Carbon Removal Newsroom

This month, there’s been a flurry of business news in the CDR world. We’re taking August off from the show, but before we go we’re going to dive into 10 stories that broke in the last few weeks, that have big implications for the carbon removal industry.  On this episode hear about companies putting CO2 into concrete, plastics, and fuel, new investment funds, announcements of new engineered carbon removal facilities, and analysis of the macroeconomic conditions the industry is facing.  To explain what’s behind these headlines, we’re by our regular business panel, Susan Su and Na’im Merchant.  They tell us all about news from… ·      CarbonCure ·      Airminer’s Kiloton Fund ·      Twelve ·      EU Climate VC funding ·      Prime Coalition ·      Avnos ·      Brimstone ·      Deep Sky + Captura ·      Octavia ·      “500 Climate Unicorns in 20 Years?” On This Episode Susan Su Na’im Merchant Asa Kamer Resources CarbonCure announcement Airminer’s Kiloton Fund Twelve’s new plant Sifted article on EU climate funding Prime Coalition fund Avnos Brimstone announcement Deep Sky hub in Canada Octavia Our Episode w/ Octavia’s CEO Sean O’Sullivan Interview Connect with Nori Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account

Last week Octavia Carbon announced they are planning to build a DAC plant in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, the first such plant in the Southern Hemisphere.  The Valley formed as a result of three tectonic plates meeting in one place. This phenomenon has created unique geology, which the entrepreneurs at Octavia feel could be an ideal place to capture and store CO2 underground.  An hour away in Nairobi, they are building commercial-scale DAC machines and planning to deploy their technology with plans to begin storing CO2 underground in 2024.  They want to leverage advantageous local renewable energy, geology, and personnel to attract global customers.  Today we’ll be talking with Octavia’s CEO, Martin Freimüller, about why Kenya is right for DAC, what they are working on now, and why the price of a DAC credit in Kenya will differ from one from the U.S. On This Episode Radhika Moolgavkar Martin Freimüller Resources Octavia Carbon Octavia’s Project Hummingbird Announcement Puro.earth Cella Connect with Nori Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account

We’ve been covering a lot of US state and federal CDR policy in the last few episodes. Today we’re taking a much-needed international trip and discussing some critical stories happening across the globe.  Zimbabwe’s government has announced new regulations on voluntary carbon offset trading to prevent greenwashing and ensure that local communities benefit. Carbon credit schemes in Zimbabwe have been unregulated. The new policy mandates that all carbon projects register with the program, ensuring that a percentage of the revenue goes directly to local communities.  Deforestation rates in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest have fallen by 33.6% during the first six months of 2023 under the new administration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. This contrasts sharply with the record-breaking deforestation rates in 2022 under former president Jair Bolsonaro, who promoted mining and farming in protected areas. The UK government has announced comprehensive changes to its Emissions Trading Scheme: a program designed to decarbonize the country eventually. The ETS will now include more sectors, set new emissions limits for the power sector, energy-intensive industries, and aviation, and incorporate carbon removal technologies into the ETS. CDR solutions, like direct air capture, BECCs, and nature-based removals, will now be traded in the ETS program.  Today I’m with our regular policy panel of Holly Buck Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the University at Buffalo and the author of Ending Fossil Fuels, and Wil Burns the Co-Executive Director of the Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy at American University. On This Show Holly Jean Buck Wil Burns Radhika Moolgavkar Resources New Zimbabwe Regulations Amazon Deforestation Decrease Cerrado Deforestation Increase “Brazilian Amazon Indigenous Territories” paper Petrobras Increasing Oil Output UK ETS Changes Drax BECCS projects Our Episode on California’s SB 308 Connect with Nori Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account

The Xprize’s Carbon Removal prize has been one of the most exciting stories in CDR. As it seeks to pump $100 million towards carbon removal projects, the organization is also taking steps to ensure that funding supports companies that benefit, rather than harm, the communities they work in.  This is no small detail, but in fact a main question about the future of carbon removal: can it become embraced by local communities who will host projects? We’ve been focusing on that very question on this show because we feel it is just as important as funding news and scientific advancements.  In order to help build an environmentally just industry, Xprize has partnered with Carbon180 to write a comprehensive report on environmental justice in the context of carbon removal projects.  This report discusses the importance of environmental justice for carbon removal companies, the concept of climate justice, and the need for fair distribution of project benefits. In this episode we’re joined by two of the authors of this report, who are leading the effort build environmental justice into the CDR industry: Nikki Batchelor, the Executive Director of the Carbon Removal Prize, and Ugbaad Kosar, the Director of Environmental Justice for Carbon180. On The Show Ugbaad Kosar Nikki Batchelor Radhika Moolgavkar Resources Xprize Carbon Removal Carbon180 From the Ground Up report Connect with Nori Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account        

If you’ve been following the development of CDR policy, you’ve probably heard of the volunteer advocacy group OpenAir Collective. Just a few weeks ago our guest Sebastian Manhart said on this show “There’s no state that has policy movement that OpenAir collective didn’t have their fingers all over. I’m really impressed by the results of this kind of grassroots activism."  Now, OpenAir is working to pass SB308 in the U.S.’s largest economy: California. This proposed bill mandates that high-emitting facilities purchase "negative emissions credits" to offset their climate impact. It would be the first state-level legislation to create a compliance mechanism carbon removal.  This legislation makes polluters pay to remove CO2, a statewide public-sector source of funds that would have a catalytic effect on the CDR industry. On this episode we’re joined by one of the founders of OpenAir, a leader of the advocacy effort in California, and the Director of Initiatives at Rethinking Removals: Chris Neidl.  Chris will help us understand the workings of SB308, its potential contribution towards California's climate targets, and share his personal experiences advocating for this important legislation.  On This Episode Radhika Moolgavkar Chris Neidl  Resources OpenAir Collective Our Ep w/ Sebastian Manhart SB308 Josh Becker OpenAir Action Page for SB308 Join a Citizen Lobbying Call Sign the Support Letter for Companies and Orgs Connect with Nori Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account  

This conversation is a re-run of a segment from an episode we released earlier this month.  On this episode we welcome a thought leader in free-market environmental policy - Todd Myers, the Director of the Center for the Environment at the Washington Policy Center. His 2022 book, “Time to Think Small: How nimble environmental technologies can solve the planet’s biggest problems,” sheds light on how compact, innovative technologies are giving individuals the power to safeguard endangered wildlife, cut back on CO2 emissions, and combat the issue of ocean plastic. With his extensive background in environmental policy and public relations, Todd offers a unique perspective on the interplay between the marketplace and environmental action. "Todd's insights are set to provide a clear understanding of the political and social dynamics facing advocates of carbon removal in the environmental landscape." Just last month, a landmark decision in Washington State made headlines as it became the first in the U.S. to pass its capital budget with funding specifically allocated for carbon dioxide removal, or CDR. This move is groundbreaking as it goes beyond just CO2, marking the first time a U.S. state has endorsed investments into technologies designed to actively remove a full spectrum of greenhouse gases, including methane and nitrous oxide, from our atmosphere. The state will distribute these funds—totaling $12 million—as grants. Businesses, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations can apply, leveraging this opportunity to further their research, development, and demonstration projects focused on carbon and greenhouse gas removal. This decision is a timely one.  Todd and Radhika talk about his work on environmental policy, its applications to carbon removal, and the recent news from Washington State.  On This Episode Radhika Moolgavkar Todd Myers Resources Washington Policy Center “Time to Think Small” Washington State Funding Connect with Nori Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account

CDR startups are under pressure from numerous sources including current economic downturns, criticisms from the United Nations about carbon removal methods, and problems within the carbon offset market. Despite these challenges, significant investments continue to flow into the industry. This is largely due to the perception among investors that CDR plays a crucial role in reaching the goal of net-zero emissions. In this episode our business panel analyze the impacts of three recent significant announcements from CDR startups. Charm Industrial has secured a $100 million Series B funding round to further their bio-oil pyrolysis approach. Carbon to Sea has successfully obtained $50 million in philanthropic funding to progress their work on ocean alkalinity enhancement. Newcomer DAC startup, Holocene, has formed a partnership with the Department of Energy to accelerate their next-generation technology from lab to market.  These developments represent new scientific research supported by philanthropy, fresh cutting-edge technology, and significant funding efforts. Radhika and the business panel unpack what these milestones mean for CDR startups. Providing expert commentary and analysis on these developments are Na’im Merchant and Susan Su. They lend their expertise to help us understand the potential implications these headlines will have on the future of the CDR sector. On This Episode Na’im Merchant Susan Su Radhika Moolgavkar Resources Charm funding Carbon to Sea news Holocene article Prime Coalition Na’im’s Carbon Curve episode w/ panel from Carbon Unbound Connect with Nori Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account

On this episode we’re joined by Sebastian Manhart, a tech entrepreneur and policy expert who is serving as the Senior Policy Advisor at Carbonfuture, a purveyor of high-quality CDR credits based in Germany.  He is analyzing the growth of CDR policy worldwide and has recently published “CDR Policy Maturity” across all 50 U.S. states. This comprehensive report maps each state’s progress based on factors like specific CDR targets, funding incentives, and legal frameworks. We’ll hear about what states are leading the way, the role of federal policy in pushing things forward, and the challenges of public acceptability. Sebastian also fills us in on a new CDR trade organization in Germany, which will work to focus the world’s fourth biggest economy on drawing down co2 and his gives insights on some recent industry gatherings he’s attended.  Join Radhika and Sebastian as they talk about the explosive growth of CDR policy throughout the U.S. and Europe.  On This Episode Radhika Moolgavkar Sebastian Manhart Resources Carbonfuture CDR Policy Report Article about California’s SB 308 OpenAir Collective LECCLA Federal CDR Leadership Act Our Interview with Planetary 4 Corners Carbon Coalition Sebastian’s Posts on the DAC Summit and the CDR Summit Connect with Nori Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account

Since last year’s landmark climate legislation, members of congress are looking for niche areas of climate progress. Enter the Carbon Removal and Emissions Storage Technologies (CREST) Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation aimed at accelerating carbon removal and storage solutions.  It was introduced by U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Maria Cantwell and also has a bipartisan version in the House, the CREST Act tasks the Departments of Energy with initiating research programs and exploring the feasibility of a number of carbon removal pathways. The legislation focuses on several carbon removal techniques, such as biomass-based removal, ocean CDR, and DAC and geologic storage. A wide swath of organizations, including many familiar to the CDR industry like Clearpath, Stripe, and Vesta, have signed a letter of support.  In this episode, we going to delve into the details of the CREST Act, its potential impact on our climate, and the implications of its bipartisan support. Will it help scale up a domestic CDR industry? How will the Act's pilot reverse auction purchasing program facilitate the commercialization of carbon removal? We’ll also take a look at the recent developments at the UNFCCC and their work on revising Article 6.4. The tone of their first draft has attracted a lot of attention and controversy for the way it characterized CDR.  Joining our policy panel are two experts in the field of carbon removal: Savita Bowman,  Program Manager at ClearPath, who works on organization's carbon dioxide removal initiatives, and Holly Buck, Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the University at Buffalo and author of “Ending Fossil Fuels: Why Net-Zero is Not Enough”. On This Episode Holly Jean Buck Savita Bowman Asa Kamer Resources CREST Act CREST Support Letter Article 6.4 draft Note Connect with Nori Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account

An important climate body at the U.N. is causing controversy as they seek to define use of CDR, and many supporters of carbon removal are not happy.  The UNFCCC is in the process of figuring out how carbon removal fits into emissions reduction plans. A recent draft statement caused a stir among advocates of CDR and climate experts, as it described CDR as 'unproven' and ‘not contributing to sustainable development’. Many CDR advocates have contested these claims, especially given the crucial role attributed to CDR in last year's report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In response, the Carbon Business Council is drafted a letter, with support from over 100 CDR experts, in an attempt to persuade the UNFCCC to provide a clearer definition of CDR. In today's discussion, we'll speak with Wil Burns, Co-Executive Director of the Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy at American University. We'll explore the purpose of this new definition, what's been proposed so far, and why it's so important." This episode’s second segment is an interview with - Todd Myers, the Director of the Center for the Environment at the Washington Policy Center. His 2022 book, “Time to Think Small: How nimble environmental technologies can solve the planet’s biggest problems,” sheds light on how compact, innovative technologies are giving individuals the power to safeguard endangered wildlife, cut back on CO2 emissions, and combat the issue of ocean plastic. Radhika talks with Todd about a landmark decision in Washington State that recently made headlines as it became the first in the U.S. to pass its capital budget with funding specifically allocated for carbon dioxide removal. Todd also discusses his work on environmental policy and its applications to carbon removal.  On This Episode Radhika Moolgavkar Wil Burns Todd Myers Resources Axios on UNFCCC process Draft of UNFCCC revision Carbon Business Council Letter Washington Policy Center “Time to Think Small” Washington State Funding Connect with Nori Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account