At UrbanMeisters we understand how important an action orientation is for urbanites like you and me. We believe in a solutions perspective too and so far a lot of you might be feeling that COP21 is all about the ‘talks’ and negotiations. Well, think again! We bring to you SolutionsCOP21- an affiliate exhibition in Paris that brings forth green solutions for everyday life that are easy, innovative and really significant in this day and age. Exactly the kind of ‘action’ UrbanMeisters was looking to get for you!
So here’s UrbanMeisters bringing to you an exclusive sneak peak at what’s in store at SolutionsCOP21. But first what is SolutionsCOP21?
The buzz
SolutionsCOP21– an affiliate event of COP21- is a showcase of inventive and pioneering green living ideas and innovations from around the world at the Grand Palais in Paris. Supported by the French government, the initiative has been organised by the Comité 21 and Club France Développement Durable. On from 4th till 10th December, SolutionsCOP21 is free and open to all “UrbanMeisters”.
The exhibition brings together a very diverse group of people from all around the world with their green ideas and innovations. It’s a vibrant confluence of associations, organisations, businesses, artists, scientists and many more, all united in their passion for contributing to a greener world. There will be conferences and discussions on the venue but what caught our eye were the other events dotting the schedule. We discovered that ideas will also be shared through entertaining mediums like practical workshops for youngsters, concerts and films. There are even some parties marked on the agenda for those of you who thought green living was all dull!
With such a rich array of events, the program has something for everyone. We recommend you consult the schedule here before you head there and ear mark your events.
So Parisian UrbanMeisters, if you’re just as passionate about green solutions and game changing ideas as us, then SolutionsCOP21 is the place to be this week end.
Our picks
UrbanMeisters got a first look at some of the fabulous ideas and innovations on display and we handpicked 1 for each of our categories of Urbanites. So here’s your sneak preview.
For our Outdoor Junkies:
After leading a hectic Monday to Friday life, weekends are for catching up on everything from relaxation, family and friends time, pending personal and domestic chores, and what not! Phew! Did the week end just become hectic? We understand the dilemma you face when you want to do a lot over the week ends in very little time. Heading out for some mind and body R&R and getting stuck in traffic is a complete no-no. So we bring to you Urban Farm- a complete detox destination for the mind and body right in the heart of the city Paris!
At the SolutionsCOP21 UrbanMeisters met the team of La Recyclerie – a 1000 square metres (about 3300 square feet) oasis in the 18th district of Paris. The Urban Farm holds workshops every day on relevant subjects Reduce, Recyle and Reuse for children and adults. There is also a sustainable restaurant and our favourite of all- the Atelier “Chez Rene” where you can bring stuff from your home that is not working any more and it gets Repaired.
A similar experience is also available in New York at the Brooklyn Grange Farm which we’ve sampled for ourselves. Noe here’s where we need you to be UrbanMeisters. If you know about such urban farms in the cities you live in or elsewhere then do write to us and we’ll share the information with all fellow UrbanMeisters.
For our Mums & Dads to be(e):
Born out of a collaboration between Les Eco Maires- an ecological association of French Municipalities and Les Mousquetaires- a regroupment of 3000 independent retailers, this initiative is targeted at children. The collaboration has developed pedagogical games that are rented to municipalities and schools for free. All they need from you is a sufficiently large space where they can install the games and a volunteer team who can be taught how to use them. The games teach children a smarter and more sustainable way of consumption as a starting point of a green life. All the elements have been so lovingly developed with utmost attention to detail and keeping children in mind. This was our absolute favourite initiative at the exposition and even though it’s available only in French, UrbanMeisters invites you to discover it. Perhaps you can help translate this into a similar initiative in your country! Check out the details here.
For our Busy Bees:
Busy is your buzzword and we understand that 100%. So here are two solutions tailor-made for you- quick but with max impact.
The first is some sound investment advice. The logic is pretty simple- your savings and investments are the safeguards of your future but if you invest in carbon monsters of today then how safe really is your investment? You see with the way the green revolution is picking up(and there really is no other way left for us), we’re not sure that the carbon-monsters of today will be around for a long time and if these go kaput then all your savings are down the drain. So you should make sure your investment portfolio is green enough to survive the energy transition, because whatever the degree we end up at after COP21, energy transition is cannot be stopped. UrbanMeisters talked to Carbon4 – an independent consulting firm specialising in energy transition, that offers its expertise to private and public players. But there were also some big names present like BNP Paribas. Of course this subject is really important and we will be covering it at length on a full post in the future. So subscribe to our newsletter and watch this space for more.
The second one up our sleeve is Eco Guide-it– an efficient forum for advice and guidance on purchase of electronic devices for domestic and professional use. Their products are up to date and they help you evaluate the sustainability of the manufacturer, the life cycle and energy consumption etc for you to make an informed green choice.
For our Bee2Bees:
UrbanMeisters discovered the Taiwanese company Delta Group which has an impressive founding history. The company was founded in the 1970s, when pollution in Taiwan was critical with the conviction that energy efficiency would be crucial in solving the problem of pollution. Today it is the world’s number one provider of switching power supplies and fans. They have a pretty diverse portfolio of power electronics, energy management and smart green life products, mostly for the corporate segment. We picked out Delta Group because we feel it’s important for urbanites like you and me to discover such committed companies pushing their green mission fervently and dedicatedly in all aspects of corporate life- from end product to conduct of business. For eg, they recently opened their American headquarters in Oct 2015 at Silicon Valley- the building is LEED Platinum (the top grade of the most popular green building certification program used worldwide) and Net Zero Certified(exceptional energy conservation and on-site renewables- for eg the solar panels on their roof). The company certainly walks the talk!
Net report on Solutions COP21
UrbanMeisters whole-heartedly endorses SolutionsCOP21. Sure, we would have liked to see more inventive and independent entrepreneurs here. We went in with expectations of seeing plenty of genies that develop their own fuel with the garbage of their kitchen but instead saw many more big companies in the stands. But this was more or less balanced by the various fun events and workshops happening all around. The buzz was definitely there and we highly recommend going. Just check the program before hand as there is a lot going on. You will definitely find some exciting green discoveries.
So long then! UrbanMeisters will keep scanning COP21 for more green solutions for you. Stay tuned.
Mirela Orlovic
