The Carbon Curve

Sebastian Manhart, a Senior Policy Advisor at Carbonfuture and Board Chair of DVNE, discusses the EU's policy developments in carbon removal, focusing on direct air capture vs. newer methods. He compares the EU's approach to the US, highlights Germany's leadership, and emphasizes the need for a distinct carbon removal strategy and measurement system.

Episode 26 is with Rahul Shendure, CEO of CarbonBuilt.There are many different storage pathways for carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere.One storage medium that we don't talk about enough is storage of CO2 in long-lived products like concrete. Storing CO2 in concrete not only helps solve the CO2 storage problem - especially for smaller, modular carbon removal deployments - but helps decarbonize a very carbon intense product.My guest today, Rahul Shendure, leads a company that is developing ultra low carbon concrete that is coming off the production line today and demonstrates the exciting potential for integrating carbon removal technologies alongside other decarbonization technologies in existing industrial processes.Rahul Shendure is a serial entrepreneur and investor focused on sustainability and health. He is the CEO of CarbonBuilt, whose technology enables the production of ultra-low carbon concrete, reducing emissions by 70-100%. He previously served as Co-Founder and CEO at Bellwether Bio, whose acquisition by Guardant Health led to the launch of the first blood-based colorectal cancer screening test. Rahul’s earlier engineering and commercial roles span a wide range of climate-related industries ranging from plastics (GE), hydrogen fuel cells (Ballard Power Systems), renewable fuels and chemicals (Amyris) and next generation renewable electricity (Oscilla Power). Rahul earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from MIT and received his MBA from Harvard Business School.CarbonBuilt, winner of the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, enables concrete manufacturers to produce ultra-low carbon concrete products with 70-100% less embodied carbon. CarbonBuilt’s technology replaces most of the expensive, high-carbon Portland cement typically used during concrete manufacturing with a proprietary low-cost cement alternative made from widely-available low carbon materials. These materials harden after chemically reacting with CO2, to not only strengthen the blocks, but also permanently store the CO2 in solid form, diverting it from the atmosphere. Because it can be cost-effectively installed at existing concrete manufacturing plants and delivers products that meet ASTM C90 and other applicable industry standards without increasing costs, CarbonBuilt’s technology can be rapidly adopted by the nearly 800 concrete plants in the U.S. alone. In this episode, Na’im and Rahul discuss:* Concrete and its carbon footprint;* CarbonBuilt’s technology for producing ultra-low carbon concrete;* The distinction between emissions avoidance and removal both in CarbonBuilt’s technology as well as its credit system;* CarbonBuilt’s commercial partnership with Blair Block;* CarbonBuilt’s participation in the Four Corners Carbon Coalition’s first project;* Barriers to scaling low carbon concrete technology and the role of policy in addressing these barriers.Relevant Links:* CarbonBuilt* CarbonBuilt and Blair Block commercial partnership* Four Corners Carbon Coalition* CarbonBuilt and Four Corners Coalition* Paving the Way for Low-Carbon Concrete: Recommendations for a Federal Procurement Strategy* Concrete: Square one for scaling distributed direct air capture?Special note: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. Episode production and content support provided by Lucia Simonelli.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. 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

Jack Andreasen and Dr. Claire Nelson discuss geologic storage of CO2, its potential and challenges. They highlight the importance of financial incentives and long-term policy support for scaling up carbon storage. They also explore the federal permitting process in the US and the need for well-regulated states. Additionally, they touch on alternative storage technologies and the potential of Kenya for durable carbon removal.

Episode 24 is with Professor Gregory Nemet, a Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the La Follette School of Public Affairs and Convener of the State of CDR report.Today Na’im speaks with Professor Gregory Nemet to learn more about the current state of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) globally, the varying magnitudes of carbon removal needed by midcentury as they correspond to different decarbonization scenarios, and the gap between the amount of carbon removal needed and the amount countries are planning to deploy. Greg Nemet is a convener of the State of CDR report - the first comprehensive global assessment of the current state of CDR. It describes the gap between how much CDR countries are planning to deploy and what is needed in scenarios to meet Paris climate goals. It finds that the size of the “CDR gap” differs across scenarios, depending on how the global economy is transformed to achieve net-zero emissions. It also finds that there are currently few plans by countries to scale CDR above current levels, exposing a substantial shortfall - which we’ll get into today.About Prof. Gregory NemetGregory Nemet is a Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the La Follette School of Public Affairs.  He teaches courses in policy analysis, energy systems, and international environmental policy.  Nemet's research focuses on understanding the process of technological change and the ways in which public policy can affect it.  He received his doctorate in energy and resources from the University of California, Berkeley. His A.B. is in geography and economics from Dartmouth College.  He received an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship in 2017 and used it to write a book on how solar PV provides lessons for the development of other low-carbon technologies: “How Solar Energy Became Cheap: A Model for Low-Carbon Innovation” (Routledge 2019).  He was awarded the inaugural World Citizen Prize in Environmental Performance by APPAM in 2019.  He is currently a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 6th Assessment Report.In this episode, Na’im and Greg discuss:* Past emerging technologies such as ammonia and solar PV that can serve as useful analogues to carbon removal;* The varying magnitudes of carbon removal needed by midcentury as they correspond to different decarbonization scenarios;* The gap between the amount of carbon removal needed and the amount countries are planning to deploy;* The urgency of investing in carbon removal in the next 10-15 years to ensure that we reach the needed scale by midcentury;* Trends and gaps across academic literature on carbon removal;* The importance of public perception and acceptance of carbon removal;* What comes next after the State of CDR Report.Relevant Links:* How Solar Became Cheap: A Model for Low-Carbon Innovation* State of CDR Report* Follow Professor Greg Nemet on LinkedIn and TwitterThis podcast is created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Lucia Simonelli.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. 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 23 of The Carbon Curve is with Dr. Julio Friedman (Chief Scientist at Carbon Direct), James Mwangi (Co-Founder and CEO of Africa Climate Ventures), Ugbaad Kosar (Director of Environmental Justice at Carbon180), and Marcius Extavour (Chief Climate Solutions Officer at TIME CO2). This episode was recorded from the 2023 Direct Air Capture Summit hosted by Climeworks on June 6, 2023.A couple of weeks ago, I attended the 2023 Direct Air Capture (DAC) Summit hosted by Climeworks and had the chance to moderate a discussion on setting up policy frameworks for scaling up carbon removal.The summit attracted 400 participants in person and thousands more online. It has become a central convening of DAC and carbon removal experts from around the world. As I stand up a new initiative aimed at scaling carbon removal in Canada, the sessions and networking provided useful insights on where the industry is going, the opportunities on the horizon, and challenges we should expect to contend with. I personally came away from the event re-energized about the prospects of DAC and carbon removal more broadly.The team at Climeworks did a great job organizing and hosting this event, and they worked with me to facilitate a handful of interviews live from the event venue with leaders in the carbon removal field to discuss their reflections from the summit and what is energizing them at this important juncture of this new industry. I had a chance to speak with:* Dr. Julio Friedmann, Chief Scientist at Carbon Direct (LinkedIn, Twitter)* James Mwangi, Co-Founder and CEO of Africa Climate Ventures (LinkedIn, Twitter)* Link to: Africa Climate Summit 2023* Ugbaad Kosar, Director of Environmental Justice at Carbon180 (LinkedIn, Twitter)* Dr. Marcius Extavour, Chief Climate Solutions Officer at TIME CO2 (LinkedIn, Twitter)I think the substance of these conversations reveal some valuable themes coming out of the event itself that I hope will be orienting and enlightening as we navigate this rapidly growing sector.This podcast is created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Lucia Simonelli.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. 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 22 is with Dr. Sifang Chen, a Managing Science and Innovation Advisor at Carbon180 and author of the recent white paper, Depending on the Ocean: Research and Policy Priorities for Responsible Ocean Carbon Removal.We continue to see growing interest in enhancing the ocean's ability to remove and store carbon dioxide. In the last month alone, we've seen the largest investment to date in an ocean-based carbon removal startup, California-based Ebb Carbon.Soon after, Dalhousie University announced it received CA$154 million - its largest grant ever - from the Canadian government to investigate the ocean's role in climate change, including advancing the science and technology around ocean-based carbon removal. In the face of economic uncertainty, it looks like ocean-based carbon removal isn't going anywhere, but a number of critical questions remain about its future.Today Na’im speaks with Dr. Sifang Chen from Carbon180 to learn more about ocean carbon removal pathways and how policy can help clarify efficacy, ecosystem impacts, and necessary regulations and governance.Dr. Chen authored the recently published Carbon180 white paper entitled, Depending on the Ocean: Research and Policy Priorities for Responsible Ocean Carbon Removal. This paper explores how policy can help lower existing uncertainties around ocean carbon removal and offers specific recommendations aimed at clarifying efficacy, ecosystem impacts, and necessary regulations and governance. In this episode, Na’im and Sifang discuss:* Fun facts about the ocean and the immense amount we still don’t know about it;* Categories and types of ocean carbon removal methods;* Major challenges facing ocean carbon removal;* A responsible vs. irresponsible future for ocean carbon removal;* Policy’s role in ensuring the responsible future; and* Centering environmental justice in ocean carbon removal.Relevant Links:* Depending on the Ocean: Research and Policy Priorities for Responsible Ocean Carbon Removal* Ebb Carbon’s $20M Series A raise* Dalhousie University receives CA$154M to study the ocean’s pivotal role in climate change* Follow Sifang on Twitter and LinkedInAbout Dr. Sifang ChenDr. Sifang Chen is a Managing Science and Innovation Advisor at Carbon180 and currently leads the organization's ocean CDR focus. Sifang works to ensure Carbon180’s policy work is informed by the most up-to-date science and industry knowledge. She has previously worked in science policy, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. Sifang holds a BS in physics from the University of British Columbia and PhD in physics from the University of Washington.This podcast is created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Lucia Simonelli.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. 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 21 of the Carbon Curve is with Dr. Shuchi Talati, founder of the recently launched nonprofit, The Alliance for Just Deliberation for Solar Geoengineering.In this episode, Na’im and Dr. Shuchi Talati talk about shifting the conversation on two major climate interventions in the course of her career. First, we discuss her experience working with the Department of Energy to help facilitate a major shift in mandate for the Office of Fossil Energy and making it the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. Second, we discuss an exciting new nonprofit that proposes a major shift in how we advance deliberations on a contentious topic that is often wrongly conflated with carbon removal - solar geo engineering.In this episode, Na’im and Dr. Talati discuss:* Dr. Talati’s experience as Chief of Staff of DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management;* DOE’s CDR initiatives including the Carbon Negative Shot, Direct Air Capture Hubs, and Mission Innovation;* The growing focus on environmental justice and community engagement in CDR;* The important distinction between CDR and solar geoengineering;* The need for inclusive governance structures and capacity building in the context of solar geoengineering; and* The launch of her new nonprofit, The Alliance for Just Deliberation for Solar Geoengineering.Relevant Links:* Our New Name is also a New Vision (DOE)* DOE’s Carbon Negative Shot* Mission Innovation - CDR* How Direct Air Capture Succeeds: A framework for Effective DAC Hubs* The Alliance for Just Deliberation for Solar GeoengineeringAbout Dr. Shuchi TalatiDr. Talati is the founder of the recently launched nonprofit, The Alliance for Just Deliberation for Solar Geoengineering. She is also a Senior Visiting Scholar at Carbon180 where she is focusing on how to build just and sustainable carbon removal at scale. She most recently served as a Presidential Appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration as Chief of Staff of the Office of Fossil Energy & Carbon Management at the U.S. Department of Energy. She has also worked for multiple nonprofits as well as in the U.S. Senate. Dr. Talati earned a BS in environmental engineering from Northwestern University, an MA in climate and society from Columbia University, and PhD from Carnegie Mellon in engineering and public policy.This podcast is created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Lucia Simonelli.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. 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 20 of The Carbon Curve is with Marian Krüger, co-lead of the Remove Accelerator and Decarbonization Lead for Sus.Lab at ETH ZürichLet’s hop over the Atlantic and talk about the carbon removal (or CDR) innovation and policy landscape in Europe. The EU is the world’s third largest economy, and it’s well positioned to have a major impact on the future of carbon removal policy and innovation. I wanted to understand Europe's potential in terms of what's in the innovation pipeline, as well as what systemic gaps need to be addressed to make Europe a carbon removal powerhouse.Today, Na’im speaks to Marian Krüger, co-lead of the Remove Accelerator and Decarbonization Lead for Sus.Lab at ETH Zürich. Remove is a new accelerator program designed to support carbon removal innovators while strengthening the CDR ecosystem.Sus.Lab or The Sustainability in Business Lab is a “Think and Do Tank” launched by the Chair for Sustainability and Technology at ETH Zürich. The lab was founded in 2016 with a mission to bring sustainability research into the real world through hands-on industry projects. The Remove Accelerator (formerly known as Carbon Removal ClimAccelerator before the rebrand) is Europe’s first and only accelerator program purely focused on CDR startups. Originated as a project at ETH Zurich’s Sustainability in Business Lab, the non-profit, non-equity program has supported more than 60 European early-stage CDR startups since its start in 2021 with coaching, expert matchmaking, ecosystem access and non-dilutive capital.In this episode, Na’im and Marian discuss:* The carbon removal work at ETH Zürich’s Sustainability in Business Lab* The genesis and evolution of the Remove Accelerator (previously the Carbon Removal ClimAccelerator)* Country-level carbon removal policies in the EU and UK* EU-level policy progress and gapsRelevant Links:*  Sus.Lab at ETH Zürich* Carbon removal work* DemoUpCARMA & DemoUpStorage* Remove Accelerator* EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework* Luxembourg Negative Emissions Tariff* The L NET Straw Proposal - A Negative Emissions Tariff for Luxembourg and Beyond* Sweden’s carbon removal strategy * Is Sweden becoming the world leader on BECCS?* Switzerland’s long term climate strategy * UK greenhouse gas removal (GGR) business models About Marian Krüger:Marian Krüger has spent his whole career in impact entrepreneurship. First as a venture developer at the German green utility, Innogy, before founding his own startup, Ucair, to increase photovoltaic yield using drones and AI data analytics. After its acquisition, he went on to join ETH Zurich’s Sustainability in Business Lab as Decarbonization Lead and co-founded and now leads the Remove Accelerator. Marian holds two Masters degrees, one in education and one in behavioral economics and sustainability from the London School of Economics.This podcast is created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Lucia Simonelli.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 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. 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 19 of The Carbon Curve is with Ted Christie-Miller, Head of Carbon Removal at BeZero CarbonScalability is essential to the success of long-term CDR deployment - it is broadly acknowledged that by midcentury, CDR must grow from its current capacity of thousands of tons to billions of tons of removal per year. But how do we evaluate the potential to scale, the barriers that could prevent the necessary scaling, and the levers needed to overcome these barriers?BeZero Carbon is a ratings agency for the voluntary carbon market. Combining expertise across climate science, finance and policy, it provides ratings, risk and data tools that improve information accessibility and decision making with the aim to build markets for environmental impact. As part of its work on carbon removal, BeZero Carbon has developed a methodology for assessing scalability across multiple carbon removal methods. Ted Christie-Miller, BeZero Carbon’s Head of Carbon Removal, discusses how the methodology was developed, what it can be used for, what its limitations are, and what’s next for BeZero on assessing CDR going forward.In this episode, Na’im and Ted discuss:* The strategic importance of long-duration CDR to BeZero Carbon and why BeZero decided to assess the scalability of long-duration CDR methods;* The methodology used to assess CDR methods and how it’s different from methodologies used by other groups;* Challenges and surprises the team encountered when assessing scalability;* Key take-aways from this analysis and how BeZero hopes this assessment will be used, as well as planned future work.Relevant Links:* Carbon Removal Scalability assessment* Introduction* Methodology* Summary* Deep Dive: Biochar* Investing in early-stage carbon dioxide removal* Removals for Growth* Carbon Removals in the VCM* Barriers to scaling the long-duration carbon dioxide removal industry (CarbonPlan, by Na’im Merchant, Freya Chay, Danny Cullenward, and Jeremy Freeman)About Ted Christie-Miller:Ted joined BeZero in October 2021 to lead the carbon removal team at BeZero Carbon. Before joining BeZero he founded and led the cross-party Getting to Zero climate policy programme at the thinktank Onward. He regularly writes in the national media on topics of climate and carbon markets, including for The Times, The Telegraph, CityAM, CarbonPulse and BusinessGreen. Previous research has been cited in a series of UK Government reports, including the Net Zero Review and the Levelling Up White Paper.This podcast is created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Lucia Simonelli.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 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. 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

This is a special episode with Rahima Dosani (my amazing wife) who interviews me about my career transition from working in international development to carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and my thoughts on the CDR field more broadly.Over the last few years, countless people have asked me about my journey from working in global health to working on climate and the steps I took to shift into this field. Over the holiday break, Rahima and I recorded a special episode to reflect on that journey, including what I’ve learned along the way, what I think about the CDR field more broadly (as well as challenges and opportunities), and the personal impacts of this career transition. We hope this episode offers helpful insights for people looking to make a career move to working on climate in 2023.About Rahima:Rahima Dosani works in global health at the US Agency for International Development, where she helps scale up access to cutting-edge health interventions for some of the world's poorest countries. She also worked for the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Malawi, which is where we first met, and in Myanmar after doing healthcare strategy consulting in New York City. Rahima holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Harvard Business School, as well as a Master's in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. She spends her spare time teaching yoga and being a private chef in Washington, DC.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.Na’im Merchant, Founder and Managing Director of Carbon Curve, is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge of removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. Every week, Na’im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. 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