Climate Insider had the opportunity to talk to Jessica Scopacasa, Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Olive Gaea, a leading Dubai-based Climate-Tech startup enabling organisations to take Climate action by automating and simplifying their Net Zero journeys. During the interview, Jessica talked about the features and capabilities of the groundbreaking new SaaS platform aptly named, ‘Zero by Olive Gaea,’ as well as the importance of communication in the sustainability space, combined with both the opportunities and challenges businesses face in climate tech. Jessica’s career is rooted in communication, public relations, and marketing, with 10 years of experience working with world renowned brands all over the world; she touched up on what inspired her shift to the sustainability field.
“As a PR professional, I realised very early on that there is absolutely no action that an organisation takes which does not have an impact – either on the environment, communities, societies and the larger economy. I became really interested in learning how to address those impacts, and to help organisations to not only move towards a more sustainable journey, but also to communicate it effectively.”
In the early days after founding Olive Gaea, Jessica and Vivek Tripathi, Co-Founder & CEO, supported clients in their carbon accounting and decarbonization activities in a consulting fashion. During this time, they realised that one of the biggest roadblocks that organisations face in transitioning towards sustainability was data gathering. “We had clients that were not able to provide this data for almost a year. It was a very painful and time consuming process for them.” The mission behind Olive Gaea’s Carbon Accounting Management Platform (CMAP), Zero, was to simplify the entire Net Zero journey, starting from the process of data gathering. “Zero” is a SaaS product that simplifies and streamlines data collection and analysis and enables automated and science-based carbon management providing AI-driven emissions projections and decarbonization pathways It also includes carbon offsetting, supply chain engagement, financed emissions’ assessment, and automated reporting features as per global standards and frameworks.
Jessica mentioned that “Zero” allows organisations to measure their carbon footprint real time and track the action they have been able to take in line with set regulations and Net Zero targets. She explained that while the climate data market in the MENA region is still relatively young, Olive Gaea provides a pioneering solution. “We are not only the very first climate tech startup in the UAE but also the first to offer a specific tool that automates the Net Zero journey, but we make sure that we address the unique challenges that MENA and India region face, with a solution tailored around their needs.”
The interview progressed to touch upon climate tech opportunities in the MENA region in general, and the Climate Insider team asked Jessica about the role Olive Gaea played in the market. Jessica mentioned that the MENA region is not yet as mature as regions like the US and Europe in terms of climate action and carbon footprint disclosure. She said, “We have invested a lot in educating organisations here. Yet, with COP28 coming up in Dubai, we are witnessing first-hand a remarkable shift in how UAE and GCC based organisations approach sustainability, and particularly decarbonization. It is very encouraging.”
Jessica mentioned that climate tech players in the UAE expect regulations around carbon accounting and reduction to be announced either at COP28 or soon after the Climate Change conference. “The UAE Ministry for Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) recently signed an MoU to set up a national carbon registry, which will lead to a more regulated carbon market.” Olive Gaea remains open to government collaboration, and according to Jessica, the government is currently playing a very eminent role in driving action towards decarbonization, encouraging organisations’ to take Net Zero pledges. Jessica specially emphasised on the role of netzero pledges in driving innovation and action around decarbonization.
Olive Gaea recently raised $1 million from Cornerstore Ventures. The team asked Jessica about investors’ attitude towards climate tech and about the process of securing the funds. “Raising funds in the current economic landscape is definitely challenging. ” She mentioned that finding the right investors that believe in your company’s purpose is key to success. “That’s exactly what happened with Olive Gaea when we connected with Cornerstone Ventures, who believed in the solution and the founders’ vision”.
As the interview came towards an end, Jessica shared some enlightening concluding thoughts on the future of the Climate Tech industry and the region’s mission to Net Zero as a whole. She mentioned that it remains a challenge for the climate tech space to find enough experts in decarbonization. “There is a huge opportunity for students to decide where to go, because there is a lack of expertise in this field.” She particularly mentioned that there is a lack of experts who understand the science behind climate change and are also able to communicate it well. Hence, there is a significant opportunity for students to master the blend of these skills: the science behind climate action and the skills to communicate the nuances of sustainability.
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