Google launches sustainability fellowship programme in Sweden

Google has launched the Google.org Impact Challenge: Tech for Social Good, a fellowship programme that provides funding and technical aid for institutions in Sweden and other European countries to realize their sustainability missions.

Technology holds a key role in developing a “utopian” society by helping humans tackle various problems, including environmental challenges. Google argues that tech innovations have a significant impact on addressing climate change and other sustainability issues.

However, the company acknowledges that many aspiring entrepreneurs in the sustainability sector face a difficult challenge — the lack of financial and technical resources. Thus, Google came up with Tech for Social Good programme with the support of Samhällsentreprenörskap Sverige and Swedish Incubators & Science Parks (SISP).

Sweden was chosen to host this fellowship programme because the country had become a hub for entrepreneurs and nonprofits. Google also pointed out that Sweden had “tremendous potential for scaling sustainable solutions far beyond country borders.”

Google had earlier initiated the European Google.org Impact Challenge on Climate. Stockholm-based climate tech startup Normative participated in the fellowship programme back in 2020. Under the initiative, Normative developed its carbon emission calculator that now has assisted thousands of small and medium firms in calculating their emissions for free.

Google’s latest programme is open to any institution aiming to tackle climate and sustainability issues, including nonprofits, research institutes, and social startups. Aspiring participants must submit their project proposals to the Tech for Social Good website.

A panel of experts — which includes Gustav Lind (World Wide Fund for Nature), Victor Galaz (Stockholm Resilience Centre), Sara Öhrvall (Axel Johnson), Mala Valroy (Industrifonden) and Kristian Rönn (Normative) — will review shortlisted applicants. Google will announce the recipients by the end of the year in Stockholm.

Selected participants will receive up to €3 million in funding to develop their projects. The programme also includes six-month technical support from a full-time team of Google.org Fellows — ranging from software engineers to UX experts.