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Meet Thomas Annicq: Mapping Carbon Credits for our Planet #7

🌿 Hey Earth First Fam!


Welcome to newsletter #7!


This edition shines a spotlight on a true pioneer in the carbon credit cosmos, Thomas Annicq, the brain behind oneshot.earth. Get ready to embark on a journey from Belgium to the innovation hubs of the US, through the eyes of a visionary determined to accelerate our path to a sustainable future.


  1. What’s the Carbon Market? & Why Does it Matter?

  2. Who is Thomas Annicq? & What’s his Founding Story?

  3. What’s oneshot.earth’s Objective? & What are they building?



❄️ What's the Carbon Marketplace and Why Does it Matter? 


The Carbon Marketplace Simplified 💼


The carbon marketplace is where carbon credits are traded. These credits account for one ton of CO2 (or its greenhouse gas equivalent) that's either been captured or prevented from release, linking those who reduce emissions with those aiming to neutralize their carbon impact.


Journey Through Time: The Evolution of the Carbon Marketplace 🕰️


Embark on a six-decade journey through the carbon marketplace, kicking off with ‘60s-era pollution rights theories, through the landmark milestones of the '70s Clean Air Act amendments, and to the impactful carbon offset projects of the '80s. The narrative accelerates into the 21st century with the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and the historic Paris Agreement. It's a thrilling ride at the intersection of policy, economics, and environmental science, powered by groundbreaking research.


Voluntary Market vs Compliance Market ⚖️


The distinction between compliance and voluntary carbon markets is crucial in understanding global carbon reduction efforts.


Compliance markets are created as a result of any national, regional and/or international policy or regulatory requirement.


Voluntary carbon markets – national and international – refer to the issuance, buying, and selling of carbon credits, on a voluntary basis (typically involving corporations).


Purpose of Carbon Credits 🌱


Carbon credits enable entities to support eco-friendly projects, from reforestation to renewable energy, achieving carbon neutrality by balancing out emissions with reductions elsewhere.


Why Focus on Carbon Credits? 🔍


  • Boosts Climate Efforts: Encourages investment in sustainability, expediting the shift to a greener economy.

  • Drives Innovation: Spurs the development of new green technologies by valuing emission reductions.

  • Fosters Global Cooperation: Offers a way for worldwide collective action, where efforts in one region offset emissions in another.

  • Ensures Integrity: Proper standards can make the market a clear and accountable system for emission reduction.


Overcoming Challenges 🌎


The industry faces hurdles like ensuring the genuine impact of projects. Innovations, exemplified by platforms like oneshot.earth, seek to improve the credibility and utility of carbon credits, enhancing their role in climate strategy.

🌟 Thomas: The Eco-Visionary Extraordinaire




The Catalyst Behind oneshot.earth 🌱


Thomas's adventure begins in Belgium, a land renowned for its chocolates, beers, and now, an innovative climate entrepreneur! His pursuit of knowledge and impact led him to the prestigious halls of MIT, a breeding ground for forward-thinking and solutions to some of the world's most complex problems. It was here, amidst the intellectual rigor and entrepreneurial spirit, that Thomas's path took a definitive turn towards climate action.


From Startups to Climate Crusader ⚔️


Before becoming the climate champion we admire today, Thomas honed his entrepreneurial skills by co-founding and leading two startups to success. His journey through the highs and lows of startup life, culminating in the acquisition of his last company, provided him with invaluable insights and experiences.


However, it was his foray into angel investing in climate technologies that sparked a profound transformation. Witnessing firsthand the innovative solutions emerging to combat climate change, Thomas was both inspired and frustrated—inspired by the potential of these technologies and frustrated by the snail-paced progress in their adoption and impact.

It was at the back of my consciousness and I wasn't sure how or where my skills would apply. So as a result, I didn't dig in until I started looking at it from the investor side and I got hopeful because there are really cool technologies in the pipeline that will have a huge impact.

A Frustration Turned Fuel 🔥


The stark realization that change wasn't happening fast enough became the catalyst for Thomas's latest venture, oneshot.earth. His frustration with the slow pace of climate action, coupled with the realization of the untapped potential in the carbon market, compelled him to act. Thomas saw the need for a mechanism to finance and scale existing solutions—a vision that led to the creation of oneshot.earth, a platform aimed at revolutionizing the carbon credit market.

What you need is a financing mechanism for those existing solutions. The underlying asset of carbon markets are carbon credits. A carbon credit is a certificate of a climate action that happens. It’s not a promise to decarbonize or a technology that might exist and that’s really powerful.

A Mission to Accelerate Climate Action 🤝


At the heart of oneshot.earth lies Thomas's unwavering belief in the power of innovation to drive change. By tackling the complexities of the carbon market, Thomas and his team are not just creating a platform; they're building a movement. oneshot.earth stands as a testament to the idea that with the right tools and a relentless pursuit of integrity, the carbon market can become a pivotal force in our collective fight against climate change.


Get to Know Thomas!


Favorite Book: Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson for new team members at oneshot.earth



Favorite Mantra: "One ton of CO2 tackled today is way more important than one ton tomorrow."


Biggest Climate role model: Al Gore and the team from Project Drawdown


Wishes people knew about climate: “Regarding carbon credits, my hope for people to note is that they've heard about the bad ones, but they should be equally curious about the other end of the spectrum of good carbon credits.”


Most excited about for the future: “I think the world where this climate problem is fixed will actually really be a beautiful one. It will depend on a variety of solutions but ultimately nature will be a part of every single thing we do and there will be a lot more of it than there is today. So, I'm quite excited about that.”

🚀oneshot.earth: THE carbon marketplace



Introducing oneshot.earth, a trailblazing startup revolutionizing the carbon market. They're leveraging cutting-edge technology to ensure transparency, efficiency, and impact in carbon offsetting. Focusing their portfolio on methane, nitrous oxide, and refrigerants, they can avoid a carbon dioxide equivalent of 25 to 10,000+ tonnes of gas by abating only one tonne of actual gas.


The Carbon Solutions


oneshot.earth is transforming how businesses and individuals contribute to carbon neutrality. Through a unique platform, they're making it easier than ever to invest in verifiable, impactful carbon offset projects around the globe.


Here's a look at their offerings:


OSE Credits: a diversified, tradable, retireable offset. One OSE credit represents 1 ton of CO2e backed by high quality carbon credits in their carbon pool


Open Carbon Protocol: a blockchain based registry-alternative for project developers


Traditional Carbon Credits Criticism 🚫


Criticism of traditional carbon credits often centers on concerns that they allow for greenwashing by letting companies offset emissions rather than reduce them directly, coupled with doubts about the verification and permanence of carbon-saving projects. These issues have led to calls for stricter standards and greater transparency in the carbon credit market.

The main shift that needs to happen is that we need to consider emissions a liability. If it becomes a liability, then their decision to decarbonize becomes a very different decision. It becomes, how quickly can you stop contributing to creating new liabilities.

How oneshot.earth is Changing the Narrative 🔄


There’s two aspects to their work:


Crafting Transparency & Integrity: crafting top-notch, transparent documentation for a diverse carbon pool with unwavering integrity


Simplifying Investment & Participation: smoothing out the path so customers and investors can zoom into this space like a breeze, and capital flows into the market.


Setting Standards & Ensuring Quality 🔍


It's a game of supply and demand. On the supply front, it's all about how the standards are set.


For example: when a new study drops, it goes through a panel of brainiac domain experts, and after a rigorous review process, the stellar ones make the cut. They’ve taken a leaf out of that book and brought to life infrastructure to enable this peer review process.


Catalyzing Demand with Due Diligence 🔄


Drum roll, The Open Carbon Protocol! Now, flip the coin to the demand side, where waiting isn't a luxury they have. Navigating through what's available, which, let's be honest, varies wildly in quality. From high-integrity carbon credits to claims that barely hold water, the only way through is to roll up their sleeves and dive deep into due diligence.


Working with third parties like rating agencies, local counsels, and more to make their diligence publicly available so anyone can review the work. The credits are then put into a pool that continue to grow and diversify. Customers can purchase shares in that pool which are carbon credits themselves. It's about ensuring capital flows right where it can make a real difference, making it a thrilling ride from start to finish.


Driving a Sustainable Future 🌍


oneshot.earth is not just an ordinary voluntary carbon market startup; it's a movement towards a sustainable and equitable future. By integrating technology with environmental stewardship, they're setting new standards in the carbon offset industry and helping pave the way for a carbon-neutral world.

We want to close it off with a fun trivia!


Earth First Trivia (Find out next time!)

  • In what year was the concept of carbon credits officially introduced under the Kyoto Protocol to help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions?

  • In carbon offset projects, what term is used to describe the practice of planting or conserving forests to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, contributing to carbon credits?


That's all for now! Dive deep, stay curious, and together, let's champion the climate warriors like Thomas and oneshot.earth making a real difference.



Earth First 🌍✌️


Have any climate-related feedback or content topics you’d like to see in Earth First? Feel free to reach out team@theearthfirst.co 


If you are a climate tech startup or investor making real impact hit us up - we would love to chat! woovin@theearthfirst.co or haley@theearthfirst.co 


If you’d like to partner with us or be featured as a sponsor - reach out to evan@theearthfirst.co


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