Inclusive Climate Innovation: Why diversity matters in solving climate crisis

Jui Joshi, Partner, Climate Collective

In my 13 years working in the development sector, and especially in my role past 7 years at Climate Collective, I’ve evaluated, mentored, and supported over a thousand startups. Through that work, one truth has become undeniable: the climate crisis cannot be solved without placing women at the very center of innovation. This isn’t a moral stance; it’s a strategic imperative I see validated every single day.

Women, particularly in rural and low-income communities, are on the frontlines of climate disruption. They are the ones managing household water during droughts, securing food when crops fail, and dealing with frontline health risks. This lived experience isn’t just a burden; it’s a source of profound market insight. Yet, their perspectives remain vastly underrepresented in the design of solutions, and their ventures remain critically underfunded.

The Dual Gaps We Must Close: Funding and Design

Every day, I see two fundamental gaps holding back our progress.

First is the funding gap. In our work at Climate Collective, we’ve seen brilliant, women-led ventures that are poised for impact. Yet the numbers are stark: in 2024, solo female founders in climate tech received just over 5% of deals and a mere 1% of total funding. This isn’t just inequitable; it’s a massive market inefficiency. We are leaving our most insightful innovators on the sidelines.

Second is the design gap. Solutions are often built without considering the end-user. When climate tech is designed for women—whether it’s a water management tool or a clean energy appliance—it needs to fit their context. This means intuitive interfaces, last-mile distribution through networks they trust like Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and features that reflect their daily realities. Ignoring this means creating products that fail to get adopted.

How We Build Inclusion at Climate Collective: A Two-Pronged Approach

Addressing this challenge is at the core of my work, especially in leading our Women in Climate Entrepreneurship Initiative. Our strategy at Climate Collective is two-pronged: we champion women-led ventures and we push for women-centric design across our entire portfolio.

Let me make this concrete with innovators from our own ecosystem:

• econscious™️, founded by the incredible Sonal Shukla, is a prime example of women leading circular economy innovation. She upcycles post-consumer plastic into durable goods, transforming a waste problem with a practical, scalable model that works in the Indian context.
• MOWO Fleet shows how green solutions can also be powerful tools for social change. They don’t just deploy EVs; they actively recruit and train women drivers, creating green jobs and leadership roles for women in the male-dominated transport sector.
• AquaNurch by NatureDots, led by a mixed-gender team, exemplifies inclusive design. Their AI-powered platform for sustainable aquaculture provides real-time monitoring tools, but its design and deployment are intentionally mindful of the labour patterns and responsibilities of women in rural fish farming.

These ventures prove our thesis: diverse leadership and inclusive design aren’t just “nice to have.” They lead directly to better market fit, broader adoption, and more profound climate impact.

A Call to Action: The Path Forward

Based on my experience building this ecosystem from the ground up, accelerating this change requires a few critical actions:

1. Directed Capital: We need more than just good intentions. We need dedicated Gender-Lens Investing (GLI) funds and blended finance models that combine grants and equity to support women-led ventures at the crucial early stages.
2. Mentorship and Networks: Visibility is vital. Our acceleration programs actively connect our women founders with a network of mentors, investors, and peers. Seeing trailblazers succeed creates a powerful multiplier effect.
3. Women-Centric Product Design: We must insist that innovation involves women users from day one through co-design workshops, pilot testing, and partnerships with local women’s cooperatives and SHGs.
4. Institutional Support: We need governments and multilateral platforms to continue building programs that offer entrepreneurship training, credit access, and market linkages specifically for women climate entrepreneurs.

Building a resilient, net-zero future requires solutions that reflect the realities of the half of the world’s population that is most affected and most underserved. Correcting the gender imbalance in climate tech isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s the only way we’ll win.