The NatureBacked Podcast

In this episode, we talk to Nick Piromsawat, a senior investment associate at ExpresSo, the venture capital and venture building team at PTT, the Thai national oil company.Nick shares how ExpresSo is driving the transition from oil and gas to renewable energy and decarbonisation, by investing in and partnering with startups with innovative technologies and solutions for a greener future.He also discusses the challenges and opportunities that PTT faces as a significant player in the energy sector, and how they are collaborating with other corporations and stakeholders to create new supply chains and business models that are sustainable and profitable.Nick also reveals some of the most exciting areas that ExpresSo is looking into, such as sustainable aviation fuels, EV batteries, and second-life batteries.If you are interested in learning more about how a large oil and gas conglomerate is tackling climate change and transforming the country's energy landscape, don't miss this episode!If you're interested in learning more about climate tech, or if you're looking for inspiration to start your own climate tech venture, then be sure to listen to this episode.And if you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast and share it with your friends.Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wildchain aims to address the lack of financial support for real endangered animals by combining the concept of adoptable NFTs featuring endangered animals and threatened species. The team behind this initiative has spent two years developing the project, which has been self-funded without any external investments. Their approach involves building a working product before launching a token, and they have already released an NFT marketplace where they introduce a new animal every week that will be featured in the game. The game itself is set in the African Savannah.Inspired by the Tamagotchi game from their childhood, the team wants to create a lasting impact with their project. They believe that a single donation should not be limited to just one instance but should grow and multiply to make an even bigger impact. They are dedicated to making a difference and are excited about their upcoming launch in October. If you're interested in learning more about climate tech, or if you're looking for inspiration to start your own climate tech venture, then be sure to listen to this episode.And if you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast and share it with your friends.Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our host Tarmo visited Startup Tank Climate Investor Pitch Show as a panellist. You can hear six interesting startups pitching.- InnoCSR: eco-friendly brick manufacturing - Sophie’s Bionutrients: Food Grade Protein from Microalgae- Rightcharge: Simplified EV charging solutions- UpShift Cars: Fractional EV car subscription- PingThings: Revolutionary Predictive AI Grid Management- Concrete4Change: CO2 Mineralization in ConcreteIf you liked the show do subscribe also to Startup Tank and share it with your friends.If you're interested in learning more about climate tech, or if you're looking for inspiration to start your own climate tech venture, then be sure to listen to this episode.Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Djoann Fal, the founder of Atlas Capital, believes that Southeast Asia is a region with enormous potential for innovation and implementation in ClimateTech.In this episode, our host Tarmo Virki speaks with Fal, a passionate advocate for climate tech, about the challenges and opportunities in Southeast Asia, we hear about some of the companies that his investment firm Atlas Capital is backing, and how Fal got into climate investments after his exit from an e-commerce technology firm."I almost drowned doing spearfishing, because of a plastic bag, and that plastic bag, I think was from e-commerce delivery. So it was kind of, you know, God sent me a sign that you got your small exit, now you got a little bit of money, you're going to just spend it on stupid stuff, or you're going to actually do something with your time and with that money to do a bit more meaningful," Fal said in the episode."That was the trigger for me to decide to look and spend the next 10 years in this space. So so far, it's been two years, eight years to go. That's my commitment. But let's see, I think there's a lot that's going to happen in the next few years," Fal said.We also talk about how the importance of building a strong ecosystem for climate tech in Southeast Asia, and we discuss how investors, governments, and businesses can all play a role in making this happen.The region has already started to be hit by climate change and rising sea levels."How do we continue living? How do we protect health? How do we protect arbitrations? How do we protect cities too, but also how do we protect nature? Our agricultural assets, food production, etc. It is a lot of money to be lost. But also, I believe, and I think with Atlas Capital, and my partners, we all believe together, that there's a lot of money to be made, helping all this infrastructure to adapt to climate change, as well."So if you're interested in learning more about climate tech opportunities, or if you're looking for inspiration to start your own climate tech venture, then be sure to listen to this episode.In this episode, we discuss: The challenges and opportunities of climate tech in Southeast Asia Why the local climate tech scene is still in its infancy The quick opportunity in technology transfer from Europe, U.S. The companies that Atlas Capital is backing The importance of building a strong ecosystem for climate tech in the region If you're interested in learning more about climate tech, or if you're looking for inspiration to start your own climate tech venture, then be sure to listen to this episode.And if you like what you hear, please subscribe to the podcast and share it with your friends.Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. Follow NatureBacked across platforms:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google PodcastsTwitter | Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Introduction: Host Tarmo Virki welcomes listeners to "NatureBacked," a show discussing the green economy. Guest speaker Frank Meehan from openESG, joins the conversation. Frank Meehan is a seasoned investor and co-founder of SPARKlabs, an investment firm focused on climate, food, and agricultural tech solutions. He also co-founded Equilibrium.ai, acquired by Fiscal Note, and works with openESG, a company transforming ESG ratings and showcasing systems. Discussion Highlights:Frank's Background in ESG: Frank shares his experience in the ESG space, spanning seven years of investing in climate, food, and agriculture. He highlights the evolution of his firm and his involvement in managing global ESG data through equilibrium.ai. The Current State of ESG: Frank observes a significant focus on environmental sustainability and explains how even companies seemingly disconnected from ESG are actively pursuing sustainable practices. He mentions the need for transparency and highlights a case involving child labour in a chemical plant and the impact on Blackstone's reputation. The discussion emphasizes the existing challenges in the ESG space, including the influence of the old-fashioned certification process and lack of transparency. The Need for Change and Disruption: Frank draws parallels between the ESG space and the taxi industry before Uber, emphasizing the closed-shop mentality and lack of transparency. Frank discusses the importance of transparency, openness, and rewarding positive progress in the ESG industry. They mention the role of media in exposing greenwashing practices and the potential for journalists to utilize public ESG data for impactful reporting. Introduction to openESG and Its vision: Frank explains the purpose of openESG, which aims to revolutionize ESG ratings and make them dynamic, open, and free. He describes the role of AI and web 3.0 principles in the openESG system, ensuring transparency, real-time data, and verifiability. The conversation highlights the importance of accelerating positive change in ESG and the role of data in measuring and improving sustainability practices. Challenges and Opportunities Ahead: The discussion touches on the challenges openESG may face, with Frank expressing the hope to keep up with the evolving industry. They emphasize the need to transition from manual, form-based systems to digital, AI-driven processes for faster and more accurate ESG assessments. Conclusion: Frank and Tarmo conclude the discussion by reiterating the need for change, transparency, and openness in the ESG space. They discuss the potential positive impact of openESG and the industry's growing recognition of the importance of ESG principles. In the NatureBacked podcast, we talk with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. ***Follow NatureBacked across platforms:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google PodcastsTwitter | Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Green is a crucial part of the offering, but not the only benefit microgrid clients are seeking, said Rod Matthews from San Diego, California-based microgrid producer Brevian Energy."We're looking at ways to help make power much more affordable for people and resilient because you are generating it yourself. So you're not relying on the grid. So when the grid goes down a lot of times you don't even know about it," said Matthews."For us, one of the key things is to make it much more responsible, meaning we are reducing those greenhouse gas emissions," Matthews said.Learn more about: High utility rates, batteries and peak shaving in San Diego, California Net energy metering in California and Northern Europe The trend of microgrids in California and the US Learnings from managed service provider company In the NatureBacked podcast, we talk with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. ***Follow NatureBacked across platforms:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google PodcastsTwitter | Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For sustainable investing one has to make clear changes, looking beyond lowering the share of fossil fuel companies in the portfolio, said Peter Krull, Partner at Earth Equity Advisors.“We don't have to accept less bad. We can just simply make transitions,” Krull said.“So sustainable investing to me is investing in companies that are going to reduce our exposure to carbon emissions, but also resiliency, because the climate change train has already left the station, we need to invest in companies that are creating more resiliency in our economies,” Krull said.Learn more about: Difference between ESG investing and sustainable investing Carbon offsets: good or bad? Is it too late to change the world? “The 2030 goal is great, but for the most part, it's just sort of everybody saying that's really going to be 2050, but 2030 is what we put on the surface to make it look good. And 2050 is too late, 2030 really is where we need to start hitting some of these targets,” Krull said.In the NatureBacked podcast, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. Follow NatureBacked across platforms:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google PodcastsTwitter | Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sazmining is building a platform for green, even carbon-negative, bitcoin mining, said founder William Szamosszegi.Looking at the big picture, the environmental effects of Bitcoin are considerable, partly because Bitcoins are made using electricity partially generated by gas and coal-fired power plants. However, replacing the energy source, and working with methane could turn the situation upside down, believes Szamosszegi."More and more miners are starting to realize that you can actually leverage Bitcoin mining as a tool to clean up the methane problem. And it just economically makes sense," Szamosszegi said.Learn more about: The concept of carbon-negative bitcoin mining?  Is Bitcoin mining bad for the environment? Crowdfunding at Start Engine "We think that the future is a green future, in terms of where money is going to go, and where development is going to go. And then simultaneously, I'm very, very bullish on the future of digital assets, particularly when I say digital assets, I mean, Bitcoin, especially with a lot of the fractures being seen in the banking system today," Szamosszegi said.In the NatureBacked podcast, we talk with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. Follow NatureBacked across platforms:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google PodcastsTwitter | Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Eden Project North, an environmental visitor attraction in northern England, opens in a few years, a lot of the work will be done by local enterprises, said Adam Beaumont, trustee and non-executive director at Eden.The project will be located at Morecambe, once a thriving coastal town, which has lost a lot of its holiday travellers to southern competition."When we announced that we intended to create this Eden Project, we got a standing ovation from the locals. This is going to stimulate a whole lot of economic growth not just in Morecambe but across the north," Beaumont said."In all the conversations we’ve had with the government, the response to us has been, we’d rather you did it the right way because that becomes a true example of levelling up."Learn more about: Why sustainable is not always enough Unlocking deep geothermal energy Going local with power production Supply-chain integrity tracking In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, we talk with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. Follow NatureBacked across platforms:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google PodcastsTwitter | Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nascent European Web3 Organization is seeking to connect the web3 community on the old continent, starting with education and information-sharing projects, said Armin ZadakBar, one of the founders of the Brussels-headquartered organisation.The jury is still out to determine the leading forces in web3, and Europe’s decentralised decision-making could well play in its favour, ZadakBar said.“This is not like a situation where we think that we already won, or we’re gonna lose that for sure,” he said.The European Web3 Organization was founded in November 2022, and the first response has been overwhelmingly positive, ZadakBar said.“We’ve been talking to close to 200 companies, whoever we talked to, they were just like, oh my god, this is exactly what we feel that was needed. How can I be part of it?” he said.In the NatureBacked podcast of Single.Earth, Tarmo Virki talks with investors and entrepreneurs about their vision of the new green world.Subscribe to the NatureBacked newsletter on LinkedIn. Follow NatureBacked across platforms:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google PodcastsTwitter | Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices