New Lab Brings Together Leading Academics, Private Sector Innovators, and Grassroots Leaders to Catalyze Tech & Data Science Approaches to Advancing the UN SDGs
STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pegasus Capital Advisors, a leading global private markets impact investment manager, has announced the official launch of the SDG Digital Transformation and Sustainability Solutions Lab initiative, under the auspices of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which supports collaborations to advance the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This initiative is a unique cross-disciplinary collaboration bringing together top technology and academic minds including from Silicon Valley, and the Stanford and U.C. Berkeley communities, alongside private sector leaders, investors, and grassroots organizations, to co-create technology-driven solutions that accelerate progress toward the SDGs. The worst effects of climate change are often borne by the world's most disadvantaged. A key priority of the Lab is to improve outcomes for women and others most impacted by climate shocks including children, elderly and economically vulnerable communities.
By combining the expertise of leading academics, private sector experts and regional leaders with on-the-ground work in vulnerable regions, the Lab aims to address local challenges in areas such as climate adaptation, sustainable agriculture, water, renewable energy, women's livelihood and ocean's health, particularly in the Global South. A key focus of the Lab is to closely align data and technology with real world input and needs on the ground, with governments, the UNDP and other partners. The initiative will be formally introduced on September 27th during a hybrid roundtable event, bringing together leading academics, regional experts, private sector leaders, philanthropists, investors, and UNDP representatives, coinciding with the conclusion of Climate Week in New York City.
"The climate crisis necessitates urgent action," said Gina McCarthy, first White House National Climate Advisor, former U.S. EPA Administrator, and Senior Operating Advisor at Pegasus Capital Advisors, who is on the Lab's Global Executive Advisory Committee. "The time is now to bring top minds across different fields together to brainstorm and craft sustainable solutions to the challenges our planet faces today."
The Global South faces disproportionate risks from climate change, including rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and resource scarcity, which exacerbate economic inequality and threaten livelihoods. Pegasus Capital, working in close collaboration with other multilateral and bilateral development institutions has been actively addressing these challenges through its work with the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, including a recent investment in Brazil-based Agrion to reduce chemical fertilizer use and protect marine ecosystems. This new Lab comes in the context of Pegasus' mandate to mobilize transformative impact investments and innovative solutions aimed at improving the lives and livelihoods of the people and communities most affected by climate change and biodiversity loss.
Cofounded and Co-chaired by Craig Cogut (CEO, founder and chairman at Pegasus Capital Advisors), along with Radhika Shah (co-president of Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs) and Claudia Thieme (co-founder of Stanford Alumni in Sustainability), the Lab is set to unlock new pathways for sustainable development, focusing on sectors such as agri-food security, water, climate adaptation, oceans health, renewable energy, and women's livelihoods. The initiative will also explore how policy and digital equity can be leveraged to promote human dignity and sustainable futures.
"I am excited about this new initiative, which bridges the power of inclusive tech innovation with local grassroots context and data science to catalyze scalable, sustainable solutions that will drive measurable impact," said Radhika Shah. "By engaging with local communities, governments, academics, impact entrepreneurs and NGO collaborators, we are ensuring that these solutions are contextually relevant and empower some of the world's most climate-vulnerable regions with the tools and knowledge to adapt and thrive in the face of accelerating environmental threats."
Claudia Thieme added, "The launch of this Lab marks a significant step forward in addressing the urgent climate and sustainability challenges facing vulnerable communities. By connecting academic innovation with local, real-world challenges, the Lab will advance the Global Goals and create lasting, scalable solutions that drive measurable impact for those most at risk."
The Lab will leverage cutting-edge technology, data science, and digital policy innovations to catalyze and co-develop scalable sustainability solutions and new ways of measuring impact in some of the world's most climate-vulnerable regions in the Global South with Pegasus and its various partners including the UNDP, Catalytic Finance Foundation, Gold Standard, Africa Adaptation Initiative, among others. Global round table dialogs will be convened around digital and sustainability policy.
Notable academics including Stanford Professors Ato Quayson, Chair of the new African and African American Studies Department, Management Science & Computer Science Professor Ashish Goel, and Causal Inference expert Assistant Professor Vasilis Syrgkanis, as well as Professor Emerita of Energy Resources Engineering, Margot Gerritsen and Professor Emeritus of Computer Science, Vaughn Pratt have agreed to join the Academic Faculty Advisory Board of this initiative.
"I am very excited to join this multidisciplinary effort with the hope of bringing cutting edge data analytics technologies from causal inference and machine learning to analyze the impact of sustainability policies and enable data-driven policy making to improve agriculture and economic outcomes," says Professor Vasilis Syrgkanis.
The Executive Director of the Global Center for Sustainable Digital Finance at Stanford University, Thomas Puschmann, said "The Global Center for Sustainable Digital Finance at Stanford University is looking forward to collaborating on this exciting new initiative and jointly entering new ground with innovative, technology-based approaches to sustainability."
Kwaku Sakyi-Ado, a member of the Africa Advisory Board of the Lab and Former Chair, National Communications Authority of Ghana, said "Africa is the next frontier based on the fundamentals of a rising middle class, the demographic dividend, and economic prospects of its predominantly young population, increased digital access, and new opportunities for sustainable investment and policy. These factors have the potential to accelerate economic growth and make concrete improvements in the lives of citizens. It is critical that we find a pathway to digital equity to avoid exacerbating inequalities, and ensure that emerging technologies are guided by sound policy that enables the most vulnerable to make efficient improvements in their lives and livelihoods."
"We believe that leveraging technology and data-driven insights is crucial to addressing the world's most pressing challenges," said Craig Cogut, CEO and chairman at Pegasus Capital Advisors. "The SDG Digital Transformation and Sustainability Solutions Lab marks a significant step in our mission to develop impactful, scalable solutions for people, communities, and ecosystems. We are delighted to support the development of this Lab and pioneer innovative new approaches to further the Global Goals."
Echoing his support, Director of UNDP IICPSD, Sahba Sobhani, said "The UNDP Istanbul Center is excited to collaborate on the SDG Digital Transformation and Sustainability Solutions Lab to catalyze digital transformation and accelerate solutions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by engaging brilliant young minds from the Global South and the Global North with academics and local partners from around the world."
The climate crisis requires a synergy of cooperation, and it is in this spirit that the Lab aims to advance inclusive sustainable futures, digital equity and promote human dignity for everyone, everywhere.
About Pegasus Capital Advisors, L.P.:
Pegasus Capital Advisors, L.P. is a leading global private markets impact investment manager. Pegasus Capital is dedicated to fostering sustainable and inclusive growth while providing attractive returns for investors. Pegasus Capital has invested across multiple funds with a strong focus on sustainability, health, and wellness since its founding in 1996. As the first North American private equity firm accredited by the Green Climate Fund, Pegasus Capital is the investment manager of the Subnational Climate Fund and the Global Fund for Coral Reefs. Pegasus Capital has also partnered with the Government of Barbados and the Green Climate Fund in the establishment of the Barbados Blue Green Bank. Explore more at www.pcalp.com.
SOURCE Pegasus Capital Advisors
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