How the EU is shaping policies to pursue global leadership in carbon removal

Episode 27 is with Sebastian Manhart, Senior Policy Advisor at Carbonfuture and Board Chair of DVNE, a new German carbon removal association.

In the last year, carbon removal news has been dominated by policy wins in the United States. But we know that climate change is the ultimate collective action problem, and I've been keen to learn what other jurisdictions are doing to scale carbon removal globally. The EU is likely to be a big player in the carbon removal field.

My guest today, Sebastian Manhart, will tell us about a number of meaningful policy developments underway that will have serious implications for the carbon removal field across Europe and around the world.

In this episode, Na’im and Sebastian discuss:

* The political landscape in EU

* Major policy developments in the EU

* Heavy policy focus on direct air capture vs. newer carbon removal methods

* The EU’s approach to carbon removal policy compared to the approach in the United States

* Launching the DVNE, a new German carbon removal association

Reading list:

* Understanding Carbon Removal Policy Across Europe: An Exclusive Analysis 

* EU COM 2040 targets 

* EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) 

* EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) explainer

* Carbonfuture Blog on ETS

* DVNE 

About Sebastian:

Sebastian Manhart is a climate advocate, leveraging his skills and experiences to support policy makers in making better decisions for our planet. He is the Senior Policy Advisor of Carbonfuture, the world´s leading platform for high-quality carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Sebastian is also the Chair of the Board of the DVNE, the German CDR Association, as well as a founding Director of the US Biochar Coalition, a trade association unifying the voice of the US biochar industry. Previously, Sebastian spent a decade as a tech entrepreneur, advised Angela Merkel´s Chancellery, and worked with governments globally through the World Bank. Sebastian is an economist with a BA from UCL and an MPhil from Cambridge University.

About Carbonfuture:

Carbonfuture is the Trust Infrastructure for durable carbon removal with two products that seamlessly connect the entire carbon removal lifecycle: Carbonfuture MRV+, the most comprehensive MRV solution for durable CDR, and the Carbonfuture Marketplace, the leading marketplace for durable CDR. Carbonfuture empowers suppliers by providing the essential project support and finance needed to transform their carbon removal projects into fully certified carbon credits. For corporate buyers, Carbonfuture offers access to portfolios of carbon removal credits adhering to the established third-party standards.

Last call:

I'm looking for someone to support the production, editing, and promotion of this podcast. I’m looking for someone who is passionate about carbon removal, who can help brainstorm guest ideas, develop thought provoking interview questions, schedule and join recordings, edit recordings, write up the show notes, and promote the episode on various channels.

It's an important job and an exciting opportunity to plug into the carbon removal field. This is a fully remote contract position starting October 1st amounting to about 8 to 10 hours of work per episode. You don't need to be an expert in podcasting. I certainly wasn't when I started. Just a lot of passion, diligence, organization, and a willingness to learn. If you're interested, send an email to naim@carboncurve.co with your resume and a letter of interest by September 15th.

This podcast is created and published by Na’im Merchant.

Na’im Merchant is the co-founder and Executive Director of Carbon Removal Canada, a policy initiative focused on scaling carbon removal in Canada. He is also a policy fellow with Elemental Excelerator. He previously ran carbon removal consulting practice Carbon Curve, and publishes The Carbon Curve newsletter and podcast. Every two weeks, Na’im will release a short interview with individuals advancing the policies, technologies, and collective action needed to scale up carbon removal around the world.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app or subscribe via The Carbon Curve newsletter here. If you’d like to get in touch with Na’im, you can reach out via Twitter and LinkedIn.