John Kerry says Earth has 9 years to avert the worst consequences of climate crisis: "There's no...

Startups are tackling both the upstream causation of climate change as well as the downstream effects. Here are 24 innovative startups leading the charge across transportation, agriculture, and waste management.

Transportation

Transportation is shifting. Key trends combating climate change in transportation include increased adoption of electric vehicles and infrastructure, ride-sharing, and launching mass easeful adoption of environment-friendly bikes and scooters.

Changing the way we move: electric vehicle (EV) startups to watch

Weltmeister: One of the few EV companies targeting the mainstream (vs luxury) market with a well-designed, 100% electric vehicle, Shanghai-based Weltmeister is positioned to lead the charge. It has raised an impressive $1 Billion and is led by a former Volvo executive, Freemen Shen.
ChargePoint: This electric vehicle charging infrastructure startup operates the world’s largest and most open EV charging network. Based in California, ChargePoint has raised over $500MM from top automotive brands such as Daimler and BMW.
Hail away: top ride-sharing startups steal markets from Uber

Bolt (formerly Taxify): Estonia-originated ride-sharing company rapidly expanded in Europe and Africa and is challenging Uber in those markets with $170MM in funding.
Didi Chuxing: Backed by Chinese giant TenCent and having acquired Uber’s China unit, the company known as “China’s Uber” is valued at a whopping $56B, making it the 3rd most valuable startup in the world.
Urban transportation domination: which startups will win the bike-share wars?

Mobike: The Shanghai-based startup emerged as the winner of the China bike-sharing market while rival Ofo is on the verge of bankruptcy. Mobike exited successfully via a $2.7B acquisition by Chinese super app service Meituan-Dianping.
Lime (formerly Limebike): As the bike-sharing market becomes increasingly saturated, California-based Lime is differentiating itself by phasing out its signature electric bikes in favor of electric scooters.

Agriculture

The top ways to combat climate change within agriculture include reducing meat consumption, specifically from beef cattle to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, leveraging technology to reduce excessive land and vehicle dependencies, and optimizing water transportation and usage.

Tastes like meat: top plant-based or lab-grown meats

Impossible Foods: Along with Beyond Meat, Just, and Terramino Foods, this Bill Gates-backed, California-based startup is the most recognized brand in plant-based meat and is already in numerous restaurants, including popular chains such as the Counter, Umami Burger, and Dave and Busters.
Mosa Meat: Along with Memphis Meats, Aleph Farms, and Finless Foods, this Netherlands-based company is leading the way in lab-grown meats made from animal cells, significantly reducing land and soil depletion, methane emissions, and often inhumane practices caused by traditional cattle raising.

Smart farming: technology startups optimizing farming resource allocation

Bowery Farming: The leader in urban farming, this New York-based startup backed by GV (Google Ventures) builds warehouse farms that use proprietary computer software, LED lighting, and robotics to grow leafy greens without pesticides and with 95% less water than traditional agriculture.
TerrAvion: This California-based technology company uses aerial imagery along with heat and soil maps to identify problem areas across expansive farms and efficiently deploy targeted solutions.

Slow the flow: startups in water usage optimization

AquaSpy: Based in Australia, this water technology startup provides a soil-monitoring system that measures moisture, temperature, and electrical conductivity. This tells farmers specifically where to apply fertilizer and improves crop yields of up to 40%!
PowWow Energy: Another California-based startup turns existing smart energy meters into water flow meters that detect anomalies in water irrigation patterns to reduce waste. It also helps with tracking, monitoring, and reporting for regulatory compliance.