December 18, 2023
News Release
Water Tech Innovator – RainGrid – Wins Global Award at COP28
TORONTO, December 18, 2023 – RainGrid Inc. and founder Kevin Mercer won the Global Model Green Technology award at the Global Forum on Human Settlements 18th annual session concurrent with COP28 in Dubai. This is RainGrid’s second international award after winning the $250k CAD World Economic Forum’s UpLink Global Freshwater Innovation Challenge in 2023.
RainGrid offers cities an innovative technology to divert stormwater from the sewer system. Its Intelligent Rain Retention and Reuse (IR3) is a “circular economy solution” that retains and monitors rainfall on-site. Capturing the full value of rain greatly reduces runoff pollution and flooding while creating the capacity to recharge groundwater.
In a time of global climate uncertainty, IR3 supports climate resilience, protects watersheds, improves flood and drought resilience, and helps cities navigate away from costly piped infrastructure. Costs are paid back to property owners through stormwater credits and scope 2 GHG credits.
The Global Forum award committee lauded IR3’s democratization of civic infrastructure and contribution to “cities’ transformation … into a circular blue economy [supporting] net zero runoff through community-scale, property-based, digital networks, thereby building resilience at the local level and creating social, environmental and economic benefits.”
RainGrid’s next step is to scale up investment with a major IR3 proof of concept project. RainGrid’s Global Circular Rain Challenge seeks to link this award-winning innovator with forward-thinking cities or developers to implement IR3 on an extensive retrofit or greenfield development.
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Contact:
Natalija Vojno, Director, Business Development Natalija.Vojno@raingrid.com, +1 416 868 1983
Background
Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Award (SCAHSA)
Previously the “Global Human Settlements Award”, the SCAHSA is an annual worldwide prize promoting UN sustainable development goals, particularly SDG 11. For 16 years, it has promoted the outstanding progress and valuable experience of its winners in the move towards a more sustainable world. Supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and related UN agencies, the SCAHSA is one of the most important awards on sustainable development in the world.
RainGrid Inc
Toronto-based RainGrid was established in 2012 to develop clean technology to divert rainfall from overwhelmed stormwater municipal systems. Its original manual systems progressed into the current hybrid Intelligent Rain Retention and Reuse (IR3) solution, which integrates digital and physical resources to create a circular rainfall network. RainGrid is a recognized innovator in its field.