Finding local innovation

In support of our mission to help local, regional, and national governments in Southeast Asia obtain greater results from their energy conservation policies, GBPN has introduced the Pitch to Policy (P>P) programme.

Combining elements of a “hackathon” and a start-up incubator, Pitch to Policy competitions help teams composed of built environment specialists develop innovative projects to reduce carbon emissions, through short educational programs followed by a pitching competition. P>P has been created from the KIC EIT ClimateLaunchpad programme – specially adapted for building policy reforms.

The first two P>P programmes were held in Indonesia and India at the national level.

Pitch To Policy

Pitch To Policy is a call out for innovative building sector professionals, managers, and designers who can propose or demonstrate sustainable alternatives in their current work.

There are hundreds of thousands of mid-level professionals working in the built environment in South East Asia who are highly skilled and highly motivated but are compelled by the market to embed fossil fuels. They know they are doing this because above all other people, they know about the energy and fuel costs of manufacturing and construction. Many of them are very unhappy to be participating in what they know is an uncertain, unsustainable future.

P>P reaches out to these people.

The Role of Mentors

Pitch to Policy connects teams with innovative ideas to people who are experts in the landscape. Each team who is admitted to a P>P programme is mapped to an in-country person in GBPN’s Community of Experts. These mentors have helped teams understand the landscape and policy situation so that the team can craft its pitch carefully and for the greatest impact.

The Role of In-Country Partners

Each P>P is run with a theme that the participating teams should align their innovations with. The theme is typically a concern of the local or regional government who then attend the judging of our teams as guests or judges. This way, pitches are focussed on solving problems and introducing solutions for the government.