There goes a profound Chinese proverb which says, "Follow your passion, and you won’t have to work a day in your life." Implementing it in daily life, investment banker Rishi Vaidya has been following his passion to combat climate change. Emerging from the new-age breed of social entrepreneurs, Rishi Vaidya has skillfully married his experience and passion into his entrepreneurial journey.
Drawing from his experience of debt restructuring and raising foreign funds, Mr. Vaidya works closely with governments and corporates to achieve carbon neutrality. “Traditionally carbon offsetting has been viewed with substantial scepticism; however achieving carbon neutrality is not optional anymore. We cannot be doing the same things and expect different results. Our aim is to make achieving carbon neutrality - cheaper, easier and faster”, says Rishi Vaidya.
Rishi’s team helps companies calculate their carbon emission and sets a roadmap for achieving carbon neutrality. Based on their network with international funds and sustainable projects, they can find the right match and marry the objectives of all stakeholders. Their business works actively on ground with renewable energy projects, while a team of specialists works with accreditation agencies to certify carbon credits. Since the categorisation of credits is important for market value and application of the credit, it is essential for the team to be updated on UNFCC policies and guidelines.
Speaking about the challenges in procuring carbon credits, Rishi Vaidya said “We are still in the nascent stages of the business, the industry as a whole is still finding its footing in the business landscape. The future will depend on the scalability of business by reaching every micro-project in the hinterlands. For this, we have placed our bets on technology and continue to explore new avenues to reach potential sources of carbon credits.”
Furthermore, talking about the market for carbon credits Rishi said “ESG compliance is crucial in the categorisation of credits and the quality of credits determines the price it fetches in global markets such as the ETS. The difference between a voluntary credit vs a compliance credit could be multi-fold. While we focus on optimising the value for the producer, it is our fiduciary duty to ensure the financial feasibility of the transaction for the buyer.”
Currently, Europe leads the way in carbon offset and has borne the brunt of teething problems with its early trading systems. However, over the past ten years, these exchanges have evolved into credible marketplaces with booming numbers. Asia and Africa, the major sources of producing these credits are however yet to experience the genesis of these carbon exchanges; which in turn could fuel the projects generating carbon credits.
This article is generated and published by FPJ focus team. You can get in touch with them on fpjfocus@fpj.co.in.
