Amy Li, CPA

One of the more thoughtful, practical pieces I’ve read on carbon removal and carbon markets recently - impressed and encouraged by the steps that Stripe has taken, especially with their Frontier fund, to drive demand for carbon removal. What mechanisms do we need to similarly enable the voluntary carbon markets by transforming carbon avoidance/reduction/removal from a public good into a business imperative, and fast? #carbonremoval #carbonmarkets #carboneconomics

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Controversial opinion: if you work in sustainability/climate but refuse to make sacrifices to reduce your own carbon footprint, you are full of shit (🤭). I see so many people around me being passionate about cool early-stage climate-tech solutions “solving” climate change, or net zero pledges and sustainability reports of their corporates. Sure, we need all of these to be realistic about keeping global warming at a level that is bearable for humanity. What we also need is to reduce our consumption though. Consumption of energy, meat, and goods in general. Our current lifestyle in the West is not compatible with the boundaries of our socio-ecological system, and investing a crazy amount of money into complex innovations to avoid changing how we live is not a solution. Yes, we need innovation to make clean energy and low-carbon products cost-efficient and available at scale. This is also why I truly believe in the work we do at Carbon Equity. But we also need to eat more plants, take the train or not go, and buy secondhand, and those who claim to be leaders in the first should also be leaders in the rest. Let me know why you (don’t) agree! The picture is from my first Rotterdam-Budapest 20-hour train ride. Visiting my home country has always been a challenge for me when it came to my own carbon footprint, as this solution always seemed too expensive and uncomfortable. Turns out that if booked in advance, it is absolutely doable, I do recommend it to anyone!

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#ESG, #SustainableFinance, #ESGAnalyst are all hot career paths at the moment. If you are interested in learning more, check out this GreenBiz Group article with top ESG programs. :-) Yes, Voiz Academy #ESG Fund Analyst program is listed and highly recommended by program participants because they learn real world skills from an ex-PM and Research Director. Reach out if you are interested in learning more. Link in the comments section. #esgfinance #sustainabilityanalyst #sustainablefinance #ESGAnalyst #PE #ETFs

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7 bricks to accelerate climate tech The Climate Brick researched and documented the scaling and fundraising journeys of European climate tech companies, identifying 7 distinct types of companies, or "bricks". For each brick, they created a manual on scaling business models, addressing common challenges, and how companies have overcome them. It's a great resource for anyone tackling hard problems with hard tech! 🛸 Below is an overview of the seven bricks, with example sectors and companies. If you're building or investing in these areas, check out the brick manuals on the following slides. ✨ Thank you The Climate Brick 👏

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Reducing carbon emissions is not a silver bullet -- it's imperative businesses take a fuller, more holistic approach to reducing their overall ecological footprint. Not only will this help biodiversity, it will help accelerate us on the critical journey to detoxify *all* of earth's systems. Valuable insights from Karl Burkart on the challenges and opportunities of reaching nature positive, as well as the compelling concept of an “‘Internal Price on Nature.”

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Jonathan Weitz and Claire Broido Johnson from MCJ Collective provide a detailed analysis on how climate tech startups can navigate challenges and avoid common pitfalls in their quest for impactful scaling and sustainable growth. Here’s a concise breakdown of their insights: 1. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: Prioritize a strong culture and efficient communication, develop a robust HR function, align on decision-making, and maintain a balance between growth and profitability. 2. 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗼-𝘁𝗼-𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆: Avoid overestimating market size. Regular feedback and realistic assessments of market readiness and differentiation are crucial. 3. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗩𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Ensure timely product development aligned with financial and market demands, follow a logical product roadmap, and address scalability early on. 4. 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹: Focus on scalable unit economics by considering customer willingness to pay, reducing costs of sales and service, and adjusting to market conditions. 5. 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴: Emphasize standards in operational processes, enhance customer experience, leverage automation, and manage the supply chain effectively. 6. 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸: Diversify funding sources, plan for different capital needs, and focus on financial derisking to attract larger pools of capital. 7. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Recognize the power of entrenched competitors and adapt strategies, accordingly, focusing on niches or innovative offerings where possible. 8. 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘆: Engage proactively with regulators and understand political risks, ensuring compliance and adaptability to regulatory changes. These insights guide climate tech startups toward sustainable growth and significant environmental impact, emphasizing the importance of strategic planning and adaptability. #ClimateTech #StartupStrategy #SustainableBusiness

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🌿 Why Should You Be Concerned with Greenwashing? 🌏 In Australia, major companies are under scrutiny for what's being termed "state-sponsored greenwashing," utilising the government's Climate Active carbon neutrality certification despite murky rules. This lack of clarity has led to concerns raised by the consumer watchdog, highlighting the need for stricter regulations and leading to a Senate Inquiry and questions being raised over the sustainability claims of some of our biggest organisations. But why should you be concerned? ⚠ Risk of Misleading Claims: Companies exploit loopholes in certification, potentially misleading consumers about their environmental efforts. 🤡 Undermining Genuine Action: Greenwashing undermines genuine emissions reduction efforts, hindering progress towards a sustainable future. ✨ Transparency and Accountability: It's crucial to demand transparency and accountability to ensure businesses are walking the talk on sustainability. Join Olivia Whitaker, Sustainability Manager of L'Oréal Australia to get savvy to what to look out for to understand which sustainability claims are legitimate and which may be misleading. This Wednesday at 5.30pm! RSVP here 👉 https://lnkd.in/g_jhHNiA

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It was great to do this podcast with Neil Hughes/The Tech Talks Daily Show - with a special focus on how GreenLight and GreenLight cities are increasingly “pulling in” technology-enabled outcome-changing platforms that really measurably move the needle on an increasing array of unmet needs. It’s not enough to just “make tech available” or, worse yet, push it at people…to the contrary, you have to really authentically, in a community-driven and need-driven way, pull tech in to communities with a vast number of key local partnerships to make sure that things really work and really are utilized - and that things really reach and are trusted by residents who can use them to make measurable positive CHANGE…

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On May 28th, I'll embark on Terra.do's flagship educational fellowship - Climate Change: Learning for Action. 🌍 In their words: It's a 12-week climate fellowship designed to understand the complexities of climate change and ultimately arrive at your perfect climate role. 🌱 My reasoning: It's a powerful addition to anyone's toolkit, no matter what work they do. Whilst I consider myself knowledgeable about climate change, there's always room for learning, and a lot of my studies have been theoretical and about human systems — what can be done, rather than the intricate workings of climate change itself. 🧠 It's exactly the scientifically rigorous, up-to-date, and structured learning that I need in order to develop and support solutions to climate problems with optimal efficacy. 🔀 Serious problems are interdisciplinary, and this cohort complements our unique individual skill sets — specialised self-study can only get someone so far, and this will equip me to explore individual interests and problem areas with big-picture thinking. 💸 I was sceptical about the price, but Terra accommodates early-career professionals and students for accessibility, so don't let this be a deterrent without investigating for yourself. 🎥📝 Curious? I'll be documenting my experiences along the way! And if, like me, you're interested in developing a razor-sharp grasp of climate science principles, feel free to use this referral code when looking at Terra.do courses: https://lnkd.in/ekCiQ8BY #TerraDo #LearningForAction #ClimateChange

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Here’s the latest in our series of FAQs answered….. How long does it take to fill a role?! 🤔 Between January and July of this year our average time to fill a role has been 5.4 weeks from brief to contract signed. But as you can hear below…. This isn’t always the case.

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Excited to announce the launch of ClimateQueers on the 27th of June to supporting diversity and inclusion within early-stage ClimateTech! Come along to our launch event hosted with Sustainable Ventures at County Hall (RSVP below) 💚🌍🏳️‍🌈 The startup scene is often perceived as a monoculture, it’s a stereotype which is not unduly founded, however, has become less true in recent years as the value of team diversity is being given more weight. However, attracting underrepresented talent can be self-defeating due to underrepresentation in the workforce making roles seem less attractive to those who may feel more vulnerable. It’s a catch-22 for small teams, but by bringing together multiple companies we’re looking to build a larger community for smaller companies benefiting from opportunities of scale often reserved for established organisations. We're launching ClimateQueers with our first event on the 27th of June at Sustainable Ventures County Hall—just in time for London Pride! 🎉 You can sign up and share the event below or DM me if you’d like to know more. #ClimateQueers #DiversityInTech #ClimateImpact #PrideMonth

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#Recruiting for the 'Marketing Lead' full-time role at Climes If you're, 1) hungry for climate action 2) experienced with driving behaviour change 3) love building, owning and operating within a startup, and 4) obsessed with connecting the dots + crafting the stories that need to be told Check out our ask, and apply here - https://lnkd.in/gc9_DFRQ Climes' mission has been "to bridge the climate-finance gap". We're 3-years in, but really just getting started. We have a long way to go to unlock a % of global-GDP and channel it into a growing portfolio of high-quality and geographically diverse climate solutions. To put speedbreakers on - and eventually reverse course on - climate change. Come help 💫 Riya Sarda | Saba Rajkotia | The Sustainability Mafia

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A rare chance to join a public session with Carbon13's Storyteller in Residence Paul Bourne, this Thursday at midday. It's his magic sauce that turns our ventures' pitches from mere descriptions into round-raising decks that capture investors' imaginations. On Thursday's session he'll share practical tips on how to showcase your climate-focused startup and create powerful emotional connections with your target audience, from investors to customers. 👉🏽 Register right here https://lnkd.in/efkEuxqw Carbon13 founders work with Paul from the get-go - because telling their story is crucial in creating a compelling narrative which forges meaningful connections and amplifies their impact on the climate crisis: ⭐ For customers, a clear and engaging story helps them understand the problem they're solving and why their solution is impactful, fostering trust and loyalty. ⭐ Investors are drawn to startups with a strong vision and mission, and a well-articulated story can demonstrate the founder's passion, commitment, and potential for success, making them more likely to invest. ⭐Moreover, partners for piloting and scaling need to see not just the technical details, but the broader impact and potential of the startup's innovation. This webinar series has been created in partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs to support early stage #ClimateTech businesses who are getting ready to move from ideation to action. Hosted by Maya Welford #venturecapital #cleantech #startups #netzero

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Great post from Tim De Chant covering the problems promising climate tech companies have crossing what the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) calls "the bridge to bankability". The folks at Energy Transition Finance LLC have made it their business to help companies get the non-dilutive resources they need from federal, state, and local governments and non-profits to ensure that the best climate projects can have the greatest impact and scale. Check 'em out:

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In case you missed our latest piece on the opportunities & challenges of measuring nature at The Triple Bottom, here's a quick TLDR round-up; 📏 To better manage, protect and regenerate nature and biodiversity, we must first be able to accurately measure them. It is only with the scaled deployment of various measurement technologies (e.g., bioacoustics, eDNA) that we will be able to provide a monetary value to nature-assets and the opportunities/risks they pose. 🌱 Providing a $ value to nature & biodiversity is a lot more complex than we saw in the carbon markets. Startups looking to provide solutions here face a number of headwinds including a slower build up of demand, weaker regulatory pressure and financial restraints. 💰️ Nature & biodiversity data must be made more digestible for businesses. Several start-ups have emerged in the past year looking to aggregate, analyze and draw actionable insights from these datasets. This will help bring the trust and transparency this market needs to draw the vast financial investments required to protect and restore the world’s biodiversity. Find the full article here:

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Is sustainability expensive? Are there cost-saving opportunities for brands? At the Gigaton Salon event hosted by Harvest, Impulse, and Starshot Capital during SF Climate Week. I got to interview Kayalin Akens-Irby Head of Growth at Planet FWD and how their company works to support brands to save money while saving the planet. Often, consumers believe that we are the only ones pushing brands to do better or to improve their packaging, but in fact, there are businesses like Planet FWD that are empowering brands and advocating for consumers, pointing out that solutions can exist within brands. I believe that businesses, especially those with larger capital, should be the ones pushing for solutions and changing the industry to do better, especially when it comes to their products. What do you think? #sustainability #consumer #genz #climatetech #packaging

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'Climate Capitalism,' a book by Akshat Rathi, underscores what I've long believed: capitalism, when channeled correctly, can indeed be a force for climate action. It posits that the profit motive, often vilified as the root cause of environmental degradation, holds within it the seeds of innovation and change necessary to pivot us toward a sustainable future. 🌱 Short-term profit incentives, when aligned with long-term environmental goals, can drive substantial and lasting benefits for our planet. It’s a perspective that’s not just refreshing—it's essential. 🌍 https://lnkd.in/egCAuyPi

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📰 📣 🎇 PR needs to be a core capability for climate tech startups. As climate tech startups launch new technologies and business models to reduce GHG emissions and remove CO2 from the atmosphere, they likely need build markets for their offerings. In addition to "traditional" activities like customer research, product development, and sales, climate tech startups also need to invest in PR capabilities to increase awareness of their solution and influence public policy changes. Thanks to Alex Constantinople (Bessemer Venture Partners), Alex Wilhelm (TechCrunch), JOHN OBRIEN (SBS), and Kelly Ferguson (Claroty) for putting together this great PR guide for startup founders. My takeaways (which I think are true of any stage company in any sector). 🎯 Set clear objectives for your PR activities that support with your business goals 🗣 Be an authentic storyteller -- tell your personal narrative about why / how you founded your company 📈 Don't be afraid to talk about your solution AND your business results 🎣 Nail your messaging to have a hook, details, what in it for them, and an ask 📆 Plan for PR to be a consistent part of your company's operating calendar 💸 Right-size your investment in PR based on your company's size and need Check out the full summary & transcript!! #climatechange #climatecareers #startups

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3 Months as a Co-Founder – what have I learnt? Was this a good move? At the start of the year, I finally started working for the company I Co-Founded with Rufus Grantham, Cat Magill, and John Leach, and including the fantastic Fiona Brenner, Dr Elizabeth Rapoport, and Petra Bistričić. What had started out as a small idea one year ago came together quite rapidly in the autumn. In only a short time, I have learnt many things from this experience, here are three that have really jumped out. Firstly, I’ve become acutely aware that diversity of perspective is the only reliable way of achieving quality decision-making. I have witnessed that, by testing and challenging each other, we have been able to develop much better responses to the challenges of establishing a business. I’ve often wanted to build consensus, and I can still do that, but I’ve been learning to cherish challenging each other beforehand. Secondly, I've seen that I used to mould myself to an organisation – and it was exhausting! This is no reflection on the organisations I have worked for, rather that I can now see that I have a significant drive to fit in, and that has previously led to me leaving a bit too much of myself behind at work. Now being a Co-Founder I have the space to bring myself to work in a more relaxed way which has been great. I also know I am contributing to the tone in the organisation – so given my experience previously, can I help others feel able to be themselves? Finally, I have found that the increased responsibility is a price I am happy to pay for the greater freedom and flexibility to move the company and my work in a direction that I am enthused by and believe in. It’s wonderful having a structure around and above you that will provide confidence you will get paid, but I appear to be willing to trade that security for the space to choose which direction to head in – I wasn’t entirely convinced this would be the case! I hope I can sustain this dynamic if and when the going gets tough. So I think taking the jump was well worth it as I have learnt so much in these three months, even if I still don't have a decent desk to work at! Hopefully I will still be saying that in another three months when I will have plenty more learnings I'm sure! If you've set something up, what have you learnt and did you find it worth the risk of the jump? #netzero #founder #entrepreneur #climateemergency #netzeroneighbourhoods Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

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