Sharing lessons and strengthening climate entrepreneurship

How do you build an ecosystem where climate entrepreneurs can turn innovative ideas into businesses that grow and deliver impact? And what role can public and private finance play along the way? These are some of the questions at the heart of the P4G National Platform Gathering, this year in Seoul, South Korea.

From 31 August to 3 September, representatives from P4G’s National Platforms come together to exchange experiences, explore South Korea’s climate innovation ecosystem and consider how its lessons could translate to other P4G partner countries. Hosted by the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the fifth gathering brings together public and private partners working to accelerate climate entrepreneurship and green growth.

A closer look at South Korea’s innovation ecosystem

1  The programme opens with a discussion on the role of entrepreneurship in South Korea’s economic development. The country’s experience shows how entrepreneurship can contribute to economic transformation, create new industries and support long-term growth. The question for P4G is how these lessons can be adapted to the realities of emerging and developing economies.

2  That comes to life during visits to organisations supporting Korean entrepreneurs. At the Green Convergence Cluster, hosted by the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI), participants see how public R&D, infrastructure, finance and business support can work together to help climate technologies move from innovative ideas to commercialisation and scale.

3  At the OnDream Society, the focus shifts to the wider start-up ecosystem. Public and private actors work together through incubation, finance, mentoring, networks and internationalisation. One clear takeaway is that successful climate entrepreneurship needs more than a promising technology: it needs a strong, connected ecosystem around it.
 

Bridging the climate finance gap

Access to finance is another essential part of the journey. At the Korea Development Bank (KDB), National Platforms explore how public and private finance can complement each other across the different stages of a climate start-up, from early-stage funding through to commercialisation and scale-up. The discussions highlight the value of combining different forms of capital to bridge financing gaps. They also point to the importance of entrepreneurs thinking about financing and internationalisation from an early stage. Preparing for investment and international growth early can help promising climate businesses become better positioned to scale.

For the National Platforms, the gathering is not just about observing the Korean model. Teams reflect on what they have seen and discuss which elements could be relevant in their own countries. The exchange also opens up opportunities for further collaboration with Korean organisations and other ecosystem partners.

Turning experiences into ideas, connections and collaboration

The gathering concludes with a forward-looking discussion on priorities and concrete actions for 2026–2027. National Platforms consider how to strengthen their own ecosystems and continue supporting climate entrepreneurship, while identifying opportunities for international collaboration around key moments including COP31, the Ethiopia Summit in Addis Ababa in February 2027 and COP32.

The Seoul gathering demonstrates the value of bringing National Platforms together: not simply to exchange experiences, but to turn those experiences into practical ideas, stronger connections and new opportunities for collaboration. For P4G and its partner countries, the next step is to build on these connections and continue developing the partnerships, financing mechanisms and support systems that can help climate businesses grow, and turn green innovation into lasting impact.