September 25, 2019 – Alex Eaton, Co-founder and CEO of the largest global biogas social enterprise for small-holder farmers, received two international awards during the UN General Assembly in New York, as a recognition of his work to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.
Sistema.bio manufactures and distributes high-quality, affordable biodigesters that enable farmers around the world to convert waste into energy and fertilizer. By providing flexible interest-free repayment plans and comprehensive monitoring services, Sistema.bio works with farmers to ensure they become more sustainable, independent, and productive.
At the 2019 World Economic Forum’s Sustainable Development Impact Summit, Eaton received a 2019 Social Entrepreneur award granted by the Schwab Foundation. For the last two decades, The Schwab Foundation has curated and gathered over 350 leading social entrepreneurs from 70 countries. “The 2019 awardees represent a new ecosystem of leaders who are driving change and shifting organizations and systems towards a more just, inclusive, sustainable future” – said François Bonnici, Head of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship.
Sistema.bio operates globally with the potential to bring clean-energy and sustainable agricultural practices to 2 billion farmers. “Farmers are net consumers of energy, but they could actually be producers of clean energy for our communities, and their farms could collectively be the largest carbon sink on the hearth.” – Said Eaton during the award ceremony. “The future is in farmers’ hands; they only need the appropriate technology and tools and they will make us reach the global goals. This award is a recognition for Sistema.bio, but mainly for farmers’ work and an invitation for all to support us to change their lives”.
Selected as one of the seven leaders representing the policy, business, and finance sectors, Eaton participated in the Seven-for 7 Forum, which recognizes leadership driving actions on Sustainable Development Goal 7 (access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy). Sistema.bio case illustrates real and tangible actions being taken, the impact, and the benefits. Seven- for-7 forum is annually produced by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), in partnership with Ashden.
ABOUT Sistema.bio
Sistema.bio is a social enterprise uses innovative technology, capacity building and inclusive financing to address poverty, food security, and climate change. Sistema.bio manufactures and distributes high-quality, affordable biodigesters that enable farmers around the world to convert waste into energy and fertilizer. By providing flexible interest-free repayment plans and comprehensive monitoring services, Sistema.bio works with farmers to ensure they become more sustainable, independent, and productive. The company operates globally with the potential to bring clean-energy and sustainable agricultural practices to 100M farmers.
ABOUT SCHWAB FOUNDATION FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, founded in 1998 by Klaus Schwab, the Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum . Its purpose is to advance social entrepreneurship and to foster social entrepreneurs as an important catalyst for societal innovation and progress.
ABOUT ASHDEN
Ashden Awards were founded in 2001, Ashden has rewarded 215 enterprises around the world which so far have collectively improved the lives of some 88 million people, saving more than 13 million tonnes of CO2 emissions every year. www.ashden.org
ABOUT SEforALL
Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an international organization working with leaders in government, the private sector and civil society to drive further, faster action toward achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), which calls for universal access to sustainable energy by 2030, and the Paris Agreement, which calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit climate warming to below 2° Celsius.
