The Carbon Curve

Luke Connell, a leader at CarbonRun focused on carbon removal initiatives, and Shannon Sterling, an environmental scientist advocating impactful climate solutions, discuss a landmark $25M offtake agreement with Frontier Climate. They dive into the significance of revitalizing freshwater ecosystems and explore innovative strategies like river alkalinity enhancement. The duo highlights the challenges of scaling technology, the economic benefits for local communities, and the vital role of community engagement in fostering public trust and support for environmental initiatives.

Episode 42 is with Sebastian Manhart, Senior Policy Advisor at CarbonfutureSebastian Manhart discusses recent carbon dioxide removal (CDR) policies in Europe and the U.S. He points out key policy achievements, compares the EU's and U.S.'s different CDR approaches, and emphasizes the importance as well as the challenges of integrating CDR into compliance markets. He also mentions his own projects aimed at advancing the CDR industry.In this episode, Na’im and Sebastian discuss:* recent developments in carbon removal policies across Europe and the U.S.;* significant policy wins over the past year;* key legislative approaches to the EU’s carbon removal policies* Progress from individual European countries in CDR;* the approaches of the EU and the U.S.;* the potential and readiness of integrating CDR into compliance markets;* the importance of government roles and the need for developing domestic CDR industries;* the founding of the German CDR Association, DVNE, the U.S. Biochar Coalition, and CDRjobs.Relevant Links:* How the EU is shaping policies to pursue global leadership in carbon removal (2023)* Carbonfuture website * CDRjobs website * US Biochar Coalition website* Enhanced Weathering Alliance website* Deutscher Verband für Negative Emissionen (DVNE) website* Carbon Gap funding EU vs US analysis* Sebastian Manhart (LinkedIn, Website, Newsletter)* Compliance Market Poll* Denmark’s Livestock TaxAbout Sebastian:Sebastian Manhart is a CDR policy expert. He is the Senior Policy Advisor of Carbonfuture, the world’s leading CDR platform. 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. Sebastian also recently founded CDRjobs, the sector’s leading job platform. 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 builds the trust infrastructure needed to scale CDR. It operates across pathways, focused on developing both MRV and marketplaces services.The DVNE is the German CDR association, supporting the German government in achieving its ambitious 2045 net-zero target.The US Biochar Coalition aims to establish high-quality, permanent biochar carbon removal as a key pillar in American industrial and climate strategy.CDRjobs is the one stop shop for anyone transitioning into, or within CDR with all jobs in CDR in a single place.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

Episode 41 is with Noah Deich, Senior Advisor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon ManagementToday Na’im speaks with Noah Deich about how the US Department of Energy (DOE) is contributing to the carbon removal landscape through innovative programs and policies aimed at decarbonizing the energy sector and advancing carbon removal technologies. In this episode, Na’im and Noah discuss:* Noah's journey into the carbon removal space; * The role of DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management;* Key innovation programs and initiatives supporting carbon removal; * The Carbon Negative Shot initiative and its goals;* The importance of Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) in carbon removal projects;* The DOE’s pilot program for purchasing carbon removal credits;* Community benefits and engagement in carbon removal projects;* Approaches in driving market demand for carbon removal.Relevant Links:* DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management* Carbon Negative Shot* Carbon Dioxide Removal Purchase Pilot Prize* Direct Air Capture Pre-Commercial Technology Prize* Commercial Direct Air Capture Pilot Prize* The Roads to Removal (R2R) Report* Na’im’s reflections on the unveiling of Mammoth in IcelandAbout Noah:Noah Deich is a Senior Advisor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. Noah came to FECM from Carbon180, which he co-founded to catalyze the development of a portfolio of carbon removal solutions. Prior to that, Noah was an economic and management consultant with Accenture and ICF international, where he gained experience in many fields including environmental market and carbon offset modeling and renewable and fossil energy power plants valuations. Noah received his MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and his BA from the University of VirginiaAbout DOE FECM:The DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) minimizes environmental and climate impacts of fossil fuels and industrial processes while working to achieve net-zero emissions across the U.S. economy. Priority areas of technology work include carbon capture, carbon conversion, carbon dioxide removal, carbon dioxide transport and storage, hydrogen production with carbon management, methane emissions reduction, and critical minerals production. To learn more, visit the FECM website, sign up for FECM news announcements, and visit the National Energy Technology Laboratory website.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

Anu Khan, founder and Executive Director of the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative, discusses her groundbreaking work in advancing carbon removal standards. She emphasizes the vital role of Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) for achieving accountability and justice in carbon removal efforts. Anu highlights the initiative's approach to providing unbiased information to policymakers while bridging gaps in carbon quantification standards. The conversation also touches on the importance of establishing robust methodologies tailored to various industries to support effective climate action.

Episode 39 is with Mark Cyffka, Co-Founder and COO of AirMyne. Today Na’im speaks with Mark Cyffka about common barriers to scaling the different approaches of direct air capture technologies, how AirMyne is looking to bypass those barriers with its technology, what the cost trajectory of DAC will be between now and 2050, and how to think about the modularity versus large-system approaches of developing DAC technologies.In this episode, Na’im and Mark discuss:* AirMyne’s progress since the company was launched;* Common barriers to scaling direct air capture today;* AirMyne’s technology;* Cost trajectory for DAC by 2050;* AirMyne’s partnership with CO2 offtakes and its’ role in in the two Regional DAC Hub projects in parallel to its partners;* Policy initiatives to address gaps in the scaling of DAC; and* The importance of social acceptance for DAC to scale.Relevant Links:* AirMyne’s website* “Hello world, we’re AirMyne.”* TechCrunch - “AirMyne taps geothermal energy to scale direct air carbon capture”* ETH Zurich - Cost of direct air carbon capture to remain higher than hoped* Berkeley Lab - Exploring Community-Centered Direct Air Capture* U.S. Department of Energy - Project Selections for FOA 2735: Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs – Topic Area 1 (Feasibility) and Topic Area 2 (Design)About Mark:Mark Cyffka is the co-founder at AirMyne where he leads day to day operations. Before AirMyne, Mark spent more than a decade in operations roles in the deeptech ecosystem, including sales, engineering, and product management roles. At BASF, Mark helped invent & commercialize products used to manufacture EVs and solar power systems. After the success of that product led to a spin-out, Mark advised the Finnish government on deeptech innovation with a focus on climate. Mark studied chemistry at Harvey Mudd College.About AirMyne:AirMyne is a company working to scale high-quality carbon removal through direct air capture (DAC). The company is based in Berkeley, California and employs 19 people. AirMyne has built, demonstrated, and patented a low-temperature, solvent-based DAC approach designed for low cost, safety, and scalability. 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

Episode 38 is with Dai Ellis (Co-founder and CEO) and Vilas Rao (Co-founder) of Cascade Climate.Today Na’im speaks with Dai Ellis and Vilas Rao about how Cascade Climate is working to address key challenges in open-system carbon dioxide removal (CDR), particularly around quantification of enhanced rock weathering (ERW), why a community-built quantification standard is key to increase consistency in MRV practices across the ERW market, and how to encourage industry adoption and data sharing to advance understanding of ERW.In this episode, Na’im, Dai, and Vilas discuss:* The co-founders’ vision for launching and building Cascade;* The problem Cascade was founded to solve;* The reason for focusing on ERW and the key challenges associated;* The current state of net removal quantification and the reason for creating a community-built standard;* Incentives to encourage adoption and implementation of the community-built standard;* The importance of having data-access and encouraging data-sharing in driving shared learning and building trust;* The role policymakers play in ERW;* Responsible deployment of ERW in the Global South; and* The good-movie and the bad-movie versions of open-system climate intervention.Relevant Links:* Carbon Curve Podcast Ep. 3 - “Dai Ellis on what scaling up HIV medicines can teach us about building a thriving carbon removal market”* The Great Unwind - Substack by Dai Ellis* Carbon Travels - Substack by John Sanchez* Foundations for a Healthy ERW Market Cycle - Blog Post* Cascade Climate on OpenAir’s This is CDR webinar series* Cascade Climate websiteAbout Dai:Dai Ellis is CEO and co-founder at Cascade Climate. Dai is an entrepreneur with deep experience founding and scaling high-performing nonprofit and for-profit ventures across climate, health, and education. He has co-founded five different ventures and paid forward what he’s learned the hard way as an executive coach to climate tech founders and CEOs. Earlier in his career, Dai led the Clinton Health Access Initiative’s pioneering work on market shaping for drugs, vaccines, and other health products in the Global South. More recently, he has been at the forefront of efforts to import learning and tools from global health market shaping into climate tech.About Vilas:Vilas Rao is a co-founder at Cascade Climate. Vilas has been growing businesses in the agriculture technology space for the past decade, looking for ways to apply technology to agricultural production systems to drive a more sustainable and secure food supply. Prior to Cascade, Vilas was the Chief Revenue Officer for Arable Labs, which delivers a real-time crop monitoring solution for farming. Earlier in his career, Vilas led the scale up of FieldView, the largest data platform and partner ecosystem in agriculture while at The Climate Corporation. Vilas got his start in agriculture working with smallholder farmers in Nepal, which led to his lifelong fascination with the connections between the food system, economic opportunity, and our planetary footprint.About Cascade Climate:Cascade Climate works to accelerate progress in climate interventions that leverage Earth’s natural systems—from soils to oceans to glaciers—to stabilize our climate. As a philanthropically-backed nonprofit, Cascade coordinates and resources ambitious initiatives across science, industry, philanthropy, and policy to overcome the core bottlenecks that are holding back the most promising open-system climate interventions. Its initial focus is advancing the development of a healthy market for enhanced rock weathering (ERW), underpinned by its scientific evidence base and its potential for durable, gigaton-scale carbon dioxide removal.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

Lukas May from Isometric discusses building trust in the carbon market, improving on current models, addressing incentive alignment issues, and defining quality standards. The role of policy, collaboration, and government regulations in establishing trustworthy carbon markets is also explored.

Episode 36 is with Nikki Batchelor of XPRIZE and Ben Rubin of Carbon Business Council.Carbon removal can be a force for good - not just in creating lasting climate benefits - but in delivering social, economic, and ecological benefits as well. Indeed, the future of carbon removal depends on that promise playing out. But it isn’t a foregone conclusion that large scale carbon removal is uncompromisingly and unequivocally good for people and planet. As we build this new industry - an intentional approach to its responsible deployment is absolutely necessary. Today, Na’im speaks with Nikki Batchelor and Ben Rubin about the recently launched Carbon Dioxide Removal Responsible Deployment Training (CDR RDT).In this episode, Na’im, Nikki, and Ben discuss:* Achievements the Carbon Business Council has made since launch;* The XPRIZE Carbon Removal Competition and the final stage of the competition;* Findings from XPRIZE’s Carbon Removal Innovation Landscape and the 2024 Outlook report;* The meaning and importance of deploying carbon removal responsibly;* Carbon Business Council’s Responsible Deployment Training program;* Embedding environmental justice and community engagement approaches into XPRIZE competition criteria;* The adaption of key principles of the training program to a broader global context;* The implication of the framework for stakeholders beyond carbon removal tech developers; and* Upcoming announcements and initiatives from XPRIZE and Carbon Business Council.Relevant Links:* Breaking Ground: Guidance for Carbon Removal Companies and Funders on Responsible Project Deployment* CDR Innovation Landscape and 2024 Outlook* From the Ground Up: Recommendations for Building an Environmentally Just Carbon Removal Industry* CDR RDT, A Training Course & Suite of Foundational Resources for the Responsible Deployment of Carbon Removal  * CDR RDT: Carbon Dioxide Removal Responsible Deployment Trainings* Responsible & Regional Deployment of Carbon Removal: A Pacific Northwest Symposium* Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR): Issue Brief* Sources of opposition to renewable energy projects in the United StatesAbout Nikki:Nikki Batchelor is the Executive Director for the $100M XPRIZE Carbon Removal, a competition supported by the Musk Foundation to drive innovation, market adoption, and responsible deployment of carbon removal solutions. In this capacity she oversees program operations, develops partnerships, and leads strategic initiatives on topics such as environmental justice and investor engagement, including the Circular Carbon Network that provides market insights for the growing carbon tech and carbon removal sectors. Nikki also supports XPRIZE’s work across the Energy & Climate Domain and previously managed operations and impact programs for the $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE from 2015-2021. She also serves on the Carbon Business Council Board of Directors and Puro.Earth Advisory Board.About XPRIZE:XPRIZE is an established global leader in designing, launching, and executing large scale competitions to solve humanity’s greatest challenges. The XPRIZE unique model democratizes innovation by incentivizing crowd-sourced, scientifically viable solutions to create a more equitable and abundant future for all. About Ben:Ben Rubin is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Carbon Business Council. Ben serves on the Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee at the U.S. Department of Commerce, a federal appointment position. He is a Research Fellow with the Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal. Ben has been advancing climate action throughout his career, leading initiatives for companies, accelerators, governments and nonprofits. His work has galvanized billions of dollars in climate infrastructure funding, passed legislation, and reached hundreds of millions of people through media campaigns.About Carbon Business Council:Carbon Business Council (CO2BC), a member-driven and tech-neutral trade association of companies unified to restore the climate, is the preeminent industry voice for carbon management innovators. Together, the nonprofit coalition represents more than 100 companies and organizations across six continents with more than $16.5 billion dollars in combined assets.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 CDR 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

Episode 35 is with Anastasia Pavlovic, CEO of Eion and Elliot Chang, Co-founder and CSO of Eion.Today Na’im speaks with Anastasia Pavlovic, CEO of Eion and Elliot Chang, CSO of Eion. Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is an area of carbon removal that I’ve been really intrigued by. When I think about ERW, I think about high potential for scale, benefits to farmers, and potentially challenging MRV.So 35 episodes into this podcast, I’m finally doing an episode on ERW. Today I’ll be speaking with Eion’s co-founder, alongside a newly minted CEO, to educate me about what has evolved in the ERW space over the last few years and what the future has in store for this promising but still nascent carbon removal technology.About Anastasia PavlovicAnastasia Pavlovic is the CEO of Eion, which she joined in December 2023 bringing deep expertise in global operations and software with a passion for driving global change through local impact. Before joining Eion, Pavlovic led operations, commercialization, and growth for the Agoro Carbon Alliance, which works with farmers to sequester carbon in soil. Prior to the Alliance, Pavlovic commercialized software solutions in the US and Canada for Yara's Digital Farming organization. She has worked for venture-backed software companies scaling agtech and security products around the world. From West Virginia, Pavlovic holds dual B.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Systems Engineering. About Elliot ChangElliot Chang is Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Eion. With over ten years of research experience in ion interactions with abiotic and biotic surfaces found in both subsurface terrestrial and marine systems, Elliot focuses on the research and development of technology at Eion. Elliot provides a unique perspective on technology and innovation through his work in academia, national laboratories, and industry-based companies. Elliot has completed postdoctoral research positions at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he studied the physio-chemical properties of swelling clays in soils, and at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he developed new computational modelling approaches for radionuclide and metal transport in soils and nuclear waste repositories. He received his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, studying rare earth element interactions with bacteria in engineered bioreactor and natural soil systems. He received his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering at Princeton University with a certificate in Sustainable Energy. Elliot is a member of the American Geophysical Union, American Chemical Society, and Sigma Xi Honor Society. About EionEion is a carbon removal company responsibly scaling enhanced rock weathering (ERW) on agricultural lands. It holds an industry-first patent for directly measuring the carbon removed by mineral weathering in soils using immobile trace elements. Combining scientific rigor with agricultural know-how, Eion fits into routine farming practices to unlock scale without compromising safety and rigor. That includes using olivine, a naturally abundant mineral that balances soil pH while efficiently absorbing carbon dioxide, and relying on routine soil samples and standard equipment to measure carbon removal and monitor soil conditions. By working with the agricultural system, Eion is on track to deliver 10 million tons of permanent carbon removal annually starting in 2030 while creating stable jobs in rural communities. In this episode, Na’im, Anna, and Elliot discuss:* Eion’s beginning and journey thus far;* Anna’s new role as the CEO and her experience getting into CDR from a background in agtech;* Eion’s approach to enhanced rock weathering* Eion’s ‘direct measurement approach’ to MRV;* The different minerals used in ERW and the advantage of using olivine for Eion;* The scalability and potential of ERW in reaching the scale required;* The constraints in scaling ERW;* Eion’s partnership with its feedstock partner, Sibelco;* The significance of Eion’s recent delivery of carbon removal to Stripe;* Policy supports needed going forward for ERW;* Anna’s mandate and the company’s key priorities for 2024;Relevant Links:* The basics of enhanced rock weathering* How Eion Measures Enhanced Rock Weathering (Or How to Find Something That’s No Longer There) * Eion’s Delivery of Carbon Removal to Stripe, Inc.* The US Agriculture Improvement Act (Farm Bill)* Eion’s websiteThis 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 CDR 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

Phil De Luna, Chief Carbon Scientist and Head of Engineering at Deep Sky, discusses Deep Sky's approach to carbon dioxide removal, their criteria for choosing partners, and their focus on Quebec and Canada. They also talk about innovative carbon removal technologies, their partnership with Isometric for MRV, challenges to large scale deployment, and the importance of community engagement. They highlight the policies needed to develop and scale carbon removal technologies in Canada and provide insights into Deep Sky's plan for 2024.