August 3, 2023 • 27 mins
Are you interested in learning more about the latest in carbon offsetting and clean energy projects? Look no further than this incredible interview with Marco Funk, the founder of decarb.earth! In this interview, Marco discusses the importance of transparency and accountability in the fight against climate change. He shares his insights on the carbon offset market, solar energy projects, and the role of blockchain in reducing carbon emissions.
Throughout the conversation, Marco's passion for sustainability and clean energy is contagious. He emphasizes the need for a multifaceted approach to tackling this global issue, and provides valuable advice for aspiring ecopreneurs.
This interview is a must-watch for anyone interested in learning about innovative solutions to climate change and how we can all do our part to make a difference. So sit back, relax, and get ready to be inspired by Marco Funk and decarb.earth!
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
The core issue is there's a 1 trillion shortfall in emerging markets funding and they often have legacy ways of approaching the issue. 2 00:00:07,151.6666666666 --> 00:00:11,771.666666667 So when we do discuss with them, they'd like to bring us onto their way of doing things. 3 00:00:11,771.666666667 --> 00:00:19,521.666666667 But the whole thing is, We have to transition over to a more transparent means of funding the transition using blockchain in the backend. 4 00:00:19,861.666666667 --> 00:00:26,311.666666667 And that's been the core issue and we knew that when we were going into this that we're solving, we're not solving for the solar companies. 5 00:00:26,311.666666667 --> 00:00:28,141.666666667 We knew that they would want to have more projects. 6 00:00:28,321.666666667 --> 00:00:30,611.666666667 We knew that entities wanna have cheaper, secure. 7 00:00:30,928.333333333 --> 00:00:34,238.333333333 Energy, but the financiers, that's the core thing. 8 00:00:34,238.333333333 --> 00:00:40,748.333333333 We've gained traction, but now we really wanna accelerate that as fast as possible because that's what we need to, it's all a problem is money. 9 00:00:40,798.333333333 --> 00:00:41,518.333333333 It's always money. 10 00:00:41,878.333333333 --> 00:00:46,288.333333333 We need to accelerate the funding of clean energy projects globally. 11 00:00:46,568.333333333 --> 00:00:51,773.333333333 And no country can be left behind if Europe and the US and China, Japan. 12 00:00:52,113.333333333 --> 00:00:58,593.333333333 Or have got a far better energy mix, but the likes of South America, Africa, India are still predominantly on coal. 13 00:00:58,893.333333333 --> 00:01:00,643.333333333 Then, it's one atmosphere. 14 00:01:00,733.333333333 --> 00:01:03,583.333333333 So we have to accelerate that transition globally. 15 00:01:39,532.823129252 --> 00:01:42,676.00494743 marco, thank you for coming onto Green Business Impact Podcast. 16 00:01:42,806.00494743 --> 00:01:44,327.00494743 Super excited to have you here. 17 00:01:45,10.33828077 --> 00:01:53,925.33828077 I would love for you to just go ahead and introduce yourself, tell us about what you do at De Carver thank you very much for having me on the show what we do@decarb.earth. 18 00:01:53,925.33828077 --> 00:02:07,670.33828077 I'm the founder, Marco Funk is in a nutshell optimize the funding of clean energy projects in emerging markets by using blockchain in the backend to track the whole funding flow as well as the carbon offsets that are being generated. 19 00:02:07,680.33828077 --> 00:02:08,130.33828077 Awesome. 20 00:02:08,160.33828077 --> 00:02:08,610.33828077 That's great. 21 00:02:08,940.33828077 --> 00:02:26,600.33828077 And how do you go about, Providing that marketplace for, those projects being funded? Our platform we really looked at the core issues that were apparent in the clean energy funding space and the processes that are involved from start to finish and thought, okay, for every single aspect, how can this. 22 00:02:26,900.33828077 --> 00:02:33,930.33828077 How could we use blockchain to optimize that process? So blockchain is being used in the backend, but the front end is all very much web two. 23 00:02:33,985.33828077 --> 00:02:45,225.33828077 And then in so doing by onboarding projects, by onboarding enterprises, by providing them with some free marketing value, by showcasing them we then initiate projects. 24 00:02:45,275.33828077 --> 00:02:47,775.33828077 We then, Optimize the funding and we track the carbon offsets. 25 00:02:47,775.33828077 --> 00:02:51,795.33828077 It's those three components that we always look at project initiation, cause we need more projects. 26 00:02:51,805.33828077 --> 00:02:53,335.33828077 Those projects need more funding. 27 00:02:53,605.33828077 --> 00:03:03,810.33828077 And then those projects should be getting carbon offsets generated as well, because that of course then accelerates the amount that can be funded because of the additional revenue that's being generated. 28 00:03:04,140.33828077 --> 00:03:06,550.33828077 So that's in a little bit of a holistic sense. 29 00:03:06,640.33828077 --> 00:03:07,840.33828077 I'm happy to share more. 30 00:03:07,850.33828077 --> 00:03:08,570.33828077 Yeah, definitely. 31 00:03:08,660.33828077 --> 00:03:18,70.33828077 So you have blockchain running in the background to really validify those carbon credits that are being created through these energy projects. 32 00:03:18,75.33828077 --> 00:03:19,527.00494743 Correct? Yes indeed. 33 00:03:19,557.00494743 --> 00:03:25,82.00494743 That's one aspect of what the platform does our initial focus was on the optimization of the funding. 34 00:03:25,442.00494743 --> 00:03:32,172.00494743 Like a bit of a background about me I did my econ thesis on how to optimize the collection of distribution of funds focused on Africa. 35 00:03:32,462.00494743 --> 00:03:39,552.00494743 So really it was the funding component, but then if you wanna have optimized funding, you wanna be generating as much value for a project as well. 36 00:03:39,882.00494743 --> 00:03:42,642.00494743 And then, We were using block channel already. 37 00:03:42,642.00494743 --> 00:03:45,582.00494743 We were already measuring the energy data, so well. 38 00:03:45,582.00494743 --> 00:04:00,777.00494743 We might as well also look at how we could create carbon offsets and had very much a partnership mindset with what we did and partnered up with different stakeholders related to that realm of, of our also generating carbon offsets fully verifiable on chain and then suddenly on. 39 00:04:01,102.00494743 --> 00:04:01,522.00494743 Definitely. 40 00:04:01,762.00494743 --> 00:04:09,212.00494743 And, what was that big problem that you were trying to solve through having this blockchain? By providing the funding for these projects. 41 00:04:09,492.00494743 --> 00:04:22,432.00494743 What was that, big problem that you were looking to solve here? The, probably the biggest problem, we definitely know that the solar companies, they'll wanna sell more solar businesses and generally towns, villages, they wanna have secure supply of energy. 42 00:04:22,672.00494743 --> 00:04:24,202.00494743 They want to have cheaper energy. 43 00:04:24,412.00494743 --> 00:04:30,142.00494743 So that fits the bull as well, because they'd rather, instead of relying on the grid, they'd rather have their own energy source. 44 00:04:30,152.00494743 --> 00:04:33,542.00494743 The core issue, and that's the core thing that we're still. 45 00:04:33,822.00494743 --> 00:04:42,402.00494743 On the process of solving and we're getting not at the same level of traction as we are with the other components, is persuading these financiers to get involved. 46 00:04:42,552.00494743 --> 00:04:43,332.00494743 Cuz that's the core. 47 00:04:43,332.00494743 --> 00:04:49,992.00494743 The core issue is there's a 1 trillion shortfall in emerging markets funding and they often have legacy ways of approaching the issue. 48 00:04:50,478.6716141 --> 00:04:55,98.6716141 So when we do discuss with them, they'd like to bring us onto their way of doing things. 49 00:04:55,98.6716141 --> 00:05:02,848.6716141 But the whole thing is, We have to transition over to a more transparent means of funding the transition using blockchain in the backend. 50 00:05:03,188.6716141 --> 00:05:09,638.6716141 And that's been the core issue and we knew that when we were going into this that we're solving, we're not solving for the solar companies. 51 00:05:09,638.6716141 --> 00:05:11,468.6716141 We knew that they would want to have more projects. 52 00:05:11,648.6716141 --> 00:05:13,938.6716141 We knew that entities wanna have cheaper, secure. 53 00:05:14,255.33828077 --> 00:05:17,565.33828077 Energy, but the financiers, that's the core thing. 54 00:05:17,565.33828077 --> 00:05:24,75.33828077 We've gained traction, but now we really wanna accelerate that as fast as possible because that's what we need to, it's all a problem is money. 55 00:05:24,125.33828077 --> 00:05:24,845.33828077 It's always money. 56 00:05:25,205.33828077 --> 00:05:29,615.33828077 We need to accelerate the funding of clean energy projects globally. 57 00:05:29,895.33828077 --> 00:05:35,100.33828077 And no country can be left behind if Europe and the US and China, Japan. 58 00:05:35,440.33828077 --> 00:05:41,920.33828077 Or have got a far better energy mix, but the likes of South America, Africa, India are still predominantly on coal. 59 00:05:42,220.33828077 --> 00:05:43,970.33828077 Then, it's one atmosphere. 60 00:05:44,60.33828077 --> 00:05:46,910.33828077 So we have to accelerate that transition globally. 61 00:05:46,915.33828077 --> 00:05:47,395.33828077 Definitely. 62 00:05:47,395.33828077 --> 00:06:02,905.33828077 And the great thing though about this time is that, these emerging markets, they don't have to go through, the coal stage and, using all of these carbon intensive resources, they can really, skip ahead of that if they're, if they don't already have the infrastructure there. 63 00:06:03,10.33828077 --> 00:06:08,650.33828077 They can really say, okay, we're now going to build out our grid to be set up for renewables. 64 00:06:08,650.33828077 --> 00:06:09,970.33828077 To be set up for yeah. 65 00:06:09,970.33828077 --> 00:06:13,810.33828077 What the cheapest source of energy is today, which is renewable energy. 66 00:06:13,940.33828077 --> 00:06:18,351.33828077 They don't have to rehaul their entire system and all sorts of other things like. 67 00:06:18,361.33828077 --> 00:06:25,701.33828077 Many of, the United States or Europe does based on, before we were very centralized systems with cold power plants and things like that. 68 00:06:25,701.33828077 --> 00:06:31,291.33828077 Now you have more of a decentralized look at things with, solar across the grid. 69 00:06:31,591.33828077 --> 00:06:42,206.33828077 Whereas, emerging markets can really jump step that there's a podcaster that I listened to is really a thought leader in kind of the space of emerging technologies and things like that about, how, a lot of emerging. 70 00:06:42,216.33828077 --> 00:06:46,986.33828077 And developing countries don't have to go through the, like telephone wires and all these other things. 71 00:06:46,986.33828077 --> 00:07:06,666.33828077 They're going straight from nothing to having, 4g and cell phones and everybody has a cell phone They really have this opportunity to jump step and don't have to go through all the middle stages of tripping over ourselves and not really making the best decisions and things that are not efficient and poisoning the earth and things like that, they can really jump step. 72 00:07:06,766.33828077 --> 00:07:09,126.33828077 It's a really kind an exciting time too. 73 00:07:09,346.33828077 --> 00:07:12,721.33828077 As long as we can get the funding there, which is, what you guys are looking for. 74 00:07:12,771.33828077 --> 00:07:13,51.33828077 Yeah. 75 00:07:13,61.33828077 --> 00:07:14,651.33828077 No, but exactly a very good point. 76 00:07:14,726.33828077 --> 00:07:25,401.33828077 You often have that, and you mentioned the cell phone example, Africa, the then the speed of Taking on cell phones was exponential because of the fact that many people didn't have, a normal landline. 77 00:07:25,491.33828077 --> 00:07:27,701.33828077 So similar, it's a bit of a mix. 78 00:07:27,706.33828077 --> 00:07:34,771.33828077 Obviously you can't bucket together all emerging markets together, but some are going to have to develop in general the infrastructure. 79 00:07:34,771.33828077 --> 00:07:39,111.33828077 And then you can really start from a far more sensical approach, which is using. 80 00:07:39,121.33828077 --> 00:07:47,341.33828077 Energy that creates itself then continuing to put coal into a furnace and burning it into the atmosphere, which is about as nonsense as it gets. 81 00:07:47,351.33828077 --> 00:07:47,631.33828077 Yeah. 82 00:07:47,961.33828077 --> 00:07:49,41.33828077 We're in 2023. 83 00:07:49,46.33828077 --> 00:07:50,806.33828077 We need to, change with the times. 84 00:07:51,278.00494743 --> 00:07:53,738.00494743 Cuz we have a lot better technology nowadays. 85 00:07:53,748.00494743 --> 00:07:55,753.00494743 And, I'm gonna step back a second. 86 00:07:56,3.00494743 --> 00:07:59,873.00494743 We've kind of dance around the point like you guys are starting in South Africa. 87 00:08:00,173.00494743 --> 00:08:08,98.00494743 Are you hoping to move to other markets? Or what is your outlook for that? South Africa, we chose, I happen to come from South Africa, but living in Switzerland. 88 00:08:08,98.00494743 --> 00:08:18,768.00494743 So the company is based in Switzerland, but we had to pick our first market and we really wanted to pick a market where one, also for product market fit, that it's a little bit and the ends of the earth in a way. 89 00:08:18,768.00494743 --> 00:08:20,328.00494743 Like where you always want to be able to. 90 00:08:20,338.00494743 --> 00:08:23,373.00494743 Test things, make sure that you get that ideal market for void. 91 00:08:23,373.00494743 --> 00:08:26,693.00494743 Then you enter like a market such as the USA or other markets. 92 00:08:26,693.00494743 --> 00:08:34,513.00494743 Even now, of course I know that USA is not an emerging market, but we have built a product that's completely agnostic and that can work in any market reason. 93 00:08:34,763.00494743 --> 00:08:43,258.00494743 I actually mentioned the USA is cause I had a very interesting call today who were super excited of what we built and like we have to take this, Change the whole energy system of the us. 94 00:08:43,258.00494743 --> 00:08:43,798.00494743 Okay, whoa. 95 00:08:44,188.00494743 --> 00:08:59,206.33828077 So we have built it with an agnostic mindset, but we did look at markets where you have the highest amount of sun so you can get the highest solar radiation, which means you can generate the highest return and also with the highest carbon footprint of the on-grid alternative. 96 00:08:59,506.33828077 --> 00:09:01,966.33828077 So that was where South Africa was a clear winner. 97 00:09:01,971.33828077 --> 00:09:02,931.33828077 On those two fronts. 98 00:09:02,931.33828077 --> 00:09:05,921.33828077 And then also, as I mentioned, at the end of the Earth, product market fit front. 99 00:09:05,931.33828077 --> 00:09:08,1.33828077 And it's a bonus that I happen to come from there. 100 00:09:08,241.33828077 --> 00:09:15,521.33828077 But yeah, you really wanna, with every dollar that you're spending, you want to be getting the highest benefit from that dollar expenditure. 101 00:09:15,526.33828077 --> 00:09:18,77.33828077 And that's where the whole market is also a little bit messed up. 102 00:09:18,237.33828077 --> 00:09:21,367.33828077 Skewed towards nonsensical in the sense that. 103 00:09:21,377.33828077 --> 00:09:26,772.33828077 The market, often the dollar goes towards places where the on grid energy mix isn't that bad. 104 00:09:26,892.33828077 --> 00:09:32,322.33828077 It should be going towards those places where you are avoiding the most amount of carbon, entering the atmosphere. 105 00:09:32,322.33828077 --> 00:09:33,522.33828077 You're getting the best dollar. 106 00:09:33,897.33828077 --> 00:09:36,447.33828077 The best bank per buck on the carbon offset front. 107 00:09:36,837.33828077 --> 00:09:39,967.33828077 And then also it's an additional bonus if you can get higher returns. 108 00:09:39,967.33828077 --> 00:09:50,677.33828077 So that's where, again, the emerging markets, that's the core thing that we wanna do is generate as high returns as possible for our financiers and generate as much carbon offset that we then showcase how they're saving the planet in real time. 109 00:09:51,105.6716141 --> 00:09:51,525.6716141 Definitely. 110 00:09:51,825.6716141 --> 00:09:55,965.6716141 And so you mentioned before your website is on the web two front. 111 00:09:56,275.6716141 --> 00:10:01,85.6716141 What do you display on your website and how you show off your product and, market out there. 112 00:10:01,85.6716141 --> 00:10:08,640.6716141 What's your message that you're trying to show to these financiers? So we are called Decarb Earth for a reason. 113 00:10:08,770.6716141 --> 00:10:13,150.6716141 We decarbonize the Earth's atmosphere, and that was also a decision. 114 00:10:13,200.6716141 --> 00:10:21,600.6716141 What is our branding gonna be? And we are looking at the fact that Financers can showcase this is the amount of carbon that I've avoided. 115 00:10:21,600.6716141 --> 00:10:25,970.6716141 This is the decarbonization that we've done in real time with immutable data to track on chain. 116 00:10:26,374.00494743 --> 00:10:34,64.00494743 And so our website is all about showcasing what enterprises are running on a clean energy, how much a carbon has avoided entering the atmosphere. 117 00:10:34,64.00494743 --> 00:10:40,274.00494743 It's all about that transparency, which the blockchain offers in the backend, but then really easy for people to understand. 118 00:10:40,279.00494743 --> 00:10:43,728.00494743 And then they're just dealing with fiat money if they get a loan. 119 00:10:43,968.00494743 --> 00:10:45,258.00494743 So they paying fear. 120 00:10:45,258.00494743 --> 00:10:47,268.00494743 They're getting fear, but in the back and everything. 121 00:10:47,278.00494743 --> 00:10:52,198.00494743 Is created through that transparency with the blockchain, that we can then actually have that data. 122 00:10:52,258.00494743 --> 00:10:59,498.00494743 So you, on the front end, you're seeing how much carbon is being offset, but then in the back end you can actually see, okay, this is the history of that, of how we can claim that's the amount. 123 00:10:59,503.00494743 --> 00:10:59,863.00494743 Definitely. 124 00:10:59,863.00494743 --> 00:11:05,567.00494743 And it can really go into the e s compliance, records and all that kind of stuff too, right? Yeah, exactly. 125 00:11:05,577.00494743 --> 00:11:05,867.00494743 Nice. 126 00:11:05,872.00494743 --> 00:11:05,967.00494743 Thanks. 127 00:11:05,967.00494743 --> 00:11:17,317.00494743 No greenwashing real data of real energy carbon that's been avoided and there's nothing we dislike more than greenwashing, cuz that basically makes it even worse. 128 00:11:17,347.00494743 --> 00:11:19,297.00494743 You're saying, you're doing good, but actually you're not. 129 00:11:19,407.00494743 --> 00:11:25,960.33828077 And then the, the real, the guys that are doing good, they are in a sea of non, stuff that isn't doing good. 130 00:11:25,965.33828077 --> 00:11:26,170.33828077 Yeah. 131 00:11:26,440.33828077 --> 00:11:26,770.33828077 Yeah. 132 00:11:26,840.33828077 --> 00:11:33,887.00494743 That's the whole transparency, accountability, everyone being able to see who's actually saving the planet in real time. 133 00:11:34,97.00494743 --> 00:11:39,497.00494743 And as a bonus they're making money because we do have to accept that we live in an economic system. 134 00:11:39,767.00494743 --> 00:11:46,72.00494743 So let's grow trees, but let's also switch the, the energy source energy is 72% of carbon emissions. 135 00:11:46,72.00494743 --> 00:11:49,112.00494743 Directly and indirectly, it's the core issue that we're facing. 136 00:11:49,362.00494743 --> 00:12:04,412.00494743 Yeah, it makes sense to help transition those places, like the emerging markets where there's a lot of carbon being generated from the current energy supply and there's a strong need from the enterprises, from the individuals to have a secure energy supply that's clean and that's cheaper. 137 00:12:04,417.00494743 --> 00:12:04,867.00494743 Definitely. 138 00:12:05,77.00494743 --> 00:12:11,427.00494743 And you're starting out with energy projects, solar energy projects, mainly down in South Africa. 139 00:12:11,677.00494743 --> 00:12:18,707.00494743 But your platform is really open to multiple different types of different, environmental projects too. 140 00:12:18,757.00494743 --> 00:12:20,617.00494743 Not just solar, right. 141 00:12:20,658.6716141 --> 00:12:21,138.6716141 yes. 142 00:12:21,138.6716141 --> 00:12:22,908.6716141 It, again, it's built agnostically. 143 00:12:22,938.6716141 --> 00:12:29,313.6716141 We just need to be able to measure the data, me measure the energy that's being produced, but our initial focus is solar. 144 00:12:29,318.6716141 --> 00:12:29,738.6716141 Definitely. 145 00:12:30,128.6716141 --> 00:12:42,188.6716141 And where do you see the industry of, carbon credits and the carbon market going over the next couple years and do you see, the, use of blockchain being able to make. 146 00:12:42,198.6716141 --> 00:12:46,403.6716141 Greenwashing a lot less prevalent in the future yeah, 100%. 147 00:12:46,403.6716141 --> 00:12:53,853.6716141 I definitely think that, the benefits of the blockchain that it, it's a public ledge of immutable data will allow that the carbon offsets are. 148 00:12:54,492.00494743 --> 00:13:03,192.00494743 Tracked along the process also, when you sell, when you retire and offset that you have that one data source there Immutably on the block. 149 00:13:03,202.00494743 --> 00:13:07,87.6716141 So you can't replicate it like you would means of tracking. 150 00:13:07,447.6716141 --> 00:13:12,852.6716141 So that's the one component, but also in terms of the flow of just being able to easily flow. 151 00:13:12,862.6716141 --> 00:13:15,772.6716141 That carbon offset from origination to sale. 152 00:13:15,772.6716141 --> 00:13:18,807.6716141 And it's always that same data that goes along the process. 153 00:13:19,17.6716141 --> 00:13:27,244.33828077 So blockchain is absolutely pivotal when it comes to carbon offset and the avoidance of greenwashing when that initial data is taken. 154 00:13:28,63.33828077 --> 00:13:28,393.33828077 a core issue. 155 00:13:28,723.33828077 --> 00:13:33,278.33828077 That was an issue with some of our competitors, related to they were taking old. 156 00:13:33,288.33828077 --> 00:13:45,763.33828077 Carbon of just putting them on a block and then yo Whoopi do they didn't, it wasn't that, there wasn't that test of what was the old carbon like, was it, did that actually exist? So with us, it's unexposed before the fact and after the fact. 157 00:13:45,763.33828077 --> 00:13:49,113.33828077 Really we can see in real time how much carbon is being avoided. 158 00:13:49,113.33828077 --> 00:13:50,713.33828077 We're very transparent about that. 159 00:13:50,713.33828077 --> 00:13:54,563.33828077 So I think a call where the industry on the carbon offset side of things is going to go. 160 00:13:54,573.33828077 --> 00:14:00,813.33828077 Is that there'll be a lot of granularity in terms of what is this project, what is the data difference in pricing. 161 00:14:00,993.33828077 --> 00:14:30,183.33828077 Like there could be bundled together in carbon on a tier one level in terms of the carbon removal, which is more trees, carbon capture, the carbon avoidance, which is clean energy, and was it a project that happened before the event? After the event, but what we really, we need to get into a world where everything is being tracked in the carbon avoidance side, and then we can really get way more scientific and granular in terms of what can go into the atmosphere, what can't, because it literally is, it's something it can be measured. 162 00:14:30,193.33828077 --> 00:14:34,813.33828077 And if it can't be measured and it's putting in jeopardy, the concept of life itself. 163 00:14:34,863.33828077 --> 00:14:36,843.33828077 We're the custodians of the only life that we know of. 164 00:14:37,173.33828077 --> 00:14:40,618.33828077 Although there was some news yesterday which we'll have to see where that goes. 165 00:14:40,618.33828077 --> 00:14:44,568.33828077 But supposedly in the Guardian newspaper, in the camp currently London the one. 166 00:14:44,578.33828077 --> 00:14:59,548.33828077 Person went out and said that something's been hiding in the US but it wasn't so we'll see maybe in the next few days that we're not many custodians of life, but as things stand with the custodians of the only habitable planet that we know of, carbon in the atmosphere is putting that at risk. 167 00:14:59,558.33828077 --> 00:15:03,488.33828077 So we really have the science, we have the technology. 168 00:15:03,548.33828077 --> 00:15:04,808.33828077 Blockchain is a part thereof. 169 00:15:04,818.33828077 --> 00:15:08,538.33828077 Let's be smart about this and just not put it in jeopardy. 170 00:15:08,538.33828077 --> 00:15:10,858.33828077 Something as precious as this habit, submittable planet. 171 00:15:10,868.33828077 --> 00:15:11,498.33828077 Yeah, definitely. 172 00:15:11,498.33828077 --> 00:15:11,858.33828077 I agree. 173 00:15:12,48.33828077 --> 00:15:24,463.33828077 And with Elon Musk trying to take us to Mars and I think there's this comparison that I heard that, Mars is five times more harsh of an environment than the worst day in Antarctica. 174 00:15:25,160.00494743 --> 00:15:26,985.00494743 And it's like, oh wow. 175 00:15:26,995.00494743 --> 00:15:33,630.00494743 Like we have it really good here if considering the worst stay in Antarctica, which is like really bad. 176 00:15:33,630.00494743 --> 00:15:34,170.00494743 Basically No. 177 00:15:34,170.00494743 --> 00:15:35,370.00494743 Life is living there. 178 00:15:35,420.00494743 --> 00:15:35,640.00494743 Yes. 179 00:15:35,710.00494743 --> 00:15:38,440.00494743 And then you take that and multiply it by five, and that's Mars. 180 00:15:38,445.00494743 --> 00:15:44,230.00494743 It's a stretch to try to get us to, think that, oh, we don't really need to worry too much about Earth. 181 00:15:44,230.00494743 --> 00:15:46,770.00494743 We'll just go tomorrow's or we'll go to the moon or something like that. 182 00:15:46,775.00494743 --> 00:15:47,370.00494743 It's oof. 183 00:15:47,380.00494743 --> 00:15:48,460.00494743 I don't wanna take those chances. 184 00:15:48,465.00494743 --> 00:15:50,80.00494743 I've had the fortune of traveling. 185 00:15:50,135.00494743 --> 00:15:52,85.00494743 Considerably, mostly over land. 186 00:15:52,395.00494743 --> 00:15:55,250.00494743 Mostly hitchhiking, but I've had also taken, flights. 187 00:15:55,370.00494743 --> 00:16:02,490.00494743 So I've created carbon for myself, which now I have to mitigate by creating startup that really accelerates decarbonization. 188 00:16:02,500.00494743 --> 00:16:05,50.00494743 But this planet is unbelievably magnificent. 189 00:16:05,105.00494743 --> 00:16:05,525.00494743 It is. 190 00:16:05,535.00494743 --> 00:16:14,295.00494743 Holistically, if you take out the human condition for a second, if we just look at the planet holistically, it is a thing of unbelievable beauty. 191 00:16:14,300.00494743 --> 00:16:16,580.00494743 And like I said, we are the custodians of that. 192 00:16:16,970.00494743 --> 00:16:18,955.00494743 So it makes sense in the long term. 193 00:16:18,955.00494743 --> 00:16:24,695.00494743 But now it also makes sense in the short term there are it makes so much sense for us to switch over to clean energy. 194 00:16:24,695.00494743 --> 00:16:26,885.00494743 It makes sense to have a biodiverse nature. 195 00:16:27,185.00494743 --> 00:16:28,895.00494743 So let's do it like, let's. 196 00:16:28,950.00494743 --> 00:16:29,850.00494743 Make it happen. 197 00:16:29,860.00494743 --> 00:16:30,730.00494743 It's as simple as that. 198 00:16:30,790.00494743 --> 00:16:31,330.00494743 At the end of the day. 199 00:16:31,330.00494743 --> 00:16:35,80.00494743 Obviously there's more complexity to it, but really just that, let's do this. 200 00:16:35,140.00494743 --> 00:16:38,165.00494743 Not, oh, should we do it? And not let's do this now. 201 00:16:38,375.00494743 --> 00:16:40,545.0049474 Let's be smart about it and make it happen. 202 00:16:40,555.0049474 --> 00:16:41,245.0049474 Yeah definitely. 203 00:16:41,530.0049474 --> 00:16:49,330.0049474 We live in a very beautiful world and I'd also love to get your opinion about the carbon offsets market, cuz I know that it gets, tossed around a bit. 204 00:16:49,335.0049474 --> 00:16:55,986.0049474 Oh, carbon offsets will, it's just okay, we, we can produce as much carbon as we you want to, but because we're just gonna, buy. 205 00:16:56,21.0049474 --> 00:16:59,691.0049474 Carbon offsets or, purchase these carbon offsets on the carbon offset market. 206 00:16:59,691.0049474 --> 00:17:12,966.0049474 And we normally don't have to worry about the fact that we're producing, so many tons of carbon do you see that as being a realistic thing, or is more of just something that, naysayers wanna come up with? I think it's very important to measure. 207 00:17:13,306.0049474 --> 00:17:14,506.0049474 Externalities. 208 00:17:14,511.0049474 --> 00:17:23,751.0049474 But we mustn't now think, okay, if we can just offset carbon, that means that now we can have a more crazy lifestyle because I'm just continuing to offset it. 209 00:17:23,751.0049474 --> 00:17:27,871.0049474 There has to be that reduction element as well, like reducing the carbon. 210 00:17:27,881.0049474 --> 00:17:29,101.0049474 But that's where if you can get. 211 00:17:29,111.0049474 --> 00:17:35,211.0049474 Scientific and granular across the board, then they can actually be a bit of carbon accounting at the end of the day. 212 00:17:35,421.0049474 --> 00:17:40,424.3382808 But fundamentally, and the word tax has got a very negative connotations to it. 213 00:17:40,424.3382808 --> 00:17:43,434.3382808 But if it's just very clear that by taking tax. 214 00:17:43,931.0049474 --> 00:17:51,401.0049474 For carbon that is being generated and then using that to then decrease the tax from somewhere else. 215 00:17:51,401.0049474 --> 00:17:51,971.0049474 It's a net. 216 00:17:52,21.0049474 --> 00:17:56,971.0049474 You got the same thing if you ask me, I'd far rather pay tax for the carbon. 217 00:17:57,21.0049474 --> 00:18:02,186.0049474 That my business is creating than pay tax for random stuff that I don't necessarily agree with. 218 00:18:02,496.0049474 --> 00:18:04,311.0049474 You have a pot that you need to fill. 219 00:18:04,671.0049474 --> 00:18:10,736.0049474 And that's just the way that's the most sensical pot in my opinion, to tell to take from, for fulfilling that. 220 00:18:11,86.0049474 --> 00:18:12,676.0049474 Yeah, we need to have the transparency. 221 00:18:13,229.3382808 --> 00:18:16,499.3382808 We need to measure the externalities, and then we need to balance that out. 222 00:18:16,589.3382808 --> 00:18:20,439.3382808 The core issue in general on the planet is that externalities are not measured. 223 00:18:20,449.3382808 --> 00:18:21,804.3382808 And not priced in. 224 00:18:21,894.3382808 --> 00:18:26,989.3382808 So because they're not priced in, that means those that don't ever say, they're getting the bad end of the stick. 225 00:18:27,259.3382808 --> 00:18:30,519.3382808 So we priced it in carbon off offset is extremely important. 226 00:18:30,519.3382808 --> 00:18:36,319.3382808 Carbon taxes are important, but we don't necessarily then just have to take that carbon tax and then not reduce it somewhere else. 227 00:18:36,319.3382808 --> 00:18:37,219.3382808 It should be equal. 228 00:18:37,609.3382808 --> 00:18:40,69.3382808 But yeah, governments have a tendency to prefer just. 229 00:18:40,79.3382808 --> 00:18:45,639.3382808 Take more and forget that actually they're then gonna reduce what they're taking in from the one aspect on in another place. 230 00:18:45,649.3382808 --> 00:18:46,479.3382808 Yeah definitely. 231 00:18:46,539.3382808 --> 00:18:48,849.3382808 And, what gets measured gets managed. 232 00:18:48,969.3382808 --> 00:19:02,274.3382808 And so in order to figure out the carbon offset that you need in order to, to offset the carbon that you're producing, you also have to figure out, okay, what are you producing? You have to measure how much carbon are you actually producing. 233 00:19:02,484.3382808 --> 00:19:12,729.3382808 And so usually it becomes a factor of okay, so now that you've actually measured it you're producing all this carbon in this area, and in fact you could change it by just doing it this other way. 234 00:19:12,729.3382808 --> 00:19:16,159.3382808 And you might have already been considering going in that other direction. 235 00:19:16,349.3382808 --> 00:19:19,327.6716141 They were equally financially, The same. 236 00:19:19,387.6716141 --> 00:19:23,127.6716141 It's, let's say, but this one it produces much less carbon. 237 00:19:23,631.0049474 --> 00:19:30,601.0049474 Now you have a reason to go and, change it to this new process because you need to reduce your carbon and you don't have to buy as much carbon offsets. 238 00:19:30,841.0049474 --> 00:19:39,641.0049474 So it's that thing where, just the pure fact of having to go out there and figure out what your carbon is in order to figure out what your carbon offsets need to be, that. 239 00:19:39,906.0049474 --> 00:19:45,451.0049474 Can help the process in reducing, cuz you're already gonna go that way anyways cuz you have to, figure it out. 240 00:19:45,451.0049474 --> 00:19:47,131.0049474 You have to figure out how much you're even producing. 241 00:19:47,181.0049474 --> 00:19:48,911.0049474 Yeah, that's, a big point of it as well. 242 00:19:49,251.0049474 --> 00:19:50,61.0049474 It's a piece of the. 243 00:19:50,76.0049474 --> 00:19:54,266.0049474 Pie, right? It's a piece of the puzzle of, carbon offsets are one piece. 244 00:19:54,516.0049474 --> 00:19:58,111.0049474 You need to produce how much carbon you're producing is another piece. 245 00:19:58,291.0049474 --> 00:20:06,711.0049474 We need be switching to alternative energy sources and different modes of transportation and ev and things like that, but like not one. 246 00:20:06,721.0049474 --> 00:20:11,701.0049474 Any one of these one things is like the silver bullet, that's like the one thing that you need to do. 247 00:20:11,706.0049474 --> 00:20:21,596.0049474 I think it's a combination of all of these things come together to really put us forth on the track to meet our, carbon, reduction goals that we have. 248 00:20:21,601.0049474 --> 00:20:23,636.0049474 That it's not just gonna be one thing that we need to do. 249 00:20:23,736.0049474 --> 00:20:25,216.0049474 What do you think? Yeah, a hundred percent. 250 00:20:25,216.0049474 --> 00:20:29,751.0049474 You need to have a multifaceted solution to, a huge problem. 251 00:20:29,811.0049474 --> 00:20:35,986.0049474 And one of those is, Like you say, if you measure it it's managed and we're starting to get there. 252 00:20:35,986.0049474 --> 00:20:42,971.0049474 And now we have the technology that can do so both measuring the carbon footprint as well as measuring the amount of carbon that's avoided, that's reduced. 253 00:20:42,976.0049474 --> 00:20:44,331.0049474 And it's now's the time to do it. 254 00:20:44,331.0049474 --> 00:20:48,111.0049474 We got these next 10 years to really completely shift the paradigm. 255 00:20:48,381.0049474 --> 00:20:50,241.0049474 They already started a number of years ago. 256 00:20:50,521.0049474 --> 00:20:55,696.0049474 The Paris Agreement was now eight years ago, or seven and a half, We gotta move, we have to move quickly. 257 00:20:56,26.0049474 --> 00:20:57,886.0049474 And the solutions are all there. 258 00:20:57,891.0049474 --> 00:21:01,146.0049474 I think the solutions are all there to have us reach where we need to go. 259 00:21:01,146.0049474 --> 00:21:03,106.0049474 It is just implementing and scaling. 260 00:21:03,106.0049474 --> 00:21:04,866.0049474 So those are the big parts. 261 00:21:05,136.0049474 --> 00:21:09,121.0049474 I'd love to hear, what are your goals for the next six months or so for Decar. 262 00:21:09,739.3382808 --> 00:21:18,539.3382808 We are now gonna look to get our whole platform to a flow state, onboarding some really big players on the clean energy side of things. 263 00:21:18,544.3382808 --> 00:21:25,859.3382808 So the implementers, the developers, the project installers that they can get the carbon offsets to projects that otherwise wouldn't have been getting it for. 264 00:21:25,869.3382808 --> 00:21:31,899.3382808 And then also to onboard financiers and get ourselves ready for our Series A towards the end of the year. 265 00:21:32,229.3382808 --> 00:21:33,999.3382808 So really being able to show that our. 266 00:21:34,359.3382808 --> 00:21:34,719.3382808 Platform. 267 00:21:34,719.3382808 --> 00:21:41,39.3382808 We've done the proof of concept and the proof of tech, but now we really want to get far more traction with our various different stakeholders. 268 00:21:41,49.3382808 --> 00:21:41,469.3382808 Sweet. 269 00:21:41,619.3382808 --> 00:21:52,249.3382808 And I also love to ask this question, just getting it very different responses and it's always really fun to hear just what other entrepreneurs are out there learning and, bringing into their day-to-day lives. 270 00:21:52,249.3382808 --> 00:22:02,244.3382808 So I'd love to hear, what are you currently learning right now? What I'm learning is the same thing that you tend to learn across the board is just persistence, persistence is omnipotent. 271 00:22:02,244.3382808 --> 00:22:07,509.3382808 I think it was a, president from your country, Kelvin Coolidge, who said, persistence is omnipotent. 272 00:22:07,509.3382808 --> 00:22:10,982.6716141 You can have talent, you can have genius, all these things. 273 00:22:10,987.6716141 --> 00:22:14,312.6716141 But at the end of the day, persistence is the key driver of success. 274 00:22:14,312.6716141 --> 00:22:15,342.6716141 So just always. 275 00:22:15,732.6716141 --> 00:22:17,332.6716141 Now remembering to, carry on. 276 00:22:17,332.6716141 --> 00:22:18,592.6716141 You have ups and downs. 277 00:22:18,862.6716141 --> 00:22:23,132.6716141 But that's the key thing to just keep on going and not blindly. 278 00:22:23,132.6716141 --> 00:22:26,912.6716141 Of course, sometimes you're gonna have to take a step back to take two steps forward. 279 00:22:27,212.6716141 --> 00:22:35,492.6716141 So combining that mix of, being able to go get going, but at the same time get going with purpose and a plan. 280 00:22:35,492.6716141 --> 00:22:37,872.6716141 So sometimes you actually have to just take that break. 281 00:22:38,217.6716141 --> 00:22:44,492.6716141 Take that step back to plan so that you can go faster ahead as opposed to, putting the chariot in front of the horses. 282 00:22:44,832.6716141 --> 00:22:47,592.6716141 But at the same time you don't wanna overthink and just stop and delay. 283 00:22:47,592.6716141 --> 00:22:53,593.6716141 So really finding that balance between those two, the balance of planning and execution is I think a key thing. 284 00:22:53,852.6716141 --> 00:22:55,662.6716141 And always just keeping on going. 285 00:22:55,672.6716141 --> 00:22:56,512.6716141 Yeah, definitely. 286 00:22:56,752.6716141 --> 00:23:08,592.6716141 I know that I was listening to another podcaster out there and he was saying that, when they took a look at a bunch of different startups and what was the, leading cause of their success and things like that. 287 00:23:08,592.6716141 --> 00:23:18,646.0049474 It was really, it all came down to timing and really did the company have the ability to outlast to the point when. 288 00:23:18,901.0049474 --> 00:23:21,991.0049474 The timing really was just perfect. 289 00:23:21,991.0049474 --> 00:23:32,511.0049474 Zoom a month before or a year before Covid hit, it was struggling, trying to get it, like really needing that break and then boom, COVID hit and it took off. 290 00:23:32,511.0049474 --> 00:23:35,337.0049474 They talk about, other companies hear a series here, Billy. 291 00:23:35,347.0049474 --> 00:23:38,717.0049474 Huh? Are you coming up with a conspiracy theory that Zoom Oh no. 292 00:23:38,737.0049474 --> 00:23:44,802.0049474 Ju just say timing is everything, but the persistence to keep through even when, things aren't going as well. 293 00:23:44,807.0049474 --> 00:23:48,22.0049474 And then, you just need that one thing to turn to hit off and go. 294 00:23:48,27.0049474 --> 00:23:51,267.0049474 And I'm not saying Med Zoom caused the pandemic or anything like that. 295 00:23:51,267.0049474 --> 00:23:52,797.0049474 I'm just saying they were able to. 296 00:23:52,972.0049474 --> 00:23:59,62.0049474 Take advantage of the situation that arose through the pandemic of really being able to explode their company. 297 00:23:59,62.0049474 --> 00:24:07,467.0049474 It's just, timing is everything and having the persistence to last and keep going even when so that you can hit that prime time yeah. 298 00:24:07,657.0049474 --> 00:24:08,168.0049474 Zoom did with. 299 00:24:08,178.0049474 --> 00:24:16,288.0049474 With Covid is a bad example, there's other companies out there too who just were able to last through and hit a really good opportunity to really grow their business. 300 00:24:16,328.0049474 --> 00:24:19,343.0049474 So just one last question here to wrap it up for today. 301 00:24:19,613.0049474 --> 00:24:37,338.0049474 What is one tip that you would provide another ecopreneur out in the audience who's looking to either grow their business or start their green business? What is one tip that you would provide them? I suppose I maybe gave two tips on the last point, but just really don't hold back too much, but also really think ahead. 302 00:24:37,348.0049474 --> 00:24:39,268.0049474 I try to find a partner with you. 303 00:24:39,268.0049474 --> 00:24:40,828.0049474 You're not gonna be able to do much alone. 304 00:24:40,858.0049474 --> 00:24:42,28.0049474 This is the same passion. 305 00:24:42,38.0049474 --> 00:24:47,348.0049474 So networking, knowing what your skillset is, like being honest with yourself, truthful. 306 00:24:47,348.0049474 --> 00:24:49,473.0049474 Where? Where are you? Falling short. 307 00:24:49,653.0049474 --> 00:24:57,583.0049474 Like I, for example, made the decision towards the start of last year to look at also getting a c o that I could focus more on the external parts of my job. 308 00:24:57,593.0049474 --> 00:25:02,208.0049474 So just being honest with yourself and that balancing act that I mentioned previously. 309 00:25:02,223.0049474 --> 00:25:02,613.0049474 Definitely. 310 00:25:02,613.0049474 --> 00:25:15,738.0049474 So if a finance here or a company is interested in getting involved in what you guys are doing with Decar Earth? How do they, be able to get in touch with you and be able to learn more about, what you're doing? If they come to the website, decarb.earth, 311 00:25:15,738.0049474 --> 00:25:19,768.0049474 very easy URL to remember they can get in touch via the contact form. 312 00:25:19,858.0049474 --> 00:25:26,953.0049474 That'll then send an email to number of my team members and then we can look at how we can work together. 313 00:25:27,43.0049474 --> 00:25:37,318.0049474 So if it's a corporate that wants to decarbonize their supply chain, reducing the scope of emissions, if it's a business that directly wants to switch over to clean energy as cost effectively as possible. 314 00:25:37,328.0049474 --> 00:25:43,928.0049474 If it's a project of a village, we'll be able to provide carbon offsets and we'll also be able to provide the financing. 315 00:25:44,228.0049474 --> 00:25:47,138.0049474 And if it's a financer that wants to partner up with us, fantastic. 316 00:25:47,138.0049474 --> 00:25:48,723.0049474 Because we'll need all the help we can get. 317 00:25:48,738.0049474 --> 00:25:52,278.0049474 Marco, thank you so much for coming on to Green Business Impact. 318 00:25:52,278.0049474 --> 00:26:04,818.0049474 It's been great having you on talk about what you guys do at Decar Birth, all about carbon credits and what you guys are doing to really spur the development of solar energy projects down in South Africa. 319 00:26:04,818.0049474 --> 00:26:06,728.0049474 So thank you so much for coming on the show. 320 00:26:06,738.0049474 --> 00:26:07,8.0049474 Cool. 321 00:26:07,8.0049474 --> 00:26:07,488.0049474 Thank you. 322 00:26:07,578.0049474 --> 00:26:10,278.0049474 Just South Africa to start, the whole world is coming up next. 323 00:26:10,288.0049474 --> 00:26:11,548.0049474 Yeah, definitely. 324 00:26:11,728.0049474 --> 00:26:12,688.0049474 You much appreciated. 325 00:26:12,698.0049474 --> 00:26:13,688.0049474 You very welcome.
The core issue is there's a 1 trillion shortfall in emerging markets funding and they often have legacy ways of approaching the issue. 2 00:00:07,151.6666666666 --> 00:00:11,771.666666667 So when we do discuss with them, they'd like to bring us onto their way of doing things. 3 00:00:11,771.666666667 --> 00:00:19,521.666666667 But the whole thing is, We have to transition over to a more transparent means of funding the transition using blockchain in the backend. 4 00:00:19,861.666666667 --> 00:00:26,311.666666667 And that's been the core issue and we knew that when we were going into this that we're solving, we're not solving for the solar companies. 5 00:00:26,311.666666667 --> 00:00:28,141.666666667 We knew that they would want to have more projects. 6 00:00:28,321.666666667 --> 00:00:30,611.666666667 We knew that entities wanna have cheaper, secure. 7 00:00:30,928.333333333 --> 00:00:34,238.333333333 Energy, but the financiers, that's the core thing. 8 00:00:34,238.333333333 --> 00:00:40,748.333333333 We've gained traction, but now we really wanna accelerate that as fast as possible because that's what we need to, it's all a problem is money. 9 00:00:40,798.333333333 --> 00:00:41,518.333333333 It's always money. 10 00:00:41,878.333333333 --> 00:00:46,288.333333333 We need to accelerate the funding of clean energy projects globally. 11 00:00:46,568.333333333 --> 00:00:51,773.333333333 And no country can be left behind if Europe and the US and China, Japan. 12 00:00:52,113.333333333 --> 00:00:58,593.333333333 Or have got a far better energy mix, but the likes of South America, Africa, India are still predominantly on coal. 13 00:00:58,893.333333333 --> 00:01:00,643.333333333 Then, it's one atmosphere. 14 00:01:00,733.333333333 --> 00:01:03,583.333333333 So we have to accelerate that transition globally. 15 00:01:39,532.823129252 --> 00:01:42,676.00494743 marco, thank you for coming onto Green Business Impact Podcast. 16 00:01:42,806.00494743 --> 00:01:44,327.00494743 Super excited to have you here. 17 00:01:45,10.33828077 --> 00:01:53,925.33828077 I would love for you to just go ahead and introduce yourself, tell us about what you do at De Carver thank you very much for having me on the show what we do@decarb.earth. 18 00:01:53,925.33828077 --> 00:02:07,670.33828077 I'm the founder, Marco Funk is in a nutshell optimize the funding of clean energy projects in emerging markets by using blockchain in the backend to track the whole funding flow as well as the carbon offsets that are being generated. 19 00:02:07,680.33828077 --> 00:02:08,130.33828077 Awesome. 20 00:02:08,160.33828077 --> 00:02:08,610.33828077 That's great. 21 00:02:08,940.33828077 --> 00:02:26,600.33828077 And how do you go about, Providing that marketplace for, those projects being funded? Our platform we really looked at the core issues that were apparent in the clean energy funding space and the processes that are involved from start to finish and thought, okay, for every single aspect, how can this. 22 00:02:26,900.33828077 --> 00:02:33,930.33828077 How could we use blockchain to optimize that process? So blockchain is being used in the backend, but the front end is all very much web two. 23 00:02:33,985.33828077 --> 00:02:45,225.33828077 And then in so doing by onboarding projects, by onboarding enterprises, by providing them with some free marketing value, by showcasing them we then initiate projects. 24 00:02:45,275.33828077 --> 00:02:47,775.33828077 We then, Optimize the funding and we track the carbon offsets. 25 00:02:47,775.33828077 --> 00:02:51,795.33828077 It's those three components that we always look at project initiation, cause we need more projects. 26 00:02:51,805.33828077 --> 00:02:53,335.33828077 Those projects need more funding. 27 00:02:53,605.33828077 --> 00:03:03,810.33828077 And then those projects should be getting carbon offsets generated as well, because that of course then accelerates the amount that can be funded because of the additional revenue that's being generated. 28 00:03:04,140.33828077 --> 00:03:06,550.33828077 So that's in a little bit of a holistic sense. 29 00:03:06,640.33828077 --> 00:03:07,840.33828077 I'm happy to share more. 30 00:03:07,850.33828077 --> 00:03:08,570.33828077 Yeah, definitely. 31 00:03:08,660.33828077 --> 00:03:18,70.33828077 So you have blockchain running in the background to really validify those carbon credits that are being created through these energy projects. 32 00:03:18,75.33828077 --> 00:03:19,527.00494743 Correct? Yes indeed. 33 00:03:19,557.00494743 --> 00:03:25,82.00494743 That's one aspect of what the platform does our initial focus was on the optimization of the funding. 34 00:03:25,442.00494743 --> 00:03:32,172.00494743 Like a bit of a background about me I did my econ thesis on how to optimize the collection of distribution of funds focused on Africa. 35 00:03:32,462.00494743 --> 00:03:39,552.00494743 So really it was the funding component, but then if you wanna have optimized funding, you wanna be generating as much value for a project as well. 36 00:03:39,882.00494743 --> 00:03:42,642.00494743 And then, We were using block channel already. 37 00:03:42,642.00494743 --> 00:03:45,582.00494743 We were already measuring the energy data, so well. 38 00:03:45,582.00494743 --> 00:04:00,777.00494743 We might as well also look at how we could create carbon offsets and had very much a partnership mindset with what we did and partnered up with different stakeholders related to that realm of, of our also generating carbon offsets fully verifiable on chain and then suddenly on. 39 00:04:01,102.00494743 --> 00:04:01,522.00494743 Definitely. 40 00:04:01,762.00494743 --> 00:04:09,212.00494743 And, what was that big problem that you were trying to solve through having this blockchain? By providing the funding for these projects. 41 00:04:09,492.00494743 --> 00:04:22,432.00494743 What was that, big problem that you were looking to solve here? The, probably the biggest problem, we definitely know that the solar companies, they'll wanna sell more solar businesses and generally towns, villages, they wanna have secure supply of energy. 42 00:04:22,672.00494743 --> 00:04:24,202.00494743 They want to have cheaper energy. 43 00:04:24,412.00494743 --> 00:04:30,142.00494743 So that fits the bull as well, because they'd rather, instead of relying on the grid, they'd rather have their own energy source. 44 00:04:30,152.00494743 --> 00:04:33,542.00494743 The core issue, and that's the core thing that we're still. 45 00:04:33,822.00494743 --> 00:04:42,402.00494743 On the process of solving and we're getting not at the same level of traction as we are with the other components, is persuading these financiers to get involved. 46 00:04:42,552.00494743 --> 00:04:43,332.00494743 Cuz that's the core. 47 00:04:43,332.00494743 --> 00:04:49,992.00494743 The core issue is there's a 1 trillion shortfall in emerging markets funding and they often have legacy ways of approaching the issue. 48 00:04:50,478.6716141 --> 00:04:55,98.6716141 So when we do discuss with them, they'd like to bring us onto their way of doing things. 49 00:04:55,98.6716141 --> 00:05:02,848.6716141 But the whole thing is, We have to transition over to a more transparent means of funding the transition using blockchain in the backend. 50 00:05:03,188.6716141 --> 00:05:09,638.6716141 And that's been the core issue and we knew that when we were going into this that we're solving, we're not solving for the solar companies. 51 00:05:09,638.6716141 --> 00:05:11,468.6716141 We knew that they would want to have more projects. 52 00:05:11,648.6716141 --> 00:05:13,938.6716141 We knew that entities wanna have cheaper, secure. 53 00:05:14,255.33828077 --> 00:05:17,565.33828077 Energy, but the financiers, that's the core thing. 54 00:05:17,565.33828077 --> 00:05:24,75.33828077 We've gained traction, but now we really wanna accelerate that as fast as possible because that's what we need to, it's all a problem is money. 55 00:05:24,125.33828077 --> 00:05:24,845.33828077 It's always money. 56 00:05:25,205.33828077 --> 00:05:29,615.33828077 We need to accelerate the funding of clean energy projects globally. 57 00:05:29,895.33828077 --> 00:05:35,100.33828077 And no country can be left behind if Europe and the US and China, Japan. 58 00:05:35,440.33828077 --> 00:05:41,920.33828077 Or have got a far better energy mix, but the likes of South America, Africa, India are still predominantly on coal. 59 00:05:42,220.33828077 --> 00:05:43,970.33828077 Then, it's one atmosphere. 60 00:05:44,60.33828077 --> 00:05:46,910.33828077 So we have to accelerate that transition globally. 61 00:05:46,915.33828077 --> 00:05:47,395.33828077 Definitely. 62 00:05:47,395.33828077 --> 00:06:02,905.33828077 And the great thing though about this time is that, these emerging markets, they don't have to go through, the coal stage and, using all of these carbon intensive resources, they can really, skip ahead of that if they're, if they don't already have the infrastructure there. 63 00:06:03,10.33828077 --> 00:06:08,650.33828077 They can really say, okay, we're now going to build out our grid to be set up for renewables. 64 00:06:08,650.33828077 --> 00:06:09,970.33828077 To be set up for yeah. 65 00:06:09,970.33828077 --> 00:06:13,810.33828077 What the cheapest source of energy is today, which is renewable energy. 66 00:06:13,940.33828077 --> 00:06:18,351.33828077 They don't have to rehaul their entire system and all sorts of other things like. 67 00:06:18,361.33828077 --> 00:06:25,701.33828077 Many of, the United States or Europe does based on, before we were very centralized systems with cold power plants and things like that. 68 00:06:25,701.33828077 --> 00:06:31,291.33828077 Now you have more of a decentralized look at things with, solar across the grid. 69 00:06:31,591.33828077 --> 00:06:42,206.33828077 Whereas, emerging markets can really jump step that there's a podcaster that I listened to is really a thought leader in kind of the space of emerging technologies and things like that about, how, a lot of emerging. 70 00:06:42,216.33828077 --> 00:06:46,986.33828077 And developing countries don't have to go through the, like telephone wires and all these other things. 71 00:06:46,986.33828077 --> 00:07:06,666.33828077 They're going straight from nothing to having, 4g and cell phones and everybody has a cell phone They really have this opportunity to jump step and don't have to go through all the middle stages of tripping over ourselves and not really making the best decisions and things that are not efficient and poisoning the earth and things like that, they can really jump step. 72 00:07:06,766.33828077 --> 00:07:09,126.33828077 It's a really kind an exciting time too. 73 00:07:09,346.33828077 --> 00:07:12,721.33828077 As long as we can get the funding there, which is, what you guys are looking for. 74 00:07:12,771.33828077 --> 00:07:13,51.33828077 Yeah. 75 00:07:13,61.33828077 --> 00:07:14,651.33828077 No, but exactly a very good point. 76 00:07:14,726.33828077 --> 00:07:25,401.33828077 You often have that, and you mentioned the cell phone example, Africa, the then the speed of Taking on cell phones was exponential because of the fact that many people didn't have, a normal landline. 77 00:07:25,491.33828077 --> 00:07:27,701.33828077 So similar, it's a bit of a mix. 78 00:07:27,706.33828077 --> 00:07:34,771.33828077 Obviously you can't bucket together all emerging markets together, but some are going to have to develop in general the infrastructure. 79 00:07:34,771.33828077 --> 00:07:39,111.33828077 And then you can really start from a far more sensical approach, which is using. 80 00:07:39,121.33828077 --> 00:07:47,341.33828077 Energy that creates itself then continuing to put coal into a furnace and burning it into the atmosphere, which is about as nonsense as it gets. 81 00:07:47,351.33828077 --> 00:07:47,631.33828077 Yeah. 82 00:07:47,961.33828077 --> 00:07:49,41.33828077 We're in 2023. 83 00:07:49,46.33828077 --> 00:07:50,806.33828077 We need to, change with the times. 84 00:07:51,278.00494743 --> 00:07:53,738.00494743 Cuz we have a lot better technology nowadays. 85 00:07:53,748.00494743 --> 00:07:55,753.00494743 And, I'm gonna step back a second. 86 00:07:56,3.00494743 --> 00:07:59,873.00494743 We've kind of dance around the point like you guys are starting in South Africa. 87 00:08:00,173.00494743 --> 00:08:08,98.00494743 Are you hoping to move to other markets? Or what is your outlook for that? South Africa, we chose, I happen to come from South Africa, but living in Switzerland. 88 00:08:08,98.00494743 --> 00:08:18,768.00494743 So the company is based in Switzerland, but we had to pick our first market and we really wanted to pick a market where one, also for product market fit, that it's a little bit and the ends of the earth in a way. 89 00:08:18,768.00494743 --> 00:08:20,328.00494743 Like where you always want to be able to. 90 00:08:20,338.00494743 --> 00:08:23,373.00494743 Test things, make sure that you get that ideal market for void. 91 00:08:23,373.00494743 --> 00:08:26,693.00494743 Then you enter like a market such as the USA or other markets. 92 00:08:26,693.00494743 --> 00:08:34,513.00494743 Even now, of course I know that USA is not an emerging market, but we have built a product that's completely agnostic and that can work in any market reason. 93 00:08:34,763.00494743 --> 00:08:43,258.00494743 I actually mentioned the USA is cause I had a very interesting call today who were super excited of what we built and like we have to take this, Change the whole energy system of the us. 94 00:08:43,258.00494743 --> 00:08:43,798.00494743 Okay, whoa. 95 00:08:44,188.00494743 --> 00:08:59,206.33828077 So we have built it with an agnostic mindset, but we did look at markets where you have the highest amount of sun so you can get the highest solar radiation, which means you can generate the highest return and also with the highest carbon footprint of the on-grid alternative. 96 00:08:59,506.33828077 --> 00:09:01,966.33828077 So that was where South Africa was a clear winner. 97 00:09:01,971.33828077 --> 00:09:02,931.33828077 On those two fronts. 98 00:09:02,931.33828077 --> 00:09:05,921.33828077 And then also, as I mentioned, at the end of the Earth, product market fit front. 99 00:09:05,931.33828077 --> 00:09:08,1.33828077 And it's a bonus that I happen to come from there. 100 00:09:08,241.33828077 --> 00:09:15,521.33828077 But yeah, you really wanna, with every dollar that you're spending, you want to be getting the highest benefit from that dollar expenditure. 101 00:09:15,526.33828077 --> 00:09:18,77.33828077 And that's where the whole market is also a little bit messed up. 102 00:09:18,237.33828077 --> 00:09:21,367.33828077 Skewed towards nonsensical in the sense that. 103 00:09:21,377.33828077 --> 00:09:26,772.33828077 The market, often the dollar goes towards places where the on grid energy mix isn't that bad. 104 00:09:26,892.33828077 --> 00:09:32,322.33828077 It should be going towards those places where you are avoiding the most amount of carbon, entering the atmosphere. 105 00:09:32,322.33828077 --> 00:09:33,522.33828077 You're getting the best dollar. 106 00:09:33,897.33828077 --> 00:09:36,447.33828077 The best bank per buck on the carbon offset front. 107 00:09:36,837.33828077 --> 00:09:39,967.33828077 And then also it's an additional bonus if you can get higher returns. 108 00:09:39,967.33828077 --> 00:09:50,677.33828077 So that's where, again, the emerging markets, that's the core thing that we wanna do is generate as high returns as possible for our financiers and generate as much carbon offset that we then showcase how they're saving the planet in real time. 109 00:09:51,105.6716141 --> 00:09:51,525.6716141 Definitely. 110 00:09:51,825.6716141 --> 00:09:55,965.6716141 And so you mentioned before your website is on the web two front. 111 00:09:56,275.6716141 --> 00:10:01,85.6716141 What do you display on your website and how you show off your product and, market out there. 112 00:10:01,85.6716141 --> 00:10:08,640.6716141 What's your message that you're trying to show to these financiers? So we are called Decarb Earth for a reason. 113 00:10:08,770.6716141 --> 00:10:13,150.6716141 We decarbonize the Earth's atmosphere, and that was also a decision. 114 00:10:13,200.6716141 --> 00:10:21,600.6716141 What is our branding gonna be? And we are looking at the fact that Financers can showcase this is the amount of carbon that I've avoided. 115 00:10:21,600.6716141 --> 00:10:25,970.6716141 This is the decarbonization that we've done in real time with immutable data to track on chain. 116 00:10:26,374.00494743 --> 00:10:34,64.00494743 And so our website is all about showcasing what enterprises are running on a clean energy, how much a carbon has avoided entering the atmosphere. 117 00:10:34,64.00494743 --> 00:10:40,274.00494743 It's all about that transparency, which the blockchain offers in the backend, but then really easy for people to understand. 118 00:10:40,279.00494743 --> 00:10:43,728.00494743 And then they're just dealing with fiat money if they get a loan. 119 00:10:43,968.00494743 --> 00:10:45,258.00494743 So they paying fear. 120 00:10:45,258.00494743 --> 00:10:47,268.00494743 They're getting fear, but in the back and everything. 121 00:10:47,278.00494743 --> 00:10:52,198.00494743 Is created through that transparency with the blockchain, that we can then actually have that data. 122 00:10:52,258.00494743 --> 00:10:59,498.00494743 So you, on the front end, you're seeing how much carbon is being offset, but then in the back end you can actually see, okay, this is the history of that, of how we can claim that's the amount. 123 00:10:59,503.00494743 --> 00:10:59,863.00494743 Definitely. 124 00:10:59,863.00494743 --> 00:11:05,567.00494743 And it can really go into the e s compliance, records and all that kind of stuff too, right? Yeah, exactly. 125 00:11:05,577.00494743 --> 00:11:05,867.00494743 Nice. 126 00:11:05,872.00494743 --> 00:11:05,967.00494743 Thanks. 127 00:11:05,967.00494743 --> 00:11:17,317.00494743 No greenwashing real data of real energy carbon that's been avoided and there's nothing we dislike more than greenwashing, cuz that basically makes it even worse. 128 00:11:17,347.00494743 --> 00:11:19,297.00494743 You're saying, you're doing good, but actually you're not. 129 00:11:19,407.00494743 --> 00:11:25,960.33828077 And then the, the real, the guys that are doing good, they are in a sea of non, stuff that isn't doing good. 130 00:11:25,965.33828077 --> 00:11:26,170.33828077 Yeah. 131 00:11:26,440.33828077 --> 00:11:26,770.33828077 Yeah. 132 00:11:26,840.33828077 --> 00:11:33,887.00494743 That's the whole transparency, accountability, everyone being able to see who's actually saving the planet in real time. 133 00:11:34,97.00494743 --> 00:11:39,497.00494743 And as a bonus they're making money because we do have to accept that we live in an economic system. 134 00:11:39,767.00494743 --> 00:11:46,72.00494743 So let's grow trees, but let's also switch the, the energy source energy is 72% of carbon emissions. 135 00:11:46,72.00494743 --> 00:11:49,112.00494743 Directly and indirectly, it's the core issue that we're facing. 136 00:11:49,362.00494743 --> 00:12:04,412.00494743 Yeah, it makes sense to help transition those places, like the emerging markets where there's a lot of carbon being generated from the current energy supply and there's a strong need from the enterprises, from the individuals to have a secure energy supply that's clean and that's cheaper. 137 00:12:04,417.00494743 --> 00:12:04,867.00494743 Definitely. 138 00:12:05,77.00494743 --> 00:12:11,427.00494743 And you're starting out with energy projects, solar energy projects, mainly down in South Africa. 139 00:12:11,677.00494743 --> 00:12:18,707.00494743 But your platform is really open to multiple different types of different, environmental projects too. 140 00:12:18,757.00494743 --> 00:12:20,617.00494743 Not just solar, right. 141 00:12:20,658.6716141 --> 00:12:21,138.6716141 yes. 142 00:12:21,138.6716141 --> 00:12:22,908.6716141 It, again, it's built agnostically. 143 00:12:22,938.6716141 --> 00:12:29,313.6716141 We just need to be able to measure the data, me measure the energy that's being produced, but our initial focus is solar. 144 00:12:29,318.6716141 --> 00:12:29,738.6716141 Definitely. 145 00:12:30,128.6716141 --> 00:12:42,188.6716141 And where do you see the industry of, carbon credits and the carbon market going over the next couple years and do you see, the, use of blockchain being able to make. 146 00:12:42,198.6716141 --> 00:12:46,403.6716141 Greenwashing a lot less prevalent in the future yeah, 100%. 147 00:12:46,403.6716141 --> 00:12:53,853.6716141 I definitely think that, the benefits of the blockchain that it, it's a public ledge of immutable data will allow that the carbon offsets are. 148 00:12:54,492.00494743 --> 00:13:03,192.00494743 Tracked along the process also, when you sell, when you retire and offset that you have that one data source there Immutably on the block. 149 00:13:03,202.00494743 --> 00:13:07,87.6716141 So you can't replicate it like you would means of tracking. 150 00:13:07,447.6716141 --> 00:13:12,852.6716141 So that's the one component, but also in terms of the flow of just being able to easily flow. 151 00:13:12,862.6716141 --> 00:13:15,772.6716141 That carbon offset from origination to sale. 152 00:13:15,772.6716141 --> 00:13:18,807.6716141 And it's always that same data that goes along the process. 153 00:13:19,17.6716141 --> 00:13:27,244.33828077 So blockchain is absolutely pivotal when it comes to carbon offset and the avoidance of greenwashing when that initial data is taken. 154 00:13:28,63.33828077 --> 00:13:28,393.33828077 a core issue. 155 00:13:28,723.33828077 --> 00:13:33,278.33828077 That was an issue with some of our competitors, related to they were taking old. 156 00:13:33,288.33828077 --> 00:13:45,763.33828077 Carbon of just putting them on a block and then yo Whoopi do they didn't, it wasn't that, there wasn't that test of what was the old carbon like, was it, did that actually exist? So with us, it's unexposed before the fact and after the fact. 157 00:13:45,763.33828077 --> 00:13:49,113.33828077 Really we can see in real time how much carbon is being avoided. 158 00:13:49,113.33828077 --> 00:13:50,713.33828077 We're very transparent about that. 159 00:13:50,713.33828077 --> 00:13:54,563.33828077 So I think a call where the industry on the carbon offset side of things is going to go. 160 00:13:54,573.33828077 --> 00:14:00,813.33828077 Is that there'll be a lot of granularity in terms of what is this project, what is the data difference in pricing. 161 00:14:00,993.33828077 --> 00:14:30,183.33828077 Like there could be bundled together in carbon on a tier one level in terms of the carbon removal, which is more trees, carbon capture, the carbon avoidance, which is clean energy, and was it a project that happened before the event? After the event, but what we really, we need to get into a world where everything is being tracked in the carbon avoidance side, and then we can really get way more scientific and granular in terms of what can go into the atmosphere, what can't, because it literally is, it's something it can be measured. 162 00:14:30,193.33828077 --> 00:14:34,813.33828077 And if it can't be measured and it's putting in jeopardy, the concept of life itself. 163 00:14:34,863.33828077 --> 00:14:36,843.33828077 We're the custodians of the only life that we know of. 164 00:14:37,173.33828077 --> 00:14:40,618.33828077 Although there was some news yesterday which we'll have to see where that goes. 165 00:14:40,618.33828077 --> 00:14:44,568.33828077 But supposedly in the Guardian newspaper, in the camp currently London the one. 166 00:14:44,578.33828077 --> 00:14:59,548.33828077 Person went out and said that something's been hiding in the US but it wasn't so we'll see maybe in the next few days that we're not many custodians of life, but as things stand with the custodians of the only habitable planet that we know of, carbon in the atmosphere is putting that at risk. 167 00:14:59,558.33828077 --> 00:15:03,488.33828077 So we really have the science, we have the technology. 168 00:15:03,548.33828077 --> 00:15:04,808.33828077 Blockchain is a part thereof. 169 00:15:04,818.33828077 --> 00:15:08,538.33828077 Let's be smart about this and just not put it in jeopardy. 170 00:15:08,538.33828077 --> 00:15:10,858.33828077 Something as precious as this habit, submittable planet. 171 00:15:10,868.33828077 --> 00:15:11,498.33828077 Yeah, definitely. 172 00:15:11,498.33828077 --> 00:15:11,858.33828077 I agree. 173 00:15:12,48.33828077 --> 00:15:24,463.33828077 And with Elon Musk trying to take us to Mars and I think there's this comparison that I heard that, Mars is five times more harsh of an environment than the worst day in Antarctica. 174 00:15:25,160.00494743 --> 00:15:26,985.00494743 And it's like, oh wow. 175 00:15:26,995.00494743 --> 00:15:33,630.00494743 Like we have it really good here if considering the worst stay in Antarctica, which is like really bad. 176 00:15:33,630.00494743 --> 00:15:34,170.00494743 Basically No. 177 00:15:34,170.00494743 --> 00:15:35,370.00494743 Life is living there. 178 00:15:35,420.00494743 --> 00:15:35,640.00494743 Yes. 179 00:15:35,710.00494743 --> 00:15:38,440.00494743 And then you take that and multiply it by five, and that's Mars. 180 00:15:38,445.00494743 --> 00:15:44,230.00494743 It's a stretch to try to get us to, think that, oh, we don't really need to worry too much about Earth. 181 00:15:44,230.00494743 --> 00:15:46,770.00494743 We'll just go tomorrow's or we'll go to the moon or something like that. 182 00:15:46,775.00494743 --> 00:15:47,370.00494743 It's oof. 183 00:15:47,380.00494743 --> 00:15:48,460.00494743 I don't wanna take those chances. 184 00:15:48,465.00494743 --> 00:15:50,80.00494743 I've had the fortune of traveling. 185 00:15:50,135.00494743 --> 00:15:52,85.00494743 Considerably, mostly over land. 186 00:15:52,395.00494743 --> 00:15:55,250.00494743 Mostly hitchhiking, but I've had also taken, flights. 187 00:15:55,370.00494743 --> 00:16:02,490.00494743 So I've created carbon for myself, which now I have to mitigate by creating startup that really accelerates decarbonization. 188 00:16:02,500.00494743 --> 00:16:05,50.00494743 But this planet is unbelievably magnificent. 189 00:16:05,105.00494743 --> 00:16:05,525.00494743 It is. 190 00:16:05,535.00494743 --> 00:16:14,295.00494743 Holistically, if you take out the human condition for a second, if we just look at the planet holistically, it is a thing of unbelievable beauty. 191 00:16:14,300.00494743 --> 00:16:16,580.00494743 And like I said, we are the custodians of that. 192 00:16:16,970.00494743 --> 00:16:18,955.00494743 So it makes sense in the long term. 193 00:16:18,955.00494743 --> 00:16:24,695.00494743 But now it also makes sense in the short term there are it makes so much sense for us to switch over to clean energy. 194 00:16:24,695.00494743 --> 00:16:26,885.00494743 It makes sense to have a biodiverse nature. 195 00:16:27,185.00494743 --> 00:16:28,895.00494743 So let's do it like, let's. 196 00:16:28,950.00494743 --> 00:16:29,850.00494743 Make it happen. 197 00:16:29,860.00494743 --> 00:16:30,730.00494743 It's as simple as that. 198 00:16:30,790.00494743 --> 00:16:31,330.00494743 At the end of the day. 199 00:16:31,330.00494743 --> 00:16:35,80.00494743 Obviously there's more complexity to it, but really just that, let's do this. 200 00:16:35,140.00494743 --> 00:16:38,165.00494743 Not, oh, should we do it? And not let's do this now. 201 00:16:38,375.00494743 --> 00:16:40,545.0049474 Let's be smart about it and make it happen. 202 00:16:40,555.0049474 --> 00:16:41,245.0049474 Yeah definitely. 203 00:16:41,530.0049474 --> 00:16:49,330.0049474 We live in a very beautiful world and I'd also love to get your opinion about the carbon offsets market, cuz I know that it gets, tossed around a bit. 204 00:16:49,335.0049474 --> 00:16:55,986.0049474 Oh, carbon offsets will, it's just okay, we, we can produce as much carbon as we you want to, but because we're just gonna, buy. 205 00:16:56,21.0049474 --> 00:16:59,691.0049474 Carbon offsets or, purchase these carbon offsets on the carbon offset market. 206 00:16:59,691.0049474 --> 00:17:12,966.0049474 And we normally don't have to worry about the fact that we're producing, so many tons of carbon do you see that as being a realistic thing, or is more of just something that, naysayers wanna come up with? I think it's very important to measure. 207 00:17:13,306.0049474 --> 00:17:14,506.0049474 Externalities. 208 00:17:14,511.0049474 --> 00:17:23,751.0049474 But we mustn't now think, okay, if we can just offset carbon, that means that now we can have a more crazy lifestyle because I'm just continuing to offset it. 209 00:17:23,751.0049474 --> 00:17:27,871.0049474 There has to be that reduction element as well, like reducing the carbon. 210 00:17:27,881.0049474 --> 00:17:29,101.0049474 But that's where if you can get. 211 00:17:29,111.0049474 --> 00:17:35,211.0049474 Scientific and granular across the board, then they can actually be a bit of carbon accounting at the end of the day. 212 00:17:35,421.0049474 --> 00:17:40,424.3382808 But fundamentally, and the word tax has got a very negative connotations to it. 213 00:17:40,424.3382808 --> 00:17:43,434.3382808 But if it's just very clear that by taking tax. 214 00:17:43,931.0049474 --> 00:17:51,401.0049474 For carbon that is being generated and then using that to then decrease the tax from somewhere else. 215 00:17:51,401.0049474 --> 00:17:51,971.0049474 It's a net. 216 00:17:52,21.0049474 --> 00:17:56,971.0049474 You got the same thing if you ask me, I'd far rather pay tax for the carbon. 217 00:17:57,21.0049474 --> 00:18:02,186.0049474 That my business is creating than pay tax for random stuff that I don't necessarily agree with. 218 00:18:02,496.0049474 --> 00:18:04,311.0049474 You have a pot that you need to fill. 219 00:18:04,671.0049474 --> 00:18:10,736.0049474 And that's just the way that's the most sensical pot in my opinion, to tell to take from, for fulfilling that. 220 00:18:11,86.0049474 --> 00:18:12,676.0049474 Yeah, we need to have the transparency. 221 00:18:13,229.3382808 --> 00:18:16,499.3382808 We need to measure the externalities, and then we need to balance that out. 222 00:18:16,589.3382808 --> 00:18:20,439.3382808 The core issue in general on the planet is that externalities are not measured. 223 00:18:20,449.3382808 --> 00:18:21,804.3382808 And not priced in. 224 00:18:21,894.3382808 --> 00:18:26,989.3382808 So because they're not priced in, that means those that don't ever say, they're getting the bad end of the stick. 225 00:18:27,259.3382808 --> 00:18:30,519.3382808 So we priced it in carbon off offset is extremely important. 226 00:18:30,519.3382808 --> 00:18:36,319.3382808 Carbon taxes are important, but we don't necessarily then just have to take that carbon tax and then not reduce it somewhere else. 227 00:18:36,319.3382808 --> 00:18:37,219.3382808 It should be equal. 228 00:18:37,609.3382808 --> 00:18:40,69.3382808 But yeah, governments have a tendency to prefer just. 229 00:18:40,79.3382808 --> 00:18:45,639.3382808 Take more and forget that actually they're then gonna reduce what they're taking in from the one aspect on in another place. 230 00:18:45,649.3382808 --> 00:18:46,479.3382808 Yeah definitely. 231 00:18:46,539.3382808 --> 00:18:48,849.3382808 And, what gets measured gets managed. 232 00:18:48,969.3382808 --> 00:19:02,274.3382808 And so in order to figure out the carbon offset that you need in order to, to offset the carbon that you're producing, you also have to figure out, okay, what are you producing? You have to measure how much carbon are you actually producing. 233 00:19:02,484.3382808 --> 00:19:12,729.3382808 And so usually it becomes a factor of okay, so now that you've actually measured it you're producing all this carbon in this area, and in fact you could change it by just doing it this other way. 234 00:19:12,729.3382808 --> 00:19:16,159.3382808 And you might have already been considering going in that other direction. 235 00:19:16,349.3382808 --> 00:19:19,327.6716141 They were equally financially, The same. 236 00:19:19,387.6716141 --> 00:19:23,127.6716141 It's, let's say, but this one it produces much less carbon. 237 00:19:23,631.0049474 --> 00:19:30,601.0049474 Now you have a reason to go and, change it to this new process because you need to reduce your carbon and you don't have to buy as much carbon offsets. 238 00:19:30,841.0049474 --> 00:19:39,641.0049474 So it's that thing where, just the pure fact of having to go out there and figure out what your carbon is in order to figure out what your carbon offsets need to be, that. 239 00:19:39,906.0049474 --> 00:19:45,451.0049474 Can help the process in reducing, cuz you're already gonna go that way anyways cuz you have to, figure it out. 240 00:19:45,451.0049474 --> 00:19:47,131.0049474 You have to figure out how much you're even producing. 241 00:19:47,181.0049474 --> 00:19:48,911.0049474 Yeah, that's, a big point of it as well. 242 00:19:49,251.0049474 --> 00:19:50,61.0049474 It's a piece of the. 243 00:19:50,76.0049474 --> 00:19:54,266.0049474 Pie, right? It's a piece of the puzzle of, carbon offsets are one piece. 244 00:19:54,516.0049474 --> 00:19:58,111.0049474 You need to produce how much carbon you're producing is another piece. 245 00:19:58,291.0049474 --> 00:20:06,711.0049474 We need be switching to alternative energy sources and different modes of transportation and ev and things like that, but like not one. 246 00:20:06,721.0049474 --> 00:20:11,701.0049474 Any one of these one things is like the silver bullet, that's like the one thing that you need to do. 247 00:20:11,706.0049474 --> 00:20:21,596.0049474 I think it's a combination of all of these things come together to really put us forth on the track to meet our, carbon, reduction goals that we have. 248 00:20:21,601.0049474 --> 00:20:23,636.0049474 That it's not just gonna be one thing that we need to do. 249 00:20:23,736.0049474 --> 00:20:25,216.0049474 What do you think? Yeah, a hundred percent. 250 00:20:25,216.0049474 --> 00:20:29,751.0049474 You need to have a multifaceted solution to, a huge problem. 251 00:20:29,811.0049474 --> 00:20:35,986.0049474 And one of those is, Like you say, if you measure it it's managed and we're starting to get there. 252 00:20:35,986.0049474 --> 00:20:42,971.0049474 And now we have the technology that can do so both measuring the carbon footprint as well as measuring the amount of carbon that's avoided, that's reduced. 253 00:20:42,976.0049474 --> 00:20:44,331.0049474 And it's now's the time to do it. 254 00:20:44,331.0049474 --> 00:20:48,111.0049474 We got these next 10 years to really completely shift the paradigm. 255 00:20:48,381.0049474 --> 00:20:50,241.0049474 They already started a number of years ago. 256 00:20:50,521.0049474 --> 00:20:55,696.0049474 The Paris Agreement was now eight years ago, or seven and a half, We gotta move, we have to move quickly. 257 00:20:56,26.0049474 --> 00:20:57,886.0049474 And the solutions are all there. 258 00:20:57,891.0049474 --> 00:21:01,146.0049474 I think the solutions are all there to have us reach where we need to go. 259 00:21:01,146.0049474 --> 00:21:03,106.0049474 It is just implementing and scaling. 260 00:21:03,106.0049474 --> 00:21:04,866.0049474 So those are the big parts. 261 00:21:05,136.0049474 --> 00:21:09,121.0049474 I'd love to hear, what are your goals for the next six months or so for Decar. 262 00:21:09,739.3382808 --> 00:21:18,539.3382808 We are now gonna look to get our whole platform to a flow state, onboarding some really big players on the clean energy side of things. 263 00:21:18,544.3382808 --> 00:21:25,859.3382808 So the implementers, the developers, the project installers that they can get the carbon offsets to projects that otherwise wouldn't have been getting it for. 264 00:21:25,869.3382808 --> 00:21:31,899.3382808 And then also to onboard financiers and get ourselves ready for our Series A towards the end of the year. 265 00:21:32,229.3382808 --> 00:21:33,999.3382808 So really being able to show that our. 266 00:21:34,359.3382808 --> 00:21:34,719.3382808 Platform. 267 00:21:34,719.3382808 --> 00:21:41,39.3382808 We've done the proof of concept and the proof of tech, but now we really want to get far more traction with our various different stakeholders. 268 00:21:41,49.3382808 --> 00:21:41,469.3382808 Sweet. 269 00:21:41,619.3382808 --> 00:21:52,249.3382808 And I also love to ask this question, just getting it very different responses and it's always really fun to hear just what other entrepreneurs are out there learning and, bringing into their day-to-day lives. 270 00:21:52,249.3382808 --> 00:22:02,244.3382808 So I'd love to hear, what are you currently learning right now? What I'm learning is the same thing that you tend to learn across the board is just persistence, persistence is omnipotent. 271 00:22:02,244.3382808 --> 00:22:07,509.3382808 I think it was a, president from your country, Kelvin Coolidge, who said, persistence is omnipotent. 272 00:22:07,509.3382808 --> 00:22:10,982.6716141 You can have talent, you can have genius, all these things. 273 00:22:10,987.6716141 --> 00:22:14,312.6716141 But at the end of the day, persistence is the key driver of success. 274 00:22:14,312.6716141 --> 00:22:15,342.6716141 So just always. 275 00:22:15,732.6716141 --> 00:22:17,332.6716141 Now remembering to, carry on. 276 00:22:17,332.6716141 --> 00:22:18,592.6716141 You have ups and downs. 277 00:22:18,862.6716141 --> 00:22:23,132.6716141 But that's the key thing to just keep on going and not blindly. 278 00:22:23,132.6716141 --> 00:22:26,912.6716141 Of course, sometimes you're gonna have to take a step back to take two steps forward. 279 00:22:27,212.6716141 --> 00:22:35,492.6716141 So combining that mix of, being able to go get going, but at the same time get going with purpose and a plan. 280 00:22:35,492.6716141 --> 00:22:37,872.6716141 So sometimes you actually have to just take that break. 281 00:22:38,217.6716141 --> 00:22:44,492.6716141 Take that step back to plan so that you can go faster ahead as opposed to, putting the chariot in front of the horses. 282 00:22:44,832.6716141 --> 00:22:47,592.6716141 But at the same time you don't wanna overthink and just stop and delay. 283 00:22:47,592.6716141 --> 00:22:53,593.6716141 So really finding that balance between those two, the balance of planning and execution is I think a key thing. 284 00:22:53,852.6716141 --> 00:22:55,662.6716141 And always just keeping on going. 285 00:22:55,672.6716141 --> 00:22:56,512.6716141 Yeah, definitely. 286 00:22:56,752.6716141 --> 00:23:08,592.6716141 I know that I was listening to another podcaster out there and he was saying that, when they took a look at a bunch of different startups and what was the, leading cause of their success and things like that. 287 00:23:08,592.6716141 --> 00:23:18,646.0049474 It was really, it all came down to timing and really did the company have the ability to outlast to the point when. 288 00:23:18,901.0049474 --> 00:23:21,991.0049474 The timing really was just perfect. 289 00:23:21,991.0049474 --> 00:23:32,511.0049474 Zoom a month before or a year before Covid hit, it was struggling, trying to get it, like really needing that break and then boom, COVID hit and it took off. 290 00:23:32,511.0049474 --> 00:23:35,337.0049474 They talk about, other companies hear a series here, Billy. 291 00:23:35,347.0049474 --> 00:23:38,717.0049474 Huh? Are you coming up with a conspiracy theory that Zoom Oh no. 292 00:23:38,737.0049474 --> 00:23:44,802.0049474 Ju just say timing is everything, but the persistence to keep through even when, things aren't going as well. 293 00:23:44,807.0049474 --> 00:23:48,22.0049474 And then, you just need that one thing to turn to hit off and go. 294 00:23:48,27.0049474 --> 00:23:51,267.0049474 And I'm not saying Med Zoom caused the pandemic or anything like that. 295 00:23:51,267.0049474 --> 00:23:52,797.0049474 I'm just saying they were able to. 296 00:23:52,972.0049474 --> 00:23:59,62.0049474 Take advantage of the situation that arose through the pandemic of really being able to explode their company. 297 00:23:59,62.0049474 --> 00:24:07,467.0049474 It's just, timing is everything and having the persistence to last and keep going even when so that you can hit that prime time yeah. 298 00:24:07,657.0049474 --> 00:24:08,168.0049474 Zoom did with. 299 00:24:08,178.0049474 --> 00:24:16,288.0049474 With Covid is a bad example, there's other companies out there too who just were able to last through and hit a really good opportunity to really grow their business. 300 00:24:16,328.0049474 --> 00:24:19,343.0049474 So just one last question here to wrap it up for today. 301 00:24:19,613.0049474 --> 00:24:37,338.0049474 What is one tip that you would provide another ecopreneur out in the audience who's looking to either grow their business or start their green business? What is one tip that you would provide them? I suppose I maybe gave two tips on the last point, but just really don't hold back too much, but also really think ahead. 302 00:24:37,348.0049474 --> 00:24:39,268.0049474 I try to find a partner with you. 303 00:24:39,268.0049474 --> 00:24:40,828.0049474 You're not gonna be able to do much alone. 304 00:24:40,858.0049474 --> 00:24:42,28.0049474 This is the same passion. 305 00:24:42,38.0049474 --> 00:24:47,348.0049474 So networking, knowing what your skillset is, like being honest with yourself, truthful. 306 00:24:47,348.0049474 --> 00:24:49,473.0049474 Where? Where are you? Falling short. 307 00:24:49,653.0049474 --> 00:24:57,583.0049474 Like I, for example, made the decision towards the start of last year to look at also getting a c o that I could focus more on the external parts of my job. 308 00:24:57,593.0049474 --> 00:25:02,208.0049474 So just being honest with yourself and that balancing act that I mentioned previously. 309 00:25:02,223.0049474 --> 00:25:02,613.0049474 Definitely. 310 00:25:02,613.0049474 --> 00:25:15,738.0049474 So if a finance here or a company is interested in getting involved in what you guys are doing with Decar Earth? How do they, be able to get in touch with you and be able to learn more about, what you're doing? If they come to the website, decarb.earth, 311 00:25:15,738.0049474 --> 00:25:19,768.0049474 very easy URL to remember they can get in touch via the contact form. 312 00:25:19,858.0049474 --> 00:25:26,953.0049474 That'll then send an email to number of my team members and then we can look at how we can work together. 313 00:25:27,43.0049474 --> 00:25:37,318.0049474 So if it's a corporate that wants to decarbonize their supply chain, reducing the scope of emissions, if it's a business that directly wants to switch over to clean energy as cost effectively as possible. 314 00:25:37,328.0049474 --> 00:25:43,928.0049474 If it's a project of a village, we'll be able to provide carbon offsets and we'll also be able to provide the financing. 315 00:25:44,228.0049474 --> 00:25:47,138.0049474 And if it's a financer that wants to partner up with us, fantastic. 316 00:25:47,138.0049474 --> 00:25:48,723.0049474 Because we'll need all the help we can get. 317 00:25:48,738.0049474 --> 00:25:52,278.0049474 Marco, thank you so much for coming on to Green Business Impact. 318 00:25:52,278.0049474 --> 00:26:04,818.0049474 It's been great having you on talk about what you guys do at Decar Birth, all about carbon credits and what you guys are doing to really spur the development of solar energy projects down in South Africa. 319 00:26:04,818.0049474 --> 00:26:06,728.0049474 So thank you so much for coming on the show. 320 00:26:06,738.0049474 --> 00:26:07,8.0049474 Cool. 321 00:26:07,8.0049474 --> 00:26:07,488.0049474 Thank you. 322 00:26:07,578.0049474 --> 00:26:10,278.0049474 Just South Africa to start, the whole world is coming up next. 323 00:26:10,288.0049474 --> 00:26:11,548.0049474 Yeah, definitely. 324 00:26:11,728.0049474 --> 00:26:12,688.0049474 You much appreciated. 325 00:26:12,698.0049474 --> 00:26:13,688.0049474 You very welcome.
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