The South Australian government has announced a $250,000 prize for entrepreneurs who can come up with ideas to help transition Adelaide to a zero carbon city.
The Low Carbon Entrepreneur’s Prize, announced by SA Premier Jay Weatherill at Carnegie Mellon University’s Energy Week conference in Pittsburgh, US, is the first initiative of the Adelaide to Zero Carbon Challenge, a new program to cut greenhouse gas and create new clean tech businesses in the state.
- See our story Martin Haese on why Adelaide is going so green
Mr Weatherill said the prize was designed to find the best minds locally, nationally and internationally to develop zero carbon ideas around energy, transport, waste and liveability.
However, successful ideas from overseas will need to partner with a South Australian organisation for project delivery.
“We want bold ideas that will help establish new jobs and new industries in South Australia while helping make Adelaide the world’s first carbon neutral city,” Mr Weatherill said.
“This funding will help entrepreneurs flesh out their ideas, create prototypes and help get their ideas to market.”
Mr Weatherill said the event at Carnegie attracted leaders in the renewable energy field, and was a great platform to get the message of Adelaide’s carbon neutral ambition out.
“South Australia already has a strong record in renewables and by positioning ourselves at the forefront of change we can attract the next wave of investment in the low carbon economy,” he said.
“This is the philosophy behind the Adelaide to Zero Carbon Challenge – to seek out the ideas and develop the innovative solutions that will help the state capture that investment.”
Participants in the Entrepreneur’s Prize can register ideas until 30 May. More information on the Adelaide to Zero Carbon Challenge will be released in the coming months.