’s Connected Cities Blog.