The Unravel Carbon team was in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt for the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27). It was a privilege to participate in the world’s largest annual gathering on climate action
We previously shared a Q&A with our co-founder about our participation in COP27, as well as the hopes and expectations of our sustainability team for this event. Give them a read if you haven’t already.
In this piece, we share our experience participating in COP27 and the activities that we were involved in during the event.
Participating in the Singapore Pavilion
At COP, countries have the opportunity to put together a pavilion where they can showcase their research and expertise, and host events for attendees. For the first time, Singapore had a pavilion where they highlighted a wide range of initiatives, innovations, and partnerships, and provided a platform for discussions around climate action.
One of the key attractions in the pavilion was the large interactive displays where visitors could scroll and browse through stories showcasing how various partnerships and initiatives are leveraging Singapore as a sustainability hub to address climate change. The Unravel Carbon team showcased the inspiring stories of the mission-driven brands we work with such as Cariuma, SaladStop! and GFG.
The Singapore Pavilion has been the base for our team during COP27. The pavilion hosted multiple sessions for every Thematic Day. On Decarbonization Day (November 11th) our co-founders got to participate in some of those sessions. Read on to find out more.
Decarbonization Day: Panel - Decarbonization Logistics
Our co-founder Marc Allen participated in a panel about decarbonizing logistics with Michelle Lee of SingPost, Zhiquan Yeo of A*STAR, and which was moderated by Thomas Knudsen of Toll Group. The panel shared some insights on how to pursue a green agenda and how different sectors can work together toward the goal of reaching net zero by 2050.
According to the panelists, having credible data in the sector allows for better transparency between companies and their consumers. Marc offers that “we need to be transparent by shining a light on the information we do have and how we got there…if it appears as if people are not telling the whole story or if the story they are telling is overwhelmingly positive then there is a pretty high chance there is some greenwashing happening for marketing and messaging purposes.”.
You can watch the session on-demand here: https://www.cop-pavilion.gov.sg/Site/Vod?id=P9lM5wwCYJyWvEw8/oKtR4/GE|XR0hJx6F5T5B6FFSFueiI5BYxxpu8UUsIKUXNQ
Decarbonization Day - Fireside Chat: Investing in ClimateTech in Emerging Nations
Our co-founder Grace Sai participated in a fireside chat with the Managing Director of venture capital firm Sequoia Capital in India and Southeast Asia Rajan Anandan. They discussed the state of ClimateTech investments in emerging nations, as well as the opportunities for founders and investors in those markets.
ClimateTech encompasses more than just electric vehicles; it also includes solar grids, biomass energy, battery fuel cells, and more. “We have gone from meeting maybe one ClimateTech entrepreneur a month [two years ago], to now probably meeting a ClimateTech entrepreneur every day in our region, and my hypothesis would be that, in the next year or two, we will be meeting four or five a day,” Rajan Anandan says. His goal is to find and financially support entrepreneurs who are trying to solve very large climate problems.
Grace Sai says she started her third company Unravel Carbon because it was the most obvious course of action. “It’s a no-brainer - what problem is more important than the climate right now?”. Grace hopes the carbon data that Unravel Carbon collects on emissions across the globe will be accessible to consumers everywhere.
The panel also discussed the large employment opportunities in the transition to a low carbon economy. These jobs can range from financial professionals that help consult with companies to help structure their carbon deals to field workers such as auditors that go out and can verify credits and buildings.
You can watch the session on-demand here: https://www.cop-pavilion.gov.sg/Site/Vod?id=5j62JYqmuWpFJaD7ZGmGShu87ZuWp6kbq8IuUJZr42dYztXzrgoLqnEMmTLLxOg6
Meeting our partners and friends
COP27 has also been a fantastic opportunity to meet some of our partners and friends from all around the world. We’re lucky to be working with some leading organizations that share our values. After countless Zoom calls with them, we were able to finally meet some of them in person.
Participating in COP27 has been a unique and meaningful experience for our team. Our co-founder Marc previously shared how it’s been something he’s wanted to do for some years.
We came back from this event even more inspired and motivated by the urgency to accelerate the participation of all companies, big and small, in the global fight against climate change.
We’ve been sharing our journey at COP27 on LinkedIn. Follow us if you’d like to receive regular updates from us.
