In the latest episode of the UKTN Podcast, Carbon13 founder and CEO Dr Nicky Dee explains why climate tech innovation is cause for optimism despite a lack of progress from initiatives like COP, unpacks why carbon offsetting is still the “Wild West” and reveals which climate solutions provide the “best bang for buck”.
Carbon13 is a venture builder for the climate emergency. The Cambridge-based firm selects, supports and invests in startups focused on building scalable climate ventures that will reduce and remove emissions on a global scale. It has made 65 investments since 2021.
“We say that we have to be the optimists in dealing with the climate emergency,” says Dee. “We’re working with entrepreneurs every day who are literally imagining ‘what if we can solve this problem’.”
Elsewhere on the show, Dee reacts to the government’s recent delaying of net zero policies.
“Now is really not the time to be loosening the constraints in this space,” Dee tells UKTN Podcast host Jane Wakefield. “For me, it was a real signal that government lacks vision when it comes to innovation.”
Dee has previously worked with UNEP, Nesta and the UK government on climate projects, among others. Dee, who has also been an entrepreneur, is a fellow at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
Listen to the full episode here, along with all previous episodes of the UKTN Podcast.
This season of the UKTN Podcast is sponsored by HSBC Innovation Banking, which offers flexible banking solutions for startups, scaleups, growth businesses, investors and those working towards IPO.
Throughout the series, the UKTN Podcast will be speaking to some of the key movers and shakers from UK tech. We’ll learn growth strategies from both seasoned and up-and-coming founders, hear market sentiments from investors, and question policymakers on the decisions shaping technology businesses across the country.
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