How Zuno Carbon helps companies commit — to their carbon goals

"How They See It” is where we delve into the minds of those steering the ships of today’s most dynamic companies. In this instalment, we ask Hari Nair, CEO and Co-Founder of Zuno Carbon, about his work leading this innovative sustainability company. He shares his vision for reducing carbon footprints, the importance of promoting environmental responsibility, and the significance of empowering businesses and consumers to adopt sustainable practices with confidence and ease.

As Singapore works towards a green economy, it is introducing a number of new legislations to encourage companies to be more sustainable. One example is the recent introduction of mandatory climate disclosures, where listed and non-listed companies have to make climate-related disclosures. 

The strictness of legislation is only going to increase as the years pass and it becomes more crucial to resolve our climate issues. This means that companies increasingly have to improve their sustainability efforts. 

That’s where Zuno Carbon comes in. I work with a team of innovators to build a product that helps organisations understand their impact on people, the planet, and their purpose. Our mission is to provide these companies with the data they need to prioritise their decarbonisation efforts and make informed decisions that positively affect the environment. 

When I reflect on my journey, I never envisioned myself in this field — although I had an interest in sustainability, my academic background is in Aerospace Engineering. My entry into the field of sustainability was by sheer chance; right out of college, I landed a job at a small consulting firm in the environmental compliance sector. The young me thought it’d be a great opportunity to make an impact, considering the size of the firm, and that I’d regret not taking the chance to pursue my interest at least once. 

But I didn’t expect that this entry into the sustainability sector would change my life trajectory. Diving into the sustainability sector opened my eyes to the critical issues we face and how little control we currently have over them. I realised that there's so much to be done and that any contribution, no matter how small, can make a difference. No person or organisation is too big or too small for the task. 

Helping with commitment issues

This realisation encouraged me to co-found Zuno Carbon. 

At Zuno Carbon, we help companies know how much carbon they’re emitting and what their overall ESG performance is like. For many organisations, making sustainability commitments is easy, but fulfilling these commitments are much harder. Following through requires organisations to integrate sustainable practices into all levels of their operation. The large scale of necessary effort makes changes much harder and slower to implement.

Outsourcing data collection to an external organisation, like Zuno Carbon, allows companies to divert their resources into implementing change. With the data we provide about their state of sustainability, companies are able to focus on their decarbonisation efforts and take actions that positively impact the planet.

One common misconception about our work is that it's solely about carbon credits and monetisation, but we aren't a carbon marketplace or in the business of carbon credits. Instead, our work helps with the steps that precede any purchase of carbon credits.

Finding a better fit

Co-founding a climate tech startup has also enabled me to assist companies more effectively. My previous role as a climate consultant did present me with the opportunity, however, consulting is often a one-time exercise that stops with a deliverable. With Zuno Carbon, I can work with companies at various points of their sustainable journey, providing end-to-end solutions.

Due to the wide scope of work that we do, Zuno Carbon utilises artificial intelligence (AI) and our data science capabilities to provide actionable insights more efficiently. This scalability is one of the most significant advantages of working in a tech startup compared to traditional consulting.

Still, deliverables are just the beginning. Once companies start taking sustainability metrics as seriously as other business KPIs like revenue, margin, or operational expenses, I will know my work has been successful. And when sustainability-related metrics are meticulously tracked and planned, it indicates a crucial shift in mindset — a mindset shift that is necessary to achieve substantial and lasting improvements in sustainability.

Growing pains

While the scalability afforded by Zuno Carbon is advantageous for the work I’m doing, running a start-up poses its own unique challenges.

Maintaining company culture as we scale occupies a significant proportion of my attention. When it was just me and the other two co-founders, we resolved things fairly easily and quickly. Now, with a larger team of brilliant minds, I find myself balancing between being a friend and a boss. 

It's a challenge to maintain the close-knit culture we had when we were smaller, but building a cohesive and motivated team while scaling up operations is necessary for our continued success.

Outside of the internal structure of the company, we also face a number of hurdles that make the road ahead more difficult. 

These three things would make jumping these hurdles easier: dedicated budgets for sustainability teams, universal acceptance of the science behind climate change, and patience to see positive results.

Once these are addressed, we will also need patience. Sustainable change takes time, and it's crucial for governments, companies, activists, and consumers to understand this. Meaningful and lasting change cannot happen overnight, and stakeholders must be aware of the necessity of waiting in order to see the fruits of their sustainability initiatives. 

Hope for the future

Despite these hurdles, there are a number of positive indicators that make me feel more assured about our shared future. 

Five years ago, climate tech was considered a niche industry. Today, it’s one of the industries that remains resilient in spite of the tumultuous economic landscape. 

In the next five years, I hope we will see dedicated budgets, widespread acceptance of climate science, and patience for sustainable results, which would put us well on our way to achieving global net-zero targets and Sustainable Development Goals. One can hope!

No matter what, I’m happy I stumbled into sustainability. As cliché as it sounds, I wouldn’t have chosen any other way.