In a nutshell, Earthly is empowering hundreds of other organizations globally to tackle climate breakdown and biodiversity collapse, actively contributing to protecting and restoring our planet.

As for Oliver Bolton, he is a member of the International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Credits and a Business Advisor to Stop Ecocide International. Oliver also founded Europe’s first B-Corp-certified health drinks company, Waterbomb, and co-founded Vitl, the UK’s leading subscription nutrition brand.

He’s a multi-awarded entrepreneur including the COP27 ClimaTech Prize, the World Economic Forum's 2023 NatureTech Prize, and the Virgin VOOM award from Sir Richard Branson.

Oliver Bolton will take the stage at this year’s edition of the Climate Change Summit, taking place in Bucharest between October 15th and 17th.

Before the event we’ve talked with Oliver about the solutions Earthly brings to the table, tips & tricks that help companies become climate positive and the realization that put him on the path to building impactful products and to think more about how we can help heal our planet.

“My journey began in the consumer and health sectors, where I gained experience in understanding market needs, consumer behavior, and building impactful products", Oliver starts his story.

The “a-ha!”moment for him, when he truly understood the severity of the climate and nature situation, coincided with his son being born.

“The IPCC’s 1.5-degree report came out, I had a moment of reflection and understanding. I couldn’t shake the thought that future generations might ask why we didn’t act more decisively on climate change when we had the chance. That realization motivated me to pivot my career toward climate and nature. Earthly was born out of that deep sense of responsibility to contribute to a healthier planet by empowering businesses to take meaningful action through nature-based solutions”, continues Oliver.

In 2018, Oliver pivoted from the consumer product and health sectors into climate technology. He is the founder and CEO of Earthly, a marketplace that connects businesses with high-integrity nature-based solutions.

“Earthly helps organizations invest in high-quality nature-based solutions that sequester carbon, restore biodiversity, and support local communities. We rigorously screen projects to ensure they meet the highest standards across carbon, biodiversity, and social impacts”, Oliver explains to us more on what his team brings to the table with Earthly.

Their solutions include carbon credits, biodiversity credits, and nature philanthropy options, all designed to align with corporate sustainability goals.

“By providing a transparent, science-backed platform, we empower businesses to confidently channel their investments into projects that not only offset emissions but also deliver tangible ecological and social benefits”, adds Oliver.

Find out more about Oliver’s mission as an entrepreneur in sustainability, the challenges of the task that the team behind Earthly face and a few ideas on how we can preserve and regenerate our planet in our exclusive interview with Oliver Bolton, the CEO and cofounder of Earthly.

You can meet him in Bucharest at the Climate Change Summit, between October 15th and 17th.

How have you identified the problem in the market that you are trying to fix with your startup?

The key problem we identified was the lack of trust and consistency in the voluntary carbon and biodiversity markets. Many companies were hesitant to invest due to scandals around low-quality projects and ineffective monitoring. We recognized the need for a solution that could offer transparency, accountability, and measurable impact.

That’s why Earthly focuses on a rigorous screening process, evaluating projects across 106 quality indicators, ensuring that only the highest-impact projects are selected. Our mission is to close the $700BN annual funding gap in nature conservation by making it easy for businesses to invest in high-quality, verified projects.

Who is Earthly addressing, what kind of companies?

Earthly primarily works with medium to large businesses, including multinationals and sustainability-driven organizations. Our clients range from financial institutions like S&P Global and CaixaBank to consumer-facing companies like Innocent that want to integrate climate action into their corporate strategy. These businesses are looking to reduce their environmental footprint while aligning their sustainability goals with tangible, long-term nature restoration projects.

How are you assessing the projects? Tell us a bit more about the questionnaire and the indicators that you are following.

We assess projects based on 106 quality indicators that span carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and social impact. Our evaluation process covers everything from carbon drawdown potential to habitat restoration and local community benefits.

We also use cutting-edge tools like geospatial analysis to track changes in vegetation health and biomass, and we’re exploring additional layers of monitoring, such as eDNA and bioacoustic data, to provide comprehensive, science-backed verification of biodiversity gains.

How do you consider that Earthly is empowering companies to meet climate goals and invest in nature-based solutions?

Earthly empowers companies by offering a transparent, credible pathway to invest in nature-based solutions.

By curating only the highest-quality projects and providing detailed impact data, we give businesses the confidence they need to align their climate strategies with nature restoration efforts.

Our platform simplifies the process of purchasing carbon and biodiversity credits, making it easier for companies to become climate-positive and contribute to global climate and biodiversity targets.

Which were the biggest challenges for you when building Earthly? What solutions did you find?

One of the biggest challenges was building trust in a market where trust had been eroded due to low-quality projects. We addressed this by focusing on the rigor of our screening process and providing transparent, verified impact data.

Another challenge was the sheer complexity of nature-based solutions, which required developing a robust methodology that could be trusted by businesses and partners.

We’ve solved this by partnering with experts, leveraging scientific tools, and continuously improving our verification methods.

How can companies, and all of us, in the end, become climate positive? Some examples of actions companies/we can take.

Becoming climate-positive requires both reducing emissions and investing in nature. For companies, this means focusing on internal sustainability measures like energy efficiency, waste reduction, and decarbonising supply chains.

Beyond that, investing in high-quality carbon and biodiversity credits through platforms like Earthly can help offset emissions and restore ecosystems.

On an individual level, we can all take action by reducing our carbon footprints, supporting sustainable businesses, and advocating for systemic change in how we interact with the environment.

What do you feel is your mission as an entrepreneur in sustainability? How can we preserve and regenerate our planet? Can we still regenerate it, or is it too late?

As a sustainability entrepreneur, my mission is to drive exponential change. I firmly believe we still have the opportunity to regenerate the planet, but we must act quickly and boldly. Nature has an incredible capacity for recovery when given the chance.

By scaling up investment in nature-based solutions, transforming industries, and embedding sustainability into global policies, we can restore ecosystems, fight climate change, and protect biodiversity. It’s not too late, but the window for meaningful action is rapidly closing, and now is the time for bold and brave leadership.

What are the next steps for you in developing Earthly in the next 12 months?

Over the next 12 months, we plan to scale our platform by increasing the number of high-quality nature-based projects available for investment. We’re expanding our project portfolio and enhancing our monitoring and verification (MRV) technology, incorporating cutting-edge tools like eDNA and bioacoustic sensors to provide even greater transparency.

Additionally, we aim to deepen partnerships with businesses and institutions globally, ensuring that companies not only meet their climate goals but exceed them by investing in biodiversity restoration.

Another key focus will be building awareness around our Voluntary Biodiversity Credits, as we see growing demand in this space. Finally, we’re committed to driving forward discussions on global standards for nature-based solutions to ensure accountability and integrity across the industry.

You will be in Bucharest this fall for the Climate Change Summit. Where are you going to talk about and please give us an example of an action that each of us can make in order to be more sustainable and ensure a durable future for ourselves and the next generations.

At the Climate Change Summit in Bucharest, my keynote will focus on regenerating the planet through bold climate leadership and collective action. The message is one of hope, we have the solutions in hand, and now it’s time to execute at an unprecedented speed and scale.

I'll emphasize the need for exponential transformation in our approach to climate and biodiversity, calling for collaboration from local communities to global governance. Nature-based solutions, like those Earthly is championing, will be highlighted as critical to restoring ecosystems and combating the climate crisis.

My goal is to leave the audience inspired about what we can achieve when we harness both technology and the power of nature to fix the planet.

One action we can all take is to “Be Like a Hummingbird”, a metaphor I use to illustrate how small, individual actions can collectively create massive change. Whether it’s reducing our consumption, supporting nature-positive businesses, or advocating for policies that protect the environment, each of us can contribute to the larger effort of regenerating our planet. By integrating sustainability into our daily lives and choices, we ensure a better future for ourselves and the generations to come. Now is the time to act, our collective survival depends on it.