Interview with Charlotte Horler, Founder of NULA Carbon

We caught up with Charlotte Horler, Founder of NULA Carbon, to talk all things from the importance of climate education to getting more voices behind the climate movement…
 

Tell us about Nula Carbon

 
Nula Carbon helps individuals and companies offset their unavoidable emissions by protecting threatened forests. Our approach to carbon offsetting is accessible and engaging, seeing as the start to much bigger change.

We have designed a range of packages that allow individuals to offset their own or their families’ lifestyles on a subscription basis. For the average adult residing in the UK, this means protecting 4.1 acres of forest each year. In addition, we have created a special edition ‘lockdown package’ to lock up the four months spent inside.

From a business perspective, whether a company is looking to enter the market with a climate-positive workforce or create a portfolio of projects that offer the right mix of carbon offsetting, carbon sequestration and social impact, Nula Carbon is here to tailor-make a laddered approach that works for every business.

We only purchase credits from projects that partner with the local communities surrounding the forests so that our carbon credits offer a triple win: forests, communities and the ecosystems that rely on them. We believe that by investing in people, we can help protect the planet.
 

 

How did you come up with the idea for the company?

 
I moved to Kenya in 2017 to work for an ethical manufacturer and community trust called SOKO Kenya. Whilst working for SOKO Kenya, I was living on a forest protection site run by Wildlife Works (our project partner).

Before moving out there, I had only heard about carbon offsetting in relation to flying or as a corporate strategy. The same could be said for my friends and family and I would often be met with blank stares or a general “oh that’s where you plant trees right?” response when I tried to explain the project. I realised that there was not enough information out there for smaller businesses or individual consumers like me.

Nor was there a platform that simplified the process so that carbon offsetting could be a feature of everyday life. I set up Nula Carbon to fill this gap, offering accessible climate education to help keep consumers’ climate active.
 

 What advice would you give to other aspiring female entrepreneurs?

 
I have been incredibly lucky to be surrounded by women who have taken the leap before me, from friends to former bosses, these women have offered me a lot of encouragement along the way. That being said, it has been very helpful to join a female founders network (Found and Flourish) where I am surrounded by women in a similar position to me.

So the first piece of advice would be to find a community that works for you. There are a number of great female founders networks around and these women will help celebrate your wins as well as offer advice when you need it. More importantly, if you are not sure about setting up a company, these groups will support you in taking your first steps. It can be very nerve-wracking making the change but don’t be afraid to take the leap.
 

What can we hope to see from Nula Carbon in the future?

 
We are really excited to be part of the movement to get everyone climate active. We see carbon offsetting as one of the first key steps for a much bigger change that we all can make. We want to create a community of climate challengers who want to do more even if right now, they don’t know how.

At the moment we are currently running our MVP but once we have proof of concept, we hope to offer our community tailored climate action suggestions according to their needs and interests. We are more powerful when we work together, so we hope by creating a platform that is accessible, we will start to hear more voices get behind the climate movement.