The lessons learned about climate tech at SXSW Sydney

Dear Climate Community,

SXSW Sydney brings together inspired thinkers, creators and innovators worldwide for conferences, festivals, an expo and parties.??

One of the event’s first panel discussions delved into the pressing need for innovation and acceleration as the distance to net zero by 2050 closes. “Climate tech is not a silver bullet solution – it's a silver buckshot one.

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia expects to address climate change successfully, will require $2.5-3 trillion over the next 30 years.

And with a strong and growing start-up ecosystem, there is a massive opportunity for climate tech in Australia.

Australian climate tech funders aim to raise $1.5B in the next 12 months - The Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Here are a few more takeaways from the recent SXSW Sydney event!

1. The cash is flowing into climate tech.

“Successfully transitioning will call for trillions of dollars in capital – and Australian climate tech founders aim to raise $1.5 billion in the next 12 months,” says Alex Matthews, panel moderator and CommBank General Manager of Climate Strategy.

Australia is in a position to move the needle.

Paul Hunyor, managing director and co-founder of Wollemi Capital predicts Australia will punch above its weight in the movement from chemistry-based to biology-based agriculture.

Some climate-tech skills are in demand.

Climate tech can only have an impact when we’re also investing in deploying those new technologies with project developers who are in short supply in climate tech right now.

We need more room to play.

“It’s important to consider: where is the opportunity to experiment and develop new creative ideas for deep-tech, hard-tech and infrastructure founders?” asks Kirstin Hunter, managing director at Techstars.

Partnerships can close the gap faster.

“Nobody can change the world in a vacuum,” says Hunyor. “We need partnerships and collaborations.” If you’ve got an idea – give it a crack. From one founder to another, Katherine McConnell, CEO and co-founder at Brighte. words of wisdom: “Be tenacious and have that unshakable belief you can make a change.”