Straight Talk: Michel Gelobter of Cooler

On Earth Day 2021 we sat down with one of the country’s leading experts on carbon foot printing, Michel Gelobter, founder of Cooler. Gelobter has been focused on carbon footprinting and climate justice for almost two decades, long before it came into vogue. Gelobter’s work is centered on helping companies achieve their carbon commitments—while making money doing it. 

Some key takeaways:

• “Tree-planting does not stop global warming in any way, shape, or form.”
• The most impactful thing a company can do to reduce their carbon footprint is make sure everyone in their supply chain is using as much green energy as possible.
• The key is to remove polluter permits from the market.
• Only 1 percent of climate philanthropy goes to communities of color.
• In terms of carbon impact, we need to understand the concept of “additionality.”