Small Business: Conservation’s Missing Catalyst? (with Carlos Chambers)

Written By Callum Armstrong

  • What if businesses could become a driving force behind positive environmental action, complementing and accelerating conservation efforts worldwide?

    Despite their significant impact on our planet, less than 10% of small businesses have measured their carbon footprint. 

    The perceived complexity of taking climate action has created a massive barrier - something Carlos Chambers experienced firsthand when his previous company's carbon measurement took an astonishing 130 hours to complete. This led him to start CarbonInvoice™ to help solve this problem using technology.

    In this episode of the People Helping Nature Podcast, we explore how businesses can move beyond the perception that environmental action is in the ‘too hard basket’ and instead embrace taking simple action to become a force for good.

    "The heroes of today are the scientists and the business people," Carlos explains. "I think that's broadly who society looks to, the people with the knowledge and then the people with the influence and the resources."

    Beyond digital solutions, Carlos also shares how connecting businesspeople directly with nature through native tree planting creates profound, lasting experiences. 

    These hands-on activities benefit ecosystems and plant seeds of environmental awareness that continue to grow long after participants return to their offices, potentially creating a future where business and conservation naturally grow together.

    Listen in as we explore how businesses are uniquely positioned to drive environmental progress in ways that complement traditional conservation efforts.

  • Here are some of the key topics we discussed:

    • The barriers preventing most small businesses from taking climate action to date.

    • How to overcome climate complexity by making action easy and rewarding.

    • The definition of greenwashing and the importance of transparency.

    • How competition and survival instincts can drive a "race to the top" in sustainability.

    • Why hands-on tree planting creates profound experiences for business teams.

    • The ripple effects when businesses take climate action in their communities.

    • Simple ways businesses can start their climate journey today.

    • And much more…

  • Carlos Chambers brings 12+ years of entrepreneurial experience across climate, fintech, and b2b software. He founded and successfully grew Common Ledger, a fintech and data business. Working with small businesses and their accounting data gave him deep insights into the domain. He combines this with his commercial law and climate advocacy background, giving him the ideal foundation of experience, skills and passion to build CarbonInvoice™.

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  • The People Helping Nature podcast is brought to you by Conservation Amplified, a registered New Zealand charity that’s on a mission to make biodiversity conservation mainstream.

    We do this by bringing a megaphone to the world of conservation by featuring people from all walks of life who are doing interesting and important things to help nature thrive. We aim to make it easy for everyone to learn, understand, take action, and feel like they’re a part of the solution.

    Find out more about Conservation Amplified at www.conservationamplified.org.

    🔗Connect with us:

Callum Armstrong
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Native Planting 101: Tips to Avoid Costly Mistakes (with Wayne O’Keefe)