Decarbonizing SMEs with Simon Allain, Founder at Carbon University

Welcome to the 2nd edition of CheckPod, our weekly newsletter brought to you by Fitcheck. Here, we will engage with industry pioneers, startup founders, venture capitalists, and corporate executives in discussions about innovation, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and much more.

At?Fitcheck, our goal is to build a superapp for sustainable fashion. We empower fashion resellers with social media-like features for promoting their products. Resellers can earn points by reducing carbon emissions, which are redeemable for cultural activities or donations to NGOs. We're backed by?Draper University,??Tü ?ekirdek,?Esade, and?Microsoft for Startups.

In this edition, we're delighted to introduce Simon Allain , the Founder of Carbon University . Simon embarked on his professional journey in the luxury and fashion sector after earning his business degree from 法国HEC管理学院 and 西班牙Esade商学院 . During this time, he discovered a growing passion for sustainability, which would later become the focal point of his career.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I'm Simon, 33 years old, from France. After studying business at HEC and ESADE, I began working in the luxury and fashion sector in marketing positions. I really enjoyed working in this sector because of its constant need for creativity and the amount of care and effort that goes into each product.

I worked on several sustainability projects but they were always "on the side", not at the core of the company's business model.

The brands I worked for wanted to look sustainable but did not want to rethink their whole model. After a few years, this approach did not feel "enough" for me, so I decided to plunge into the unknown and take a job at the French Red Cross. That was the beginning of my "impact" second career.

What’s Carbon University?

Carbon University is an e-learning platform. We enable SMEs to learn how to measure and reduce their CO2 emissions in compliance with the main international norms.

The goal is to upskill their teams so they can conduct a CO2 inventory, set reduction targets, and define an action plan themselves. It is more affordable for them than hiring a consultant, and this way, they can update the inventory every year, internally.

How did Carbon University start?

I was working in the NGO sector on social impact projects. Our sponsors and partners often asked for environmental impact metrics on projects, and we did not have a clue. So, I took training in CO2 inventory following the Greenhouse Gas Protocol and started measuring CO2 footprints on several projects. I realized that for many organizations that are not too big or complex, it is possible with good training to conduct an internal CO2 inventory of good quality.

To meet the Paris agreement targets, every company will eventually have to measure and reduce its emissions, so I thought it necessary to offer an e-learning program accessible to all companies and managers.

How was your experience at LVMH, Inditex & L'Oréal?

The first part of my career, in luxury and fashion, was a great learning experience. I was fortunate to work with experts and highly creative people in marketing or fashion design. Every collection or product launch was an adventure, but I was missing a bigger goal.

What advice would you give to those aspiring to become startup founders?

Don't think it will be easy. Getting your first clients can be extremely hard. Test your idea as much as you can before quitting your job, creating the company, or investing money in your business.

Who or what inspires you the most?

In terms of resilience, my grandma is truly an inspiration. In her life, she has always carried on and stayed true to her values even when giving up was a more comfortable option.

What are you listening to these days?

I like to listen to “Le premier bonheur du jour” by Fran?oise Hardy in the morning. In this song, she sings about the small things that make her happy at the beginning of the day.

What’s one habit that improves your productivity?

Running a to-do list with tasks in 4 columns for today, tomorrow, this week, this month, and I move items from one column to another.

For me, it’s the right format. It’s easy to manage, and in a quick glance, I can see how busy I’ll be.

How do you incorporate sustainability in your daily life?

I calculated my CO2 footprint for 2022, and it’s primarily due to meat and flights. So this year, I tried to replace meat with tofu or eggs when I eat at home and to take the train when I could instead of flying. It's not always easy. I recently spent 9 hours on a train from Berlin to Paris, and my boyfriend hates when I cook tofu, but I know it makes a big difference on my scale.

Quote that you love?

I love the famous quote attributed to Gandhi, “be the change you want to see in the world.”

Although he never actually said that. Apparently, it's a simplified version of what he expressed in one of his speeches, but to me, it communicates in a few words what I feel.

Global warming cannot be solved by a person, or even a million people, but acting in line with your values, trying to make a difference at your scale, is necessary to accelerate societal change.