As Asia Pacific faces growing climate crisis, raising awareness through education, shifting towards a greener economy, and preserving urban ecosystems matter more than ever. AVPN’s APAC Sustainability Solutions Lab (SSL), with support from Google.org and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is supporting 20 nonprofits by enhancing their climate technology and communication capabilities, turning climate data into actionable insights that guide better climate decisions. Through leveraging AI and data with support from SSL, these three organisations power better climate decisions in their respective domains.
Teaching the Future: Cool.org’s AI-Powered Path to Climate Education
Although 92% of Australian teachers recognise the importance of sustainability education, 80% are unsure how to teach it effectively, according to the Australian Education for Sustainability Alliance.
To bridge this gap, Cool.org, a pioneering education nonprofit, provides educational resources to help educators teach students climate change and sustainability more effectively. Its goal is to transform classroom theory into real-world application to create better outcomes for people and the planet.
Through SSL, Cool.org, developed product roadmaps, frameworks, and process documentation to build an advanced AI model that aligns educational resources with the Australian Curriculum v9.0 standards, including those of the VIC and NSW state curriculums. The organisation also designed a new web interface that streamlines curriculum data and AI-generated alignments to ensure that all updates are clear and visible.
Cool.org also refined its communication approach to expand reach and visibility. SSL supported the organisation in implementing SEO and LinkedIn strategies to attract funding and foster new connections in the sustainability sector.
By innovating curriculum alignment, Cool.org strengthened its reputation as a leader in educational technology, recognised by Australia’s Federal Minister for Productivity, Competition, and Treasury for being at the “forefront of service design” in its use of AI.
Unifying Climate Action: COCF’s Open Data for a Climate-Ready Future
The Coalition for our Common Future (COCF) is a Korean nonprofit organisation that aims to accelerate climate action through open data. Its Common Carbon Protocol (CCP) provides user-generated methodologies, connecting researchers, nonprofits, and individuals who are keen to study existing climate resources and systems.
From its early beginnings under SSF 1.0, COCF developed two key tools: the Carbon Calculator (CAL), which simplifies carbon equations, and the Carbon Impact Map (CIM), which monitors international green technologies and projects, allowing users to visualise how these initiatives are performing.
To strengthen its approach, COCF joined the Responsible AI workshop conducted by SSL. The session provided valuable insights into responsible data management and scalable AI practices. While the workshop did not specifically tackle carbon markets, it helped the team contextualise their work and communicate its relevance more clearly.
Beyond technology, COCF also rediscovered the power of storytelling. Through tailored guidance from SSL, the team learned how to develop a more compelling narrative around work and equate climate action to measurable GHG reduction as “positive currency.” This fresh perspective motivated COCF to revamp its pitch deck and explainer materials to communicate its messages more effectively to its stakeholders.
Reclaiming India’s Lakes: CRDF’s Data-Driven Approach to Climate Resilience
In India, most urban lakes have either dried up or deteriorated beyond repair. Yet these ecosystems play a crucial role in capturing carbon dioxide and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
The CEPT Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), a multidisciplinary think-do-tank established by CEPT University in 2013, noted that one root cause why urban lakes are shrinking is the limited capacity of cities to conduct carbon accounting and manage water bodies, which are complex and time-consuming tasks.
To address this, CRDF harnessed machine learning (ML) to estimate and predict how much carbon lakes can store and absorb. The team also integrated satellite imagery and field data to further analyse freshwater resources. Data collected is shared in a unified dashboard to help authorities make well-informed decisions for better lake management.
With SSL’s guidance, CRDF refined its technical workflows by adopting Python-based tools into its systems, enabling them to enhance their problem-solving and technical skills. The training from SSL also helped the team to humanise and effectively disseminate their work and impact on social media, helping them transition from “tech-adjacent” to “tech-enabler” in the urban climate space.
With support from Google.org and ADB, AVPN’s APAC SSL initiative is empowering nonprofits to become technology leaders in evidence-based climate action, enabling educators, researchers, and policymakers to turn insights into impact. Learn more about SSL here.
