Discover CleanTech, Issue 4, August 2022

Page 114

Discover CleanTech

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Investing in Cleantech

Environmental technology – the role of venture capital Chris Smith, the CEO of TSP Ventures, an early-stage environmental technology venture capital (VC) firm, calls on other VCs to step up in the battle against climate change. BY CHRIS SMITH

From around 2010-2014 I was lucky enough to be given responsibility for running a business in Brazil. Brazil is a large and vibrant country with lovely, friendly people. The population is of indigenous, Mediterranean and African descent and they have fused into a true multi-culture that is lively, colourful and collectively has a 114

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Issue 04

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August 2022

full-on zest for life. I made many friends and much enjoyed this part of my life. My flight carried me over the Amazon and seeing the areas cleared for cattle and soybeans and the large number of fires that were burning would sadden me. Regrettably, and because illegal gold mining has

also become rife, it has since gotten much, much worse. The same is happening in Asia with palm oil plantations. Brazil and other ‘emerging’ countries understandably feel that they should be allowed to develop their natural resources as they see fit. Hopefully, corruption aside, they then use


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