Opinion: Startups will be protagonists of social and environmental advances

In 2022, many organizations will go even further with their changes, adjusting to the new post-pandemic reality.

Just as healthtechs (healthcare startups) gained ground at the height of the health crisis, ESGtechs, also known as greentechs, should become the new protagonists of the social, environmental and governance agenda in the next decade.

This year, the UN has issued its most incisive warning about the global climate crisis. Today consumers are much more aware and critical, while companies are focused on best practices for long-term sustainable solutions. The numbers show this.

In Brazil alone, greentechs have received US$ 532.4 million (R$ 2.9 billion) in 54 contributions from investors so far this year — almost double that of 2020, according to the open innovation platform Distrito.

Brazil is one of the countries with the greatest biodiversity in the world, and it has countless challenges. Today we recycle, on average, only 3% of all the waste generated. More than 50% of the country’s cities still send their waste to landfills, and the other part goes to landfills.

About 41 thousand tons of food are wasted a year. This places us among the 10 countries that most throw away food in the world, according to a survey by the WRI (World Resource Institute).

In addition, Brazil has never had as many burnings and deforestation as those that have taken place in recent years.

With this scenario, many Brazilian ESGtechs are working to develop innovative solutions such as Quiron Digital, which monitors forest threats using data from satellites and nanosatellites that operate in a precise manner in any part of the globe.

Other initiatives arise from within the university laboratory, such as Arboran, from Santa Catarina, founded by a biologist to accelerate urban afforestation in capitals.

The great solutions are not just in the South and Southeast. Amachains, from Amazonas, carries out the traceability of production chains and is specialized in blockchain. The startup gathers and audits sector information, especially from small farmers.

With ESG principles entering the business agenda, startups in this segment are expected to receive more and more investments.

According to a report by the global consultancy Allied Market Research, the volume of resources allocated to greentechs should jump to US$ 44.6 billion (approximately R$ 243 billion) in 2026.

But for us to reach the maximum growth of these startups in the coming years, we depend on the realization of a series of actions.

As I wrote in one of my articles, it is necessary to ensure a sustainable regulatory environment so that startups can gain scale, effectively generating more jobs and moving the entire economy. Therefore, 2022 will be a decisive year, as we will choose the next governors of the country.

It is necessary to follow up on all public policy proposals for startups of each candidate so that our decisions do not negatively impact the future of our country —economically, environmentally and socially. We already know that the price is usually quite high.