On 4 December, for the first time, three Social Innovation Tournament (SIT) winners from 2017 and 2018 – Glowee and iNex Circular, both from France, and BioCarbon Engineering, from the UK – will participate in the session “Making climate projects happen” at the COP during COP 24 in Katowice (Poland), organised by the EIB and the EIB Institute.

Glowee offers a sustainable living light source powered by waste products and produces reusable biomass to illuminate our world by harnessing the natural power of bioluminescence (natural properties of animals to produce light). iNex Circular, who call themselves the “Tinder of Waste”, is a platform that enables one company’s waste to become the raw material of others. BioCarbon Engineering aims to counter industrial-scale deforestation using drones.

The EIB is the largest multilateral provider of climate finance worldwide, making available EUR 19.4 billion to support projects fighting climate change in 2017, over 28% of all of its financing.

Every year the EIB takes part in the Conference of the Parties (COP), the United Nations Climate Change conference, where nations from around the world negotiate and shape their contributions to reduce carbon emissions and promote climate-resilient growth.

Also every year, the Institute organises the SIT to recognise and support Europe’s best social entrepreneurs whose primary purpose is to generate a social, ethical or environmental impact.