Episode 3: The business of offsetting your carbon footprint with Dave Rouse

Pictured above: Dave Rouse at COP26.

In this episode of Sustainably Ever After, Lilah sits down with Dave Rouse, the Founder of CarbonClick, a business focused on helping individuals and businesses offset their carbon emissions.

Dave Rouse is a social entrepreneur and sustainability advocate with a background in engineering and aviation. He founded CarbonClick to empower individuals and businesses to take meaningful action against climate change through transparent carbon offsetting solutions.

Dave shares his journey into entrepreneurship, and reflects on his experiences with various businesses, always integrating sustainability into their core values. He explains the mechanics of CarbonClick’s platform, detailing how it integrates with booking systems to offer real-time carbon offset options and maintains transparency in how funds are used. Dave also shares with Lilah how his experiences at international conferences, such as previous editions of COP, have shaped his understanding of sustainability challenges and successes in various contexts.

Episode highlights

Interest in sustainability: Dave shares his upbringing in the bush and how his close connection to nature shaped his values around sustainability and environmental responsibility.

Entrepreneurship journey: From studying medicine to engineering and flying, Dave discusses his diverse educational background and how it led him to entrepreneurship. 

Benefits for business in offsetting: Learn about the inspiration behind CarbonClick, its mission, and how it provides a transparent way for consumers and businesses to offset their carbon emissions during transactions, particularly in the airline industry. The conversation also highlights the importance of supporting nature-based solutions, including indigenous reforestation projects that help absorb carbon and enhance biodiversity.

Business advice: Dave offers advice for businesses on a sustainability journey, emphasising the need for businesses to balance environmental goals with financial sustainability, arguing that overextending efforts can be counterproductive.

Get in touch

Website – nzbusiness.co.nz/podcasts
Instagram – @sustainablyeverafterpodcast

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Find out more about CarbonClick

Website – carbonclick.com
Instagram – @carbon.click
X – @carbonclick

A special thanks to sponsors of this podcast, OfficeMax, whose vision it is to empower sustainable and successful workplaces. Learn more about how they can help your business at www.officemax.co.nz.