Reaping opportunities from Climate Change: Obule Morewane shares insights

Climate change has always been seen as a significant challenge to humanity. While there are continuous global efforts to address these challenges, on the other hand, opportunities may emerge across all sectors.  For instance, in various areas, the transition to green economies is driving job creation, especially in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, innovation and technologies among many others.

In  Southern Africa, in Botswana,  the impacts of climate change have not spared the countries especially the communities on the frontline of the climate crisis.

Botswana is the home country of Obuile Morewane Obuile Morewane is a young vibrant climate activist and an alumnus of the Nairobi Summer School on Climate Justice from cohort III (2023).

 In July 2023, Morewane joined hundreds of young activists from across Africa and beyond in a two-week-long intensive training on Climate  Justice organized  by Nairobi Summer School  on Climate Justice, an initiative of Pan African Climate Justice Alliance.

Morewane is the founder and CEO of BIO WATT company, which is a renewable energy company, founded in the year 2018 to provide clean, sustainable and affordable energy to the Batswana and end the use of fossil fuels.

Following the Energy shortage struggles faced by the Batswana, especially in rural areas, Obuile deemed it important to come up with energy solutions to address the challenges. He started the company to offer charcoal and briquette products and services like solar off-grid systems, solar water pumping, Energy consultancy, biogas systems and air conditioning installation and maintenance.

Mr Morewane says that his skills and capability were further enhanced during the Nairobi summer school on Climate Justice training whereby he acquired knowledge on renewable energy technologies and the climate. It also offered a platform for idea sharing with other participants from across the continent which is vital for their growth and expansion to other African countries.

According to him, the training made him realize that there are opportunities within climate change that people can take especially in innovation to medicate the impacts of climate change to improve adaptation and make life better for the affected.

He says  that his innovation, hardwork and efforts have yielded, with 19 young people securing employment opportunities in the company and their products in the market are already selling largely, impacting many lives positively and the company has expanded, opening 2 more regional offices to extend their services farther.

He opines that  many people especially in rural areas, have made it hard to fully transform those areas due to misinformation and mindset, resisting change to renewables. Also, Financial capability has been a challenge to the company hence hindering production and service delivery., therefore, there is a need to educate people on the benefits of using renewable energy and the risks of using fossil fuels as their sources of energy.