The Carbon Curve

Episode 53 is a Special Episode with Ed Whittingham of Advance Climate Solutions and Grégoire Baillargeon, President of BMO Québec and Vice Chair of BMO Capital Markets.In this special live episode of The Carbon Curve, Na’im is joined by Ed Whittingham of Advance Climate Solutions and host of the Energy vs. Climate podcast and Grégoire Baillargeon, President of BMO Quebec, Vice Chair of BMO Capital Markets, and Board Member of Carbon Removal Canada. Recorded at the Climate Solutions Prize Festival, the “multi-host” panel discusses the potential of Canada to scale carbon removal technologies and seize a leadership role in this burgeoning field. Key topics include the integration of policy, markets, and innovation, the economic and job creation potential of carbon removal in Canada, and the role of the government and private sector in supporting this sector. The conversation also highlights existing challenges and the need for concerted action to realize Canada's carbon removal ambitions.This episode was cross-published on the Energy vs. Climate podcast.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 was a policy fellow with Elemental Impact. He previously ran carbon removal consulting practice Carbon Curve, and publishes The Carbon Curve newsletter and podcast. This post represents his personal views and not those of Carbon Removal Canada. You can get in touch with him on LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 52 is a special joint episode with Plan Sea host Anna Madlener and Lennart Bach, Associate Professor and ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) scientist at the University of Tasmania.In this episode, Na’im joins Anna Madlener for a special co-hosted episode between Plan Sea and The Carbon Curve, recorded live at the Carbon to Sea 2025 Annual Convening. Anna and Na’im speak with Lennart Bach, to share insights and key takeaways from this year’s convening.Last month, Carbon to Sea hosted its third Annual Convening in Washington, D.C., bringing together scientists, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to share recent progress and discuss a path forward for OAE. Building on the conversations started during the convening, Na’im and Bach highlight the importance of aligning on MRV approaches, cross-sector partnerships, increased community and policymaker engagement, and new funding pathways as key avenues to explore. 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 was a policy fellow with Elemental Impact. He previously ran carbon removal consulting practice Carbon Curve, and publishes The Carbon Curve newsletter and podcast. This post represents his personal views and not those of Carbon Removal Canada. You can get in touch with him on LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 51 is with Erin Burns, Executive Director of Carbon180.This episode highlights the critical need for long-term strategies and adaptability in carbon removal policies amidst changing political landscapes. Key takeaways include the importance of making carbon removal efforts tangible and real for policymakers by emphasizing measurable impacts and local benefits, the necessity of building broad coalitions and engaging various stakeholders to sustain and expand carbon removal initiatives, and the focus on developing new, specialized carbon removal policies while defending existing programs to ensure continued progress in the sector.In this episode, Na’im and Erin discuss:* Erin's unique journey into the carbon removal sector;* The mission and strategic direction of Carbon180;* Key policy wins and challenges faced in the carbon removal field;* The importance of taking a long-term view in carbon removal efforts;* Strategies for adapting to changing political landscapes;* Practical advice for carbon removal professionals and companies on maintaining momentum and engagement;* The necessity of building broader coalitions for durable policy success. Relevant Links:* Carbon180 - Website* Six defining moments for carbon removal in 2024 - Carbon180 Blog* A Carbon180 cofounder reflects on his time in Biden’s DOE - Carbon180 Blog* The Carbon Removal Industry’s Trump Playbook - Heatmap News [🔒Paywall ]About Erin Burns: Erin shapes the organization's strategic direction while growing the organization's influence in both policy and the carbon removal field. Previously, she worked in the Senate for Joe Manchin handling energy environment, labor, and agricultural issues, including staffing for the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the public land subcommittee.She also worked at third way, a DC-based think tank, managing carbon capture and removal innovation and clean energy. A native of West Virginia. She has worked on the Coal Community transition. Erin sits on the Board of the Good Energy Collective and serves as an advisor to the University of Michigan's global CO2 initiative, the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative, and Absolute Climate.About Carbon180: Carbon180 is reversing two centuries of legacy carbon emissions. They work with policymakers, entrepreneurs, and peer organizations across the US to design policies that will bring necessary carbon removal solutions to gigaton scale.This episode was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Consecon Foundation.This episode was created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Tank Chen.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 on the advisory board of the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative and Terraset, and a former policy fellow with Elemental Impact. 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.Tank Chen is the Head of Content and Community at CDR.fyi, a public benefit corporation dedicated to accelerating carbon removal through transparency. He is also the co-founder of CDRjobs, a career platform for the carbon removal industry. Based in Taiwan, Tank is a carbon removal advocate focused on educating policymakers, corporate leaders, and the public on the importance of carbon removal, using data-driven insights to support communication and policy advocacy.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 LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 50 is a special AMA style episode with Na’im Merchant and Rahima DosaniIn this special “ask me anything” episode of the Carbon Curve podcast, the tables are turned and Na’im is interviewed by his wife, Rahima Dosani, to discuss the past year's accomplishments and challenges, as well as future plans for 2025 in the carbon removal space. With Na’im leading Carbon Removal Canada, he shares insights on policy achievements, the growth of the sector, and the balancing act of managing an organization and parenthood. The conversation covers significant policy milestones and Na’im shares frustrations about the negative discourse aimed at carbon removal technologies, future goals and personal priorities for 2025, and a leadership framework needed to address climate change as a complex systems problem. In this episode, Na’im and Rahima discuss:* Discussion about the challenges and experiences of running a carbon removal organization, including balancing work and family life.* Highlights of exciting experiences in 2024 and a review of policy wins and successes.* Anticipating the future: looking ahead to 2025 and addressing criticisms of carbon removal.* Sharing future plans for the Carbon Curve and sharing personal goals and reflections.Relevant links in the episode:* Carbon Removal Canada website* Write-up following Na’im’s Mammoth visit: We’ve come a long way. We have a long way to go.* Episode on adaptive leadership with Josh Albert (Konu)About Rahima Dosani: Rahima is the Director of Strategy, Learning, and Innovation at Global Health Visions, a women owned and operated global health consulting firm.She previously worked for the Center for Innovation and Impact at USAID and the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Myanmar and Malawi, after she did strategy consulting in New York City. Rahima holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and a master's in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health.This episode was created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Tank Chen.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 on the advisory board of the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative and Terraset, and a former policy fellow with Elemental Impact. 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.Tank Chen is the Head of Content and Community at CDR.fyi, a public benefit corporation dedicated to accelerating carbon removal through transparency. He is also the co-founder of CDRjobs, a career platform for the carbon removal industry. Based in Taiwan, Tank is a carbon removal advocate focused on educating policymakers, corporate leaders, and the public on the importance of carbon removal, using data-driven insights to support communication and policy advocacy.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 LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 49 is with Peter Minor (Absolute Climate) and Travis Caddy (Evident)Despite all of the recent progress to integrate carbon removal in carbon markets globally, a significant problem remains. Existing market mechanisms continue to commoditize carbon removal credits that we haven’t effectively standardized yet. Carbon credits are sold as interchangeable units despite differences in how project quality is evaluated. Absolute Climate thinks it has solved this problem with the Absolute Carbon Standard and its partnership with longstanding registry Evident. I speak to Peter Minor and Travis Caddy about this standard and exciting new partnership.In this episode, Na’im, Peter and Travis discuss:* the importance of standardized carbon removal measures;* Creating conflict-free certification mechanisms;* the creation of the Absolute Carbon Standard by Absolute Climate* the role of Evident in offering independent certification* the challenges of commoditizing carbon credits* the significance of separation of responsibilitiesRelevant Links:* Absolute Climate - Website* Evident - Website* C-Capsule - Website* A Standardized Test for Carbon Removal - Heatmap News* Absolute Carbon Standard V1.0About Peter:Peter Minor is a co-founder and CEO of Absolute Climate, and a veteran of the carbon removal industry. He previously served as the Director of Science & Innovation at Carbon180, the premier US federal policy organization for carbon removal. While there, he contributed to the development of key programs like the DOE Regional DAC Hubs, and pioneered core principles required for high-accountability MRV. Peter is also a technical reviewer for the carbon removal XPRIZE and steered development of Activate’s Carbon Management vertical. Always the optimist, Peter is a firm believer in humanity’s capacity to solve big problems.About Absolute Climate:Absolute Climate develops industry-leading carbon removal standards and methodologies without the conflicts of interest. They partner with registries, rather than operating their own, in order to better align incentives with climate impact. Their first product is the Absolute Carbon Standard, the first “standardized test” for carbon removal. It applies the same universal criteria to all projects, providing apples-to-apples quality comparisons even for dramatically different approaches.About Travis:Travis Caddy is the Business Development Director of Evident, where he is leading growth and partnerships across multiple registries certifying the Clean Economy. Beyond renewable energy, he also supports market design and implementation for other emerging asset classes, including carbon removal, sustainable aviation fuel and biomethane. Travis holds a Bachelor of Arts from University College London and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London. About Evident:Evident is the world leader in certification of the Clean Economy and provider of the world's most widely used registry of environmental assets, serving customers in over 140 countries. Evident collaborates with governments and standard-setters to implement robust, credible certification standards that encourage transition to a certified, global Clean Economy. Evident manages the I-REC certificate service for electricity, MiQ certificate service for low-methane natural gas, among others.This episode was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Consecon Foundation.This episode was created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Tank Chen.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 on the advisory board of the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative and Terraset, and a former policy fellow with Elemental Impact. 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.Tank Chen is the Head of Content and Community at CDR.fyi, a public benefit corporation dedicated to accelerating carbon removal through transparency. He is also the co-founder of CDRjobs, a career platform for the carbon removal industry. Based in Taiwan, Tank is a carbon removal advocate focused on educating policymakers, corporate leaders, and the public on the importance of carbon removal, using data-driven insights to support communication and policy advocacy.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 LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 48 is with Senator Colin Deacon, Senate of CanadaIndependent Senator Colin Deacon was appointed to represent Nova Scotia in the Senate of Canada in June 2018. Senator Deacon shares his vision on how government policy can empower entrepreneurs and encourage investment in carbon removal technologies, and that regulator agility is critical to adapting to the fast evolving needs of carbon removal and climate solutions more generally. We dive deep on what regulatory agility could look like, including regulatory sandboxes, touch on opportunities for international cooperation on carbon removal given that Canada will host the G7 in 2025, and how innovation can provide hope and optimism in addressing climate change.In this episode, Na’im and Senator Colin Deacon discuss:* Senator Deacon’s journey to the Canadian Senate;* Senator Deacon’s understanding of carbon removal as part of the tool kit in addressing climate change; * The role of public policies in creating frameworks to enable entrepreneurs to solve problems;* The idea of regulatory sandboxes for carbon removal;* Canada as a global leader in carbon removal;* Building political capital in scaling carbon removal;* Ensuring political consistency through shifts in a democracy.Relevant Links:* Senator Colin Deacon’s Office* Senator Colin Deacon on LinkedIn* “Harnessing Canada’s Entrepreneurial Spirit to Remove Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere” - The Hill Times (Op-ed)* Senator Deacon makes the case for why Canada holds the potential of becoming home to the most effective and cost-efficient carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies in the world - CHAMBER SPEECH [Video]* Examine and report on ocean carbon sequestration and its use in Canada - Testimony from Canadian CDR companies at the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans [Video] * Na’im’s testimony the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans [Video]About Senator Deacon:Senator Colin Deacon was appointed to represent Nova Scotia in the Senate of Canada in June 2018. A lifelong entrepreneur, he believes in the power of innovation to address the most pressing issues facing Canada and the world. Recently, he is most focused on championing policies to incentivize and empower the private sector to aggressively address climate change, enabling greater regulatory agility particularly in response to emerging technologies, and harnessing the digital economy.This episode was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Consecon Foundation.This episode was created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Tank Chen.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 on the advisory board of the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative and Terraset, and a former policy fellow with Elemental Impact. 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.Tank Chen is the Head of Content and Community at CDR.fyi, a public benefit corporation dedicated to accelerating carbon removal through transparency. He is also the co-founder of CDRjobs, a career platform for the carbon removal industry. Based in Taiwan, Tank is a carbon removal advocate focused on educating policymakers, corporate leaders, and the public on the importance of carbon removal, using data-driven insights to support communication and policy advocacy.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 LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 47 is with Giana Amador, Executive Director at Carbon Removal AllianceMonitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) is critical to ensuring carbon removal quality, but what is the role of public policy to enable MRV to deliver on this promise? Giana Amador, Executive Director at Carbon Removal Alliance, describes the catalytic role government can play in supporting MRV standards, fostering transparency, and promoting community benefits for long-term carbon removal industry growth. We also discuss the significance of the newly introduced 45BB production tax credit aimed at fostering technological diversity in carbon removal solutions.In this episode, Na’im and Giana discuss:* Giana’s journey in carbon removal;* the mission of Carbon Removal Alliance to scale permanent carbon removal;* The evolution of the carbon removal sector;* The significance of bipartisan support for CDR;* Challenges and opportunities in monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) standards;* The role of government in building a high-quality permanent carbon removal industry;* The importance of transparent data sharing to increase trust and understanding of carbon removal impacts; and* The promising potential of the Carbon Dioxide Removal Investment Act.Relevant Links:* Carbon Removal Alliance - Website* Establishing quality in carbon removal - MRV Policy Roadmap* The Carbon Dioxide Removal Investment Act - The Bill - Senator Bennet (D-Colo.) and Senator Murkowski (R-Alaska) * Carbon Dioxide Removal Investment Act - World Resources InstituteAbout Giana:Giana Amador is the Executive Director of the Carbon Removal Alliance. The Carbon Removal Alliance bridges the gap between carbon removal innovators and US policymakers to help scale a diverse set of permanent carbon removal technologies. In 2015, Giana co-founded the first dedicated carbon removal organization, Carbon180. At Carbon180, Giana wore many hats — from guiding the team’s strategy and communications to ultimately leading its policy program. During her time as policy director, Giana advocated for landmark carbon removal policies, including the $3.5 billion for direct air capture hubs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the first-ever dedicated carbon removal research program in the Energy Act of 2020. Giana has provided testimony before the House Natural Resources Committee and advised presidential campaigns on carbon removal.About Carbon Removal Alliance:The Carbon Removal Alliance is a nonprofit coalition working to build a gigaton-scale industry that is categorically good for the climate, economy, and people. CRA narrows the gap between innovators and policymakers working to remove carbon from our atmosphere by translating the realities of building carbon removal projects into government programs that help the field scale. Alliance members are responsible for virtually all of the permanent carbon removal to date and represent an emerging class of companies who can help the US meet its climate goals. This episode was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Consecon Foundation.This episode was created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Tank Chen.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 on the advisory board of the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative and Terraset, and a former policy fellow with Elemental Impact. 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.Tank Chen is the Head of Content and Community at CDR.fyi, a public benefit corporation dedicated to accelerating carbon removal through transparency. He is also the co-founder of CDRjobs, a career platform for the carbon removal industry. Based in Taiwan, Tank is a carbon removal advocate focused on educating policymakers, corporate leaders, and the public on the importance of carbon removal, using data-driven insights to support communication and policy advocacy.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 LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 46 is with Josh Albert, Associate Partner with KONUYou’ll often hear people say climate is a systems problem, but we in the carbon removal field don’t have a useful framework for driving systems change. In this episode, we explore the complexities of climate change, going beyond single solutions and acknowledging the diverse stakeholders and shifting systems involved. Our guest introduces the Adaptive Leadership Framework, a unique approach to driving systems change. We'll discuss its potential in combatting climate change and scaling carbon removal.In this episode, Na’im and Josh discuss:* Josh’s journey from working on the global health sector to his current role;* Josh’s experience at KONU and the organization’s focus around leadership development;* Key concepts around Social Systems and Adaptive Leadership* Challenges in tackling complex problems;* Case Study: Gina Raimondo's Leadership in Pension Reform;* Systems Change in Carbon Removal: Technical vs. Adaptive Problem Solving;* Ways to address resistance to change and identifying stakeholder losses; and* Engaging skeptical stakeholders and building trust among stakeholdersRelevant Links:* KONU - Website* On the Balcony - Podcast by KONU* The Leadership Life - Blog by KONU* Adaptive Leadership in 12 Minutes (YouTube)* Adaptive Leadership - Harvard Business Publishing Education (paywall)* The Theory Behind the Practice: A Brief Introduction to the Adaptive Leadership Framework - Harvard Busines Review Press (paywall)* 5 Key Essentials Of Adaptive Leadership - Brent Gleeson (paywall)* Leading Pension Reform in Rhode Island - HKS Case Program (paywall)About Josh Albert:Josh is an Associate Partner with KONU, a leadership development and change advising firm. He brings expertise in team leadership and systems change, and he is a trained adaptive leadership coach and facilitator. Josh holds a Master’s in Public Policy with a focus on leadership and institutional development from the Harvard Kennedy School.Previously, Josh spent eight years with Last Mile Health, a health justice nonprofit that partners with governments to build health systems serving remote communities. During his time there, he served as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing in-country operations in Liberia for four years, including during the Ebola outbreak. Josh played a key role in establishing the organization as a national leader within Liberia’s health system. Together, he and Na’im collaborated to orchestrate a partnership with the Liberian government that scaled Last Mile Health’s model for delivering remote health systems to every community in the country.About Konu:KONU partners with mission-driven organizations to craft adult learning experiences that help people unlock progress on their most difficult leadership challenges and change goals. Clients include the UN, the World Bank, US National Park Service, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, Marriott International.This episode was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Consecon Foundation.This episode was created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Tank Chen.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 on the advisory board of the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative and Terraset, and a former policy fellow with Elemental Impact. 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.Tank Chen is the Head of Content and Community at CDR.fyi, a public benefit corporation dedicated to accelerating carbon removal through transparency. He is also the co-founder of CDRjobs, a career platform for the carbon removal industry. Based in Taiwan, Tank is a carbon removal advocate focused on educating policymakers, corporate leaders, and the public on the importance of carbon removal, using data-driven insights to support communication and policy advocacy.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 LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 45 is with Eli Mitchell-Larson, Co-founder and Chief Scientist at Carbon Gap, and Robert Höglund, Co-founder of CDR.fyi and Fund Manager at Milkywire.Today Na’im speaks with Eli and Robert about their latest publication titled “All excess emissions must be removed”, which argues for the central role of carbon removal (CDR) to address the global carbon debt, especially among historically high emitters, not only the “residual emissions” remaining at the year of net zero - and how this reframing expands the use case for carbon removal.In this episode, Na’im, Eli, and Robert discuss:* Previous research collaborations - the ability to pay and mitigation deterrence;* The significance of carbon budgets;* The definition(s) of residual emissions and CDR optimal emissions;* The need for large-scale carbon removal and the role of historic emitters;* Justice issues and the equitable management of carbon budgets; and* The importance of innovative carbon removal use cases.Relevant Links:* Carbon Gap’s Website* Who Can Pay for Carbon Removal? - Carbon Gap* How to avoid carbon removal delaying emissions reductions - Carbon Gap* All excess emissions must be removed - Carbon Gap* Marginal Carbon Substack* Warming caused by cumulative carbon emissions towards the trillionth tonne - MR Allen et alAbout Eli:Eli Mitchell-Larson is a climate advocate, policy entrepreneur, and researcher based at the University of Oxford. He is co-founder and Chief Scientist at Carbon Gap, Europe’s leading NGO focused on building expertise and policy proposals to responsibly scale carbon dioxide removal. As a research Associate @ Oxford Net Zero, his work has helped form the basis of scientific frameworks to define durable net zero, climate-compatible offsetting (Oxford Offsetting Principles), supply-side climate policies (Carbon Takeback Obligation).About Robert:Robert Höglund manages the charitable Milkywire Climate Transformation Fund, Co-founded the market overview CDR.fyi, writes for Carbon Gap, as well as his own publication Marginal Carbon.This episode was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Consecon Foundation.This episode was created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Tank Chen.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 on the advisory board of the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative and Terraset, and a former policy fellow with Elemental Impact. 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.Tank Chen is the Head of Content and Community at CDR.fyi, a public benefit corporation dedicated to accelerating carbon removal through transparency. He is also the co-founder of CDRjobs, a career platform for the carbon removal industry. Based in Taiwan, Tank is a carbon removal advocate focused on educating policymakers, corporate leaders, and the public on the importance of carbon removal, using data-driven insights to support communication and policy advocacy. 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 LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 44 is with Jim Mann, Founder and CEO of UNDOA few weeks ago, Microsoft inked a new 15,000 ton carbon removal deal with UNDO and similar deals with other enhanced rock weathering (ERW) companies. Na’im speaks with Jim Mann, Founder and CEO of UNDO, about the company’s efforts in scaling carbon removal through ERW both in the U.K. and in Canada.In this episode, Na’im and Jim discuss:* The origin of UNDO and the reasons for exploring ERW as the key CDR method; * The operational processes at UNDO;* UNDO’s experience going through the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition;* The company’s approach to measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV);* Partnerships with academia, local community, and businesses in the supply-chain;* UNDO’s expansion into Canada and future goals; and* Impactful policy supportRelevant Links:* UNDO Website* UNDO LinkedIn* UK Government memo on ERW* Canadian Wollastonite website * UNDO X Newcastle Peer-reviewed paper in Plos One* Xprize Carbon Removal - Top 20 Finalists AnnouncementAbout JimWith a background in ecology, combined with extensive experience in scaling businesses, Jim was drawn to the fight against climate change and the ecological disaster it’s bringing with it. In 2019, Jim co-founded The Future Forest Company - a reforestation effort with a mission to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and restore biodiversity across the UK.  Realising that tree planting could only go so far in helping solve the climate crisis, UNDO was born with the aim of delivering large-scale carbon removal projects with a permanence of 100,000+ years. When Jim is not busy creating a liveable planet for future generations, he runs competitively at ultra-distance, his favourite events being 100-mile or more mountain races. He lives in Scotland with his partner Liz and their two young children. About UNDOWith pioneering enhanced rock weathering technology, UNDO generates durable, high-quality carbon removal to support businesses on their pathway to net zero. This nature-based process also improves soil fertility, food security and the health of our oceans. Since 2022, UNDO has worked at the cutting edge of science alongside experts in the climate, carbon and agricultural sectors to develop an ERW technology which accelerates natural weathering processes to remove carbon from the atmosphere while bringing soil and crop benefits to agricultural communities. The UNDO operational, scientific and technical model leverages existing infrastructure, with a carbon efficiency of greater than 90 percent, allowing UNDO to quickly scale operations whilst offering carbon removal at competitive prices. UNDO aims to be the first company to remove one million tonnes of CO₂, a first step towards billion-tonne scale global operations. They operate primarily in the United Kingdom and now, Canada.This episode was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Consecon Foundation.This episode was created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Tank Chen.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.Tank Chen is a carbon removal advocate based in Taiwan whose focus is on communicating the importance of carbon removal to policy makers, corporate leaders, and the broader public through education, communications, and policy advocacy.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 LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com