CO2mthink – Nerea Achucarro

They calculate the value in € of your CO2 emissions so that you can donate them to NGO projects in the areas most affected by climate change

How did you get started in the world of entrepreneurship?

I started CO2mpensamos as a way to solve social and environmental problems that were not being addressed or given any attention.

After several years working in various NGOs, both in Spain and in other countries, I realized that small NGOs that develop local projects, with few resources but a lot of impact, had a hard time receiving funding for their maintenance because they do not have the economic or human resources to dedicate to marketing or to seeking funding.

What is it like to be an entrepreneurial woman?

There are several words that define everyday life very well: uncertainty, perseverance, passion, purpose, resilience, roller coaster, alliances. Starting a business is not easy, few things in life that are really worth it are. It means getting up every day convinced that you are working for something good, something bigger than yourself, but you don't know if it will work out, or what the path is to achieve your goal. Many times you are afraid of making the wrong decision, but that is where it is very important to have a good team, which in my case are friends and family.

What drives you to start a business?

The confidence that things can be changed and improved. The certainty that this project is necessary, makes sense and will change many realities.

I wanted to give visibility to a problem that has not had any visibility until now and it is very important, because we must remember that nobody chooses where and how they are born, or often where they live. There are people who are in countries that are suffering dramatic situations due to climate change to which they have not contributed. If you ask me about the origin of the “entrepreneurial concern” I would tell you that it comes from my parents.

What is the biggest difficulty?

Starting a business is complicated, but starting a business in a social sense is even more complicated. I mean that your business model is not designed solely to make a profit. In fact, in my case, when I started, I didn't even know how I was going to make a living from this. The company is set up to generate the greatest possible social and environmental impact, to offer a new, fair way of offsetting the carbon footprint by serving those who suffer the most from the consequences of climate change, but there are also a series of expenses, a team to maintain. Without this, nothing works.

Do you think it is easy to find opportunities beyond geographical borders?

I know many colleagues from NGOs who, after spending many years with their headquarters in Spain, have decided to move their headquarters to other countries and have fared much better, they have received more financial support that has allowed them to continue developing their activity, sometimes in Spain. Other countries are much more supportive of social initiatives like this. At CO2mpensamos we have tried to ask banks for loans and on many occasions they were not prepared to receive requests for this type of project that seeks a social purpose beyond economic profitability.

Do you think that one of the biggest difficulties for female entrepreneurs is access to financing? What advice can you give to someone who is starting out in business?

It is certainly one of the biggest difficulties. To tell you the truth, and although there are already people who have wanted to offset their carbon footprint with us, we are still at that point where, if the project does not start to work, that is, if individuals and companies do not start to trust in this way of offsetting, in a few months I do not know what will happen. The reason for this is that until now I have had my own funds to launch the project and we have launched the famous FFF round.

I recommend having your own funds so that if things don't go as planned and you really believe in your idea, you'll be the first to back it. I also recommend that you keep in mind that it will be difficult but not impossible, be consistent, knock on a thousand doors and tell everyone about your idea. If it's good and makes sense, sooner or later the numbers will add up.

Do you think that women role models are important? Who is your role model?

I think it is very important. Knowing that someone has already been where you are, that even though you are afraid there are other women who have done it, gives you the strength to continue. I highly recommend finding out about other women who have taken the plunge, each in their own field. And that you listen to their interviews, their fears, their mistakes and how they have resolved them. This, apart from empowering and making you proud because you share something in common, gives you a lot of strength.

I would say that my two role models are, on the one hand (and she already knows this well) Arancha Martínez: founder of It-willbe and co-founder of Comgo and on the other, Alejandra Acosta: co-founder of Break the silence. Both are two examples of resilience and commitment to a cause.