Thibault Lesueur

💡 Do you want to learn more about the B Corp movement and whether certification could be useful for your company? Join B Lab Europe and Flagship Impact tomorrow for a free webinar - they'll be guiding you through how you can use the free impact assessment tool & answering any questions you may have. Want extra brownie points? Let me know if you've signed up, I'd love to know who's interested 😃

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I have marveled at how ill-informed, misleading, and flat out wrong much of the media coverage on the #EUDR has been. This article is another case in point. It's critique of the EUDR boils down to a simplistic dichotomy of trade good, regulation bad. It erroneously frames the regulation as dreamed up by EU bureaucrats to impose onerous trade restrictions on impoverished former colonies. Let me try and correct some of the glaring errors. 1) Demand-side regulations, including the EUDR, did not just magically appear but were discussed and debated for years with a wide range of stakeholders, including from #forest countries. Indeed, tropical timber imports into the EU have long been subject to import regulations under the #EUTR. 2) Regulation became inevitable after decades of investment in voluntary measures failed to stem the tide of deforestation. And stopping #deforestation, is absolutely essential to avoiding catastrophic #climatechange. 3) The framing of the regulation as punishing poor countries and protecting rich ones does not account for that smallholder associations are supporting the regulation, seeing it as a path to formal land tenure recognition and technically simpler and cheaper to comply than achieving a voluntary certification standard. 4) Many, many major companies support demand-side regulations. These companies that have invested millions in monitoring systems and buying certified commodities at a premium, but currently compete with free riders who do not make these investments. Regulation levels the playing field and gives early adopters a competitive advantage. 5) Regulations have created a thriving due diligence service industry that is spurring innovation and lowering compliance costs. Ya know, FT, regulations don't just regulate markets, they also create them. All this is not to sat that the #EUDR is perfect. It isn't. The EU has committed some own goals such as not making more provision for smallholder support, properly preparing competent authorities, and starting the Due Diligence Statement system development much too late. But this article - including most like it - proposes no alternatives or fixes other than a delay. As a founder of a company that offers an EUDR compliance technology, we don't need delay. We'll be ready. And I am sure my service provide peers agree with me, because our customers are counting on us. https://lnkd.in/erZtNMzt

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🌍 Climate Change: The Race Against Time As we sprint towards a sustainable future, climate tech startups are blazing trails with revolutionary solutions. But there's a hurdle we can't ignore: the Series B funding gap. Why does this matter? 🤔 1️⃣ Climate tech startups often require significant capital to scale their technologies and make a real impact. 2️⃣ The gap between early-stage funding and later rounds can be a make-or-break moment for these companies. 3️⃣ Without proper funding, potentially game-changing climate solutions may never reach their full potential. So, how do we build this bridge? 💡 🌱  Encourage the creation of specialized climate tech growth funds. 🏦 Engage traditional financial institutions in the climate tech space. 📖 Master the art of climate impact storytelling. As investors and industry professionals, we have a unique opportunity to support these innovations and drive meaningful change. 🤔 What are your thoughts on this funding gap? Have you experienced or observed this challenge in the climate tech sector? Let's discuss in the comment section : 👉 How can we work together to unlock the full potential of climate tech solutions and accelerate our path to a sustainable future? 🌍💚 Your insights are invaluable as we push the boundaries of innovation. Speaking of which... 📣 While we've been forging powerful partnerships left and right, we are preparing our next announcement…. Stay tuned for our company's next big move. Join us today and don’t miss our next #announcement 👉 https://www.keenest.co/ #ClimateAction #TechForGood #SustainableInvesting #InnovationFunding

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📚 We have just finalized the English version of our white paper ‘Reference framework for IT department's climate strategy’🌍 ✅ In this document, you will find : 🗣️ Customer testimonials & REX to inspire you 📘 Concise content that's easy to read and put into practice 🔍 An exploration of proven methods and practical tools for integrating climate into your IT and digital practices 📊 Suitable for all levels of maturity Stay on top of the latest news in IT climate management! 🌱 🔗 Download your free copy now : https://lnkd.in/gmt-25Be #ClimateStrategy #WhitePaper #SustainableIT

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#EarthObservation the new solution ?  For Ecosia, already known as the tree-planting search engine, this is part of the solution ! 🌱 Teaming up with Kanop, a french startup using space data, Ecosia will better monitor its #reforestation projects and quantify its impact in terms of the amount of CO2 they suck out of the atmosphere    How does it work ?  1️⃣ Kanop collects optical, radar and Light Detection and Ranging satelite imagery from NASA, ESA, and JAXA 2️⃣ Kanop uses this data to train its AI algorithms 3️⃣ Kanop can create a digital twins of the forest containing a wealth of informations on the amount of biomass in the forest In good hands, satellite data have the power to restore ecosystems better so that they can effectively act as carbon sinks 🌍   Thank you Ecosia for your work ! 👏   #Innovation #Sustainability #Reforestation #HealthierEarth #DigitalTwins #Satellite #Data

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🔓To unlock regenerative business, we need new models of business ownership! Check out Julie Menter and Erinch Sahan's article in Pioneers Post published today. 💪Some good quotes: - Investors [...] might support your mission when it helps those financial parameters, but challenge it where returns are below expected benchmarks - Alternative Ownership Enterprises (AOEs) have demonstrated better financial performance, lower turnover, improved job quality, and higher wages, while expanding wealth-building opportunities to more people and reducing gender and racial inequality - The question that faces us now is not whether Alternative Ownership Enterprises are desirable (socially, ecologically and economically), but how to ensure they are financed. This requires innovation and ambition not just among entrepreneurs, but among investors as well 📰 Read the full article here:  https://lnkd.in/g_K-r6kR

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We agree, Transform Finance! This is a great reminder of why we need new models of business #ownership - and how business leaders and investors can shift their practices to accelerate the changes we need to see. 👍

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These next weeks will be packed with events. One I'm particularly looking forward to is at home in Barcelona, where I live. I'll host the panel on impact investment at the Impact Summit of the French Tech Barcelona community at the Norrsken Barcelona space. I've been part of building the European Impact Investment space since it started picking up speed. I was very enthusiastic about it, and to some degree I still am. Impact Venture Capital (high risk/high return) has a role to play, but it's increasingly becoming clear that this role is limited. VC as an instrument is inherently limited to hypergrowth. There is one system change strategy at which VC excels: Build a new model that's so good that it can't be ignored (think Tesla). It's becoming clear that for many systemic change strategies, impact VC might not be the best fit. We need alternative models with longer time horizons, lower return expectations, and diverse funding options to create the changes our world needs. I appreciate the French Tech Barcelona community for their willingness to challenge ourselves to think beyond traditional VC frameworks and consider how we can collectively drive systemic change. I'm looking forward to this panel to explore new ways to optimise for systemic change over shareholder returns and ensure that our investments lead to truly positive impacts.

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🌍 **New Regulatory Update in France: Emissions Reporting Compliance Now Comes with Hefty Fines** 🌍 Here it comes... France has long mandated that companies inform customers about the greenhouse gas emissions associated with their transport activities. Previously there have been no penalties for those failing to comply. But not anymore! There will be significant penalty for non-compliance, introducing fines that can reach up to four figures in euros. That is surely more costly than not doing anything in the first place? Get in touch to see how we can help you. 🔗 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ezbTsDhn #sustainability #compliance #regulations

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This is quite accurate.

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The 2024 edition of our climate tech VC infographic shows all the momentum & growth in VC funds covering the climate space. We mapped out seed, early stage and growth stage climate coverage across Europe & UK, US & North America, APAC, Africa and the Middle East. We also tried to split the map by funds with specific climate angles, climate generalists, deep tech funds and impact first funds. Many funds cover multiple verticals, stages and geographies at once. There are a few ways to cut this cake. What matters is that your fund is included 🚀 if we missed you, please add yourself here: https://lnkd.in/gjCUbBcA Would you like to get our next rounds of research and VC infographics? Make sure not to miss the next releases by signing up here: https://lnkd.in/gNJRHZP9

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Is the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) helping companies scam their customers through false climate claims? 💁 In a world where our climate commitments are as crucial as our financial ones, understanding the role of carbon credits and emissions accounting isn't just for experts—it's essential for everyone. The SBTi, is a key player in corporate climate action and lately, they have been at the heart of a heated debate and public scrutiny… Why? They have recently discussed allowing the companies (who set their climate goals with SBTi) to offset their Scope 3 emissions using carbon credits (the first draft of the specific details should be released in July). Why the scrutiny? Critics, including the NewClimate Institute, argue that the move undermines the scientific rigor and process of the SBTi. It’s thought that this move could weaken the overall effectiveness of corporate climate commitments by enabling businesses to continue emitting at high rates while using credits to meet targets nominally. I don’t get why those “critics” go to the borderline concept of the companies not doing anything anymore after offsetting some part of Scope 3. As scope 3 includes companies indirect emissions that occur in a company’s value chain then offsetting those emissions is extremely hard and in many cases even close to impossible. If we want the companies to actually take those goals seriously they at least need to be realistic. Disruptive anyway (the whole ESG and CSR is) but still realistic. Thinking that allowing companies to offset their Scope 3 is a backlash on all the scientific efforts just seems shortsighted and spiteful. Those discussions are critical to keep the integrity of the climate efforts but we still need to think about the initial goal - becoming carbon neutral by 2050. So now - is allowing companies to invest in climate action (ultimately carbon credits) helping us achieve the goal or is it somehow disrupting us from achieving this goal? The answer is obvious - It helps and incentivises as the hurdle of achieving Scope 3 neutrality becomes achievable. But then again the offsetting needs to be allowed only: 1️⃣ In some proportion to make companies also take a look at their value chains 2️⃣ After companies have made their own efforts (insetting) towards carbon neutrality (actually reduced their emissions in-house) 3️⃣ In a transparent, regulated way that avoids greenwashing and false information What do you think about the situation and the companies using carbon credits to offset their emissions? It would be very interesting to hear your thoughts on that topic Elina Vahi #sustainability #carboncredits

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#Foodwaste has an outsized impact on global GHG emissions🌍 Curious about how AI can drastically reduce this? Follow our journey at GoNiña! 🐧🍽 #ZeroWaste #MaximumTaste #GoNiña

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Great piece by Shely Aronov! "I believe Climate Inc. often means trying to convince corporations to pay for things that don’t benefit their bottom line. That’s why many climate startups struggle as they look for revenues: Corporations want concrete benefits, not the more diffuse value of helping the planet. Over-indexing on sustainability helps founders raise capital from climate investors, but they are the only group willing to allocate capital to the cause." I would just add that savvy climate tech VCs are definitely investing in startups that make wide commercial adoption & customer obsession key tenets while building their companies. #climatetech #climateVC #startups

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Advocating for “degrowth” is dangerous. The 10th planetary boundary is the reason why. Unfortunately, today is the perfect day to talk about the 10th planetary boundary and the dangers of "degrowth." ---- This is the first post in a 5-part series on degrowth. Part 2: https://t.ly/nBF1A Part 3: https://t.ly/gc7da Part 4: https://t.ly/wSca6 Part 5: https://t.ly/hoNNX ---- The European Union elections finished yesterday, and far-right parties were big winners. The Green party “emerged in all but tatters” and “climate-friendly liberals also suffered a massive blow." And the EU climate plan "has become a major political liability." 👉 This illustrates why advocating for degrowth is dangerous. 1️⃣ If you’re not familiar with the concept of the nine planetary boundaries, the idea (according to the Stockholm Resilience Center) is that there are natural processes that regulate the stability and resilience of Earth. We need to stay within what they can handle. (More on the 9 boundaries in the first comment.) That means we need broadly shared prosperity – including raising the standard of living of those who don’t have enough – that also stays within ecological boundaries. So far so good. 2️⃣ But degrowth advocates say that we must *reduce economic growth* in order to make this happen. That’s dangerous. It’s dangerous because it runs smack into what I call the 10th planetary boundary: individuals’ aspirations. (I wrote a bit about individual aspirations in my post on the three simultaneous races we have to run: https://lnkd.in/eneT5-7t.) 👉 People don’t want to be told that they should be poorer. If you tell them that’s your plan, they’ll vote against you – and for the parties that say sustainability doesn’t matter. This is exactly what happened in this weekend’s EU elections. ❗ If you think the planet is going the wrong direction now, just wait until governments are run by people who say the climate crisis is a hoax. Now, degrowth advocates say they don’t want people to be poorer, but rather to end GDP growth and then redistribute wealth, while focusing on things people truly need. 👉 But even if that's possible, it doesn’t matter what you say, it matters what people hear. If people hear that “everybody who is above the current mean world income ([$]16 per day) [would be] driven down to this mean” – and it isn’t clear that's false – it’s over. They vote for your opponents. 🔹 More meaning and less *material* consumption can be popular – just look at Marie Kondo. But “degrowth”? There’s a reason that even sympathetic researchers say that 👉 “it is clear that a degrowth transition faces tremendous political barriers…‘abandoning economic growth seems politically impossible.’ ” 👈 The end goal – a sustainable, equitable economy – is a good one. But degrowth isn’t the way to get there.   (Tomorrow, I’ll cover more of the specific arguments for degrowth and what they're missing.) #sustainability #growth #degrowth #climate

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BREAKING: EU's game-changer for circular products! If everyone lived like Europeans, we would need 3 planets to sustain our needs. And it costs money too! Consumers lose € 12 billion / year from choosing new products over repairs in the EU. That's why 18th of July, the EU rolled out ESPR, a game-changing regulation, which will enforce: ✅ extended ecodesign ✅ labeling requirements ✅ digital product passports ✅ circular public procurement ✅ no destruction of unsold goods ... and much more... These are massive, structural changes that go to the core of manufacturing. Design. Procurement. Life extension. At scale. Now we are talking! 📌 PS: If you liked this post, you'll love my free newsletter, The Loop. Get weekly actionable tips and success stories on how to master the circular economy here: https://lnkd.in/e-Xd-E8c #circulareconomy #wastemanagement #sustainability

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🌍 Calling all sustainability founders! Want to know more about fundraising options for your business? Join us for an exclusive "Ask Me Anything" session with ClimateTech founders in light of Earth Day. 📅 Date: Thursday 25th April 🕧 Time: 12:30 PM 🌐 Location: Zoom In the evolving investment world, investors are increasingly seeking sustainable opportunities, and crowdfunding is emerging as a strategic choice for innovative ClimateTech companies. We want to provide the opportunity for founders who are considering fundraising with Seedrs to speak to those who have been through the process. That’s why we’ve invited Sonichem and GT Green Technologies to join us for an “Ask Me Anything” discussion. What's in store? 💡 Gain insights from Eduardo Cannizzo, Seedrs Senior Associate, on the investment landscape for ClimateTech and the advantages of crowdfunding. 🙌 Success Stories: Hear directly from the founders of Sonichem and Green Technologies, who have successfully raised funds with Seedrs. 🤔 Interactive Q&A: Have specific questions? Get them answered live! Discover everything from strategic insights to practical fundraising tips. This session is perfect for entrepreneurs within the sustainability or ClimateTech space seeking to understand more about the potential of crowdfunding to elevate their business. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from those who've been through the process! Register here: https://bit.ly/3Qafu4p #ClimateTech #Crowdfunding #Seedrs #EarthDay #StartUpFunding #TechInnovation #AskMeAnything

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