Will Goetzman has been working at Carbon13 as a visiting intern from the University of Pittsburgh, where he’s studying PPE. He’s spent two months getting to know the UK, and the world of early stage climatetech. Here he gives his view as a Gen Z, the next generation to enter the workforce and take ownership of the future. Will was born this side of the millennium, yet the effects of climate change are blindingly and devastatingly obvious. Here’s what he has to say >>

Climate change is at the core of Carbon13’s mission, which inspired me to join the team for the summer. The climate crisis seemed insurmountable prior to my time in London, yet the work of the Carbon13 team and the entrepreneurs they support has given me hope of making an impact through my career.

The environmental devastation caused by climate change that I have witnessed in my own field conservation work drove me to apply my academic background to a VC role at Carbon13. The dedication and creativity in the London climate-tech ecosystem is an inspiration to forward-looking people such as myself that will live out the consequences of a changing planet.

The Climate Crisis In Real Time:

I was born in 2004, and the impacts of climate change have become increasingly visible throughout my lifetime.

I have a deep personal stake in the environment, treasuring the biodiversity and beauty of Pennsylvania’s state forests. In recent years, I have watched the Blue Spruce population in my home state decimated by a lethal fungus that historically would have been suppressed by winter freezes. Those regular and sustained low temperatures no longer come.

Seeing dozens of trees in my neighborhood and in the state forests I visit die off due to several consecutive years of unusual warmth, despite centuries of seasonal consistency, is alarming. The signs of a changing planet are tangible and have had an emotional impact on me. 

Last summer, I witnessed the destructive force of climate change first-hand while working in forest conservation. I participated in trail repairs in the wake of a wildfire that consumed 36,000 acres.

The scale of the burn scar was staggering. Tens of thousands of acres of scorched land will take centuries to recover. Forest fires were obviously a regular and natural event in Western forests prior to human intervention; however, their intensity and destructive power has been accelerated to a level that is no longer manageable. Modern crown fires destroy even resilient old growth Ponderosa Pines and kill soil bacteria, crippling the regeneration of the land. My experiences in conservation drove me to act on the opportunity to work with Carbon13.  

Creativity As A Weapon Against Climate Change:

Ecosystems do not regenerate on the timescale of human life. I am living through a human-driven extinction event, one that we may only be able to slow. These experiences have made the climate crisis personal to me, and they have fueled my commitment to act.

Working at a climate-focused firm is not only aligned with my values, but it is where I believe I can contribute most meaningfully to protecting what remains while building a more resilient future. 

Joining the Carbon13 team exposed me to energetic and optimistic climate entrepreneurs that are working towards solutions to the Climate Crisis by each conquering a tiny slice of a seemingly overwhelming problem.

London is a hotspot of climate tech and sustainability initiatives. I even saw one of Carbon13’s portfolio companies’ products in use on the street, which was among the most inspiring experiences of my internship. Climate ventures are active across agriculture, materials science, power generation, and carbon capture.

Real change on the ground built my faith in Carbon13’s mission-driven investments that are conditional on a 10-million ton reduction in atmospheric My CO2. 

The Role Of Rising Innovators:

As a student of economics and politics, I am coming to understand the need for market-driven solutions to the climate crisis that balance profitability with impact. A VC can be an effective vehicle to allocate funds to the most promising climate startups with the potential to change the world. Being a part of that change and meeting entrepreneurs has given me a glimmer of hope for the future of the planet.

I am just now seeing some of the thousands of rising innovators that will attack the climate crisis from every angle, dismantling current practices and rebuilding an economy that balances productivity with sustainability. Individuals and policy makers can act on climate change, Britain’s SEIS fund makes real impact on the ground while startup founders from a diverse range of skill sets and backgrounds are tackling the crisis.  

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