Replicating Eco-Inclusive Business Models

In the face of climate change, we urgently need to find pathways to a low-carbon economy. Only then, can we improve the well-being of nine billion people by 2030 and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Developing countries have to leapfrog to a low-carbon economy while continuing to improve well-being. Innovative eco-inclusive enterprises are already implementing low-carbon solutions while also providing social and economic benefits to those who need them most. While political and financial support for the transition to a low-carbon economy is growing, as demonstrated by the Paris Agreement and countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), implementation focuses on large projects that bring little direct benefits to low-income communities.

This study shows how the replication of eco-inclusive entrepreneurial solutions tackles the double challenge of mitigating climate change and improving well-being, therefore arguing that they should be strategically incorporated in global and national plans for achieving a low-carbon economy. In this study, you will find answers to five guiding questions:

1. Why is replication of eco-inclusive enterprises a promising pathway to achieve a low-carbon economy?
2. Which ways to replicate low-carbon business models exist and how do SEED Winners engage in replication?
3. Which barriers do those low-carbon eco-inclusive enterprises face when seeking to replicate?
4. How can different actors support replication of these types of eco-inclusive enterprises for a low-carbon economy?
5. What should be the main priorities when supporting replication for a low-carbon economy?