How to Use LCAs for VC Investments - Dr Benedikt Buschpies (Planet A Ventures)
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Show Notes
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This week, we’re joined by Dr. Benedikt Buchspies, a scientist at Planet A Ventures, one of Europe's leading climate-tech VC funds. Benedikt has been pioneering the use of lifecycle assessments (LCAs) in venture capital for years and is showing that science + VC = impact.
In this episode, we cover:
* What an LCA is and how it measures climate impact
* Why most VCs ignore environmental data (and why they shouldn’t)
* How impact and financial returns align in early-stage startups
* The challenges of modeling long-term systemic impact
* What VCs should do to implement LCAs in their funds
* And much more..
👉 If you’re an impact investor, this is a must-listen episode.
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⌛TIMESTAMPS
* 00:00 Introduction and the Journey from Science to VC
* 05:30 Understanding Impact Assessment in Venture Capital
* 10:20 Quantifying Environmental Impact and Systemic Change
* 15:10 Correlation Between Financial and Environmental Performance
* 20:02 Guiding Investment Thesis with Impact Assessments
* 24:15 Integrating Sustainability into Investment Processes
* 32:36 Pros and Cons of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
* 38:05 Implementing LCA in Investment Firms
* 40:23 Fire Questions and Conclusion
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▶️ CONNECT WITH BENEDIKT
* Dr. Benedikt Buchspies – https://shorturl.at/f40rA
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🔗 CONNECT WITH ME
* Newsletter - https://climateventuresvco2.substack.com/
* LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugorauch/
* Email - [email protected]
* YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@VCo2_HugoRauch
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📚 REFERENCES AND MENTIONS
* LCA - A scientific method for measuring environmental impact
* Emissions scopes – Different levels of carbon accounting for companies
* Monte Carlo Simulation – A technique for modeling uncertainty
* Systemic Impact Modeling – Assessing the broader effects of a startup
* SFDR & EU Taxonomy – Sustainability regulations that apply to impact VCs
* Scenario Analysis – A way to estimate how different variables affect an LCA result
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🎙️PAST EPISODES YOU’LL LOVE
* Heidi Lindvall on Impact Assessments (Pale Blue Dot)
* Tim Schumacher on selling to climate deniers (World Fund)
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💚 LEAVE A REVIEW
* Apple Podcasts - https://shorturl.at/HIDcg
* Spotify - https://shorturl.at/yDTfR
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