Tech Nation’s Carolyn Dawson says tech companies can have an impact on mitigating climate change
TechNation/Founders Forum
Ironically, while a significant portion of tech entrepreneurs are focused on mitigating climate change, the innovation economy as a whole is playing a key role in driving ever-higher emissions. From the co-working sector to server farms, computers as a whole are consuming more and more electricity, creating huge carbon emissions in the process.
So what can be done? UK energy supplier Octopus Energy has partnered with entrepreneurial networking platform Tech Nation to relaunch an initiative designed to help businesses of all sizes reduce their emissions, while also giving climate tech startups the opportunity to speak to CEOs, CTOs and government officials. Earlier this week I spoke to Tech Nation CEO Carolyn Dawson and Octopus Energy product marketing manager Rebecca Dibb-Simkin about the thinking behind the plans and the potential opportunities for startups.
First, some background: Tech Nation was originally founded as a government-backed organisation to support entrepreneurs in the innovation economy, but it all but disappeared when public funding was withdrawn in 2023. A few months later, Tech Nation was acquired by Founders Forum, and many of its programs and activities have continued since then, with a particular focus on networking and peer support to help entrepreneurs thrive. Founded in 2015 by current CEO Greg Jackson, Octopus specialises in renewable energy, from generation to retail supply.
The first version of Tech Zero was launched in 2021 by energy company Bulb (later acquired by Octopus) and Tech Nation. As Dave Simkins explains, its aim was simply to provide a forum where technology companies could discuss ways to reduce their carbon footprint.
“The aim was to ensure tech companies understand their emissions and put themselves at the centre of the fight to net zero,” she said.
Encouraging technology businesses to take the lead
TechZero was joined by hundreds of companies, including some of the UK’s established innovation economy brands such as Monzo and Starling Bank. TechNation’s Carolyn Dawson says the tech startup and scaleup sector was, and will remain, a natural focus for the initiative.
“Tech companies are often early adopters due to their entrepreneurial and proactive nature, which means we can make an impact sooner as they are more likely to want to engage with startups operating in this space. It’s really been a win-win from our perspective,” she says.
But what does that mean in practice? Dawson points to an event planned for September where business leaders will hold a roundtable to discuss more sustainable ways and means. There will be an opportunity for people working in climate tech to talk to more tech companies and explain their proposed solutions, Dawson says.
“This issue has been discussed for a long time, but there is still education on the tools that can help companies support these goals,” she says. “For us, it’s not just about building a network of peers, it’s also about driving business-to-customer relationships. There are still many companies developing in this space and providing software and data solutions.”
Creative Solutions
As Dibs-Simkins highlights, the need for solutions has never been more urgent: “When TechZero started, technology was responsible for 2% of global emissions. Now it’s 8%,” she says. “So there are different levels: on the one hand, the tech industry is one of the big contributors to emissions. On the other hand, you have people with the brains, the creative thinking, the courage to solve the problems.”
Dibs-Simkins hopes the TechZero program will also help find new solutions. He points to the relaunched initiative’s opening event: a hackathon where developers were invited to come up with emission-reducing concepts. The winning entry, called Starfish, is a platform that allows “solar communities” to buy and sell surplus energy with each other, building a decentralized network. Will it happen? Dibs-Simkins says he hopes to see this and other hackathon products developed. On that point, we’ll just have to wait and see.
The Big Picture
Dawson’s conversation with Dibbs-Simkins came on a day of big news for renewable energy in the UK. The newly elected Labour government revealed details of its plans to create a clean electricity company, Great British Energy, and announced contracts to free up more seabed for the construction of offshore wind turbines. Meanwhile, to underscore the urgency, statistics from the Met Office confirmed what most people already knew: climate change is making the country hotter and wetter, and more rain means not only more flooding, but more sewage overflows.
But do government efforts to mitigate climate change extend to an interest in solutions developed by startups? Or more precisely, can TechZero help build the connections? “We see ourselves as a voice for founders and building a bridge between founders and policymakers,” Dawson says.
Dawson says there is a real role for governments to play in supporting climate innovation. She points to the example of pension industry reform, which she says could lead to more investment in the sector. “We have real strengths and a position to be a leader in this space.” In that regard, creating connections between founders and governments is a priority.
So how can startups get involved? To date, Octopus and Tech Nation have been tapping into their existing community to get people involved while also attracting new talent through social media and other channels. With 400 companies already on board, the initiative is free and open to everyone.
