Carbon Removal Newsroom
A bite-sized podcast for carbon removal news on-the-go. Each episode features unique guests and perspectives.
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2023 is coming to a close, and a lot has happened in the world of CDR this year. We’re going to take a look at the year in carbon removal to find out what’s changed in the last year- and what hasn’t. Investment in CDR remains strong, with many big deals making headlines- but what hasn’t changed? Deployments remain small and few in number. The traditional offset market has faced scrutiny like never before, and seen a dip in investment. What’s still the same? Corporate buyers are still seeking out the lowest quality products. Broadly climate progress is being made, but a new emissions gap report highlights how much more work there is and how much CDR has to grow to contribute. So join us as our business panel takes a look at what’s new in CDR, and what’s the same as it ever was. *On This Episode* Susan Su Na’im Merchant Radhika Moolgavkar *Resources* Oxy-Climeworks Deal New Frontier DAC Purchase Heirloom Announces First US DAC Plant Carbon Market Chaos Bloomberg Report on Offsets UN Emissions Gap Report *Connect with Nori* Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support
Listen to the episodeThis week, we’re bringing you a panel discussion from the Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy’s annual CDR conference. Our policy panelist, Wil Burns, hosted the conference and led this panel discussion on the role of mandates in growing CDR in the US. The US government has stepped forward into the role of subsidizing and encouraging CDR in recent years, offering a ‘carrot’ to promote the new industry, in the form of large grants and tax incentives. But what could the government do to present a ‘stick’- requiring CDR using existing regulations? That’s the topic of this policy panel featuring Dan Galpern, the Executive Director of the Climate Protection and Restoration Initiative, and Stephanie Arcusa, a researcher at the Arizona State University Center for Negative Carbon Emissions. Dan spoke about using the Toxic Substances Control Act to regulate carbon emissions, including the possibility of mandating carbon dioxide removal as a condition for allowing ongoing emissions. He argues that the TSCA provides clear authority for such regulation, citing past precedents and legal interpretations. Stephanie discusses the concept of a Carbon Take Back Obligation, which would require fossil fuel producers to sequester a ton of carbon for every ton they extract. This policy aims to gradually transition to net-zero emissions by creating a demand for carbon removal and applying the policy upstream in the fossil fuel supply chain. Both approaches aim to address the challenges of scaling up carbon removal and mitigating climate change, but they also raise questions about political feasibility, environmental justice, and the impact on consumers, particularly those in lower-income households. We hope you enjoy this high-level look at the policy levers that may one day lead to the scaling up of CDR. *On This Episode* Wil Burns Dan Galpern Stephanie Arcusa *Resources* Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy UN Production Gap Report Toxic Substances Control Act EU Industrial Net-Zero Act CA’s CDR Market Development Act CBTO in the news *Connect with Nori* Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support
Listen to the episodeIn recent months, we’ve covered CDR developments in the EU, followed CDR’s role in international climate agreements, and interviewed startups working to bring DAC to Kenya. There’s so much happening with CDR around the globe that it’s a challenge to cover all the news of carbon removal’s rise. That’s why on this episode we’re fortunate to have Tom Mills and Shantanu Agarwal join us today to share their work scaling up CDR in India with a new consortium called Carbon Removal Alliance India (CRIA). Tom is a co-founder of the organization, and Shantanu is a founder of Mati, an enhanced rock weathering startup in India that is a member of CRIA. India has existing climate policies, immense amounts of working lands, a rising working-age population, and a wealth of business and science resources. Can these assets allow it to become a CDR powerhouse? Our guests today will tell us about their work, what they think of India’s CDR potential, and what needs to happen within India to unlock carbon removal there. *On This Episode * Tom Mills Shantanu Agarwal Radhika Moolgavkar *Resources* Our Episodes on the EU & Kenya Susteon & Sustaera- Shantanu’s previous companies Carbon Removal Alliance India Mati Carbon Removal Partners *Connect with Nori* Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support
Listen to the episodeAs CDR’s notoriety increases, so too does the scrutiny upon it. Carbon removal companies are beginning to deploy in communities, and are facing local concerns about the effect their projects will have communities. As these companies work to communicate the benefits of their projects, a CDR trade group is announcing a new program to help companies responsibly deploy carbon removal. Scrutiny of CDR continues in the press as well. An article from Reuters tracked the growing effort to standardize and legitimize CDR as startups and marketplaces try to attract large corporate buyers, showing that the industry is now front and center on business pages worldwide. And the year’s biggest climate event is around the corner. A group of CDR organizations, including one led by today’s guest, are working to ensure the industry is ready as the global climate spotlight prepares to turn on them. The debates over CDR at COP28 will surely be contentious, and we’ll hear about a new effort to make the carbon removal community ready for when that happens. Locally, and globally, from communities to newsrooms to international bodies, CDR is under scrutiny like never before. In this episode, we’re discussing what the industry can do to respond and continue to grow. On this episode we’re joined today by Ben Rubin, the Carbon Business Council’s Executive Director, a trade organization representing over 100 CDR businesses. Welcome, Ben. We’re also joined by our regular policy panelist, Susan Su, a partner focused on climate investing at TOBA Capital. She also serves as a board member of the Carbon Business Council and a board advisor to the Environmental Voter Project. *On This Episode* Ben Rubin Susan Su Asa Kamer *Resources* Carbon Business Council CDR RDT Confidence Ebbs in Carbon Markets- article Study: 13% of Renewable Projects that Face Opposition are Completed Reuter’s ‘Wild West’ article “Three Big Letters in CDR are MRV” CDR.fyi NextGen CDR Facility Carbon Removals at COP Our Episode with Sebastian Manhart *Connect with Nori* Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support
Listen to the episodeIn our guest’s corner of the geoscience field, inertinites are well-known to be stable forms of carbon. So Hamed Sanei was surprised to learn that there was significant debate over the stability of CO2 storage in biochar, which is an inertinite. In his view, the science of that question has been settled for a long time, and the answer is clear: biochar is durable carbon removal. Biochar represented 92% of permanent carbon removal sales in the first part of 2023. It is technologically ready and accessible by a larger share of businesses and populations than other ‘permanent methods’ due to its relatively low-tech production. A recent report found it could one day deliver three gigatons of CDR annually. More investment money is flowing to companies doing biochar, and it has become a staple of CDR portfolios among buyers who are diversifying. Not only that, but it is thousands of years old and works as a soil amendment that helps crop productivity. It can be made from various biomass types, and the potential uses are just as numerous. However, a major question has hovered over the reputation of biochar: Is the carbon removed from the atmosphere by biochar stored permanently, or will it quickly seep back into the air? However, recent research has drawn some optimistic conclusions. Hamed walks us through why there has been debate, what his research has found, and why he thinks the debate over carbon storage permanence needs to be closed so that the biochar community can focus on improving and scaling the use of biochar. *On This Episode* Radhika Moolgavkar Hamed Sanei *Resources* CDR.fyi- How Much of CDR Sales are Biochar Report on Global Potential of Biochar Recent Biochar Purchase from Microsoft Biochar is 1000’s of Year Old! Hamed’s Research The Lithospheric Organic Carbon Lab European Biochar Industry Consortium *Connect with Nori* Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support
Listen to the episodeA few weeks ago, the US government announced it would directly purchase carbon removal. The Department of Energy released news of a $35 million fund to procure CDR credits. The prize fund will take the form of offtake agreements and cover four pathways. More and more governments are funding CDR pilots, supporting research, and adding CDR targets to their climate plans. CDR has quickly entered an era of widespread support throughout North America and Europe. But while the support is wide, it is also shallow; most policies take the form of modest grants or targets, with a few more ambitious countries leading the way. Many CDR commentators have come to the conclusion that without a compliance market, carbon removal won’t ever scale up. On this episode we asked our policy panel about recent government actions on CDR: will they work, are they enough, and what more needs to be done? Are today’s policies sufficient to get us where we need to go? Radhika is joined by Wil Burns, Co-Executive Director of the Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy at American University, and Holly Jean Buck, Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the University at Buffalo. *On This Episode* Radhika Moolgavkar Wil Burns Holly Jean Buck *Resources* DOE Announces CDR Procurement National Academy Report on CDR Research DOE RFP for Responsible Carbon Management Congress Members Letter on CO2 Pipelines Heirloom commitment to DOE principles Boston Consulting Group Report Reykjavik Protocol *Connect with Nori* Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support
Listen to the episodeNot long ago it was difficult to find any information about the carbon removal ecosystem in Europe. Beyond academic papers, and a researcher or two at larger environmental non-profits, CDR policy was not an area with a mature ecosystem. The situation is much different today. Not only is the EU considering ways to incorporate removals into their existing cap-and-trade scheme, but there are non-profits, carbon marketplaces, startups, and a new trade group offering sophisticated information and analysis of the rapidly developing CDR policy landscape in Europe. One of them is Carbon Gap they describe themselves as “a science-based and philanthropy-funded expert non-profit" NGO working to bring just and equitable carbon removal policies to Europe through informed scientific research. Launched two years ago, the organisation keeps the carbon removal ecosystem informed through its Policy Tracker and regularly publishes articles.” Their most recent piece released last week approaches the thorny topic of avoiding emissions deterrence. Their senior researcher is Kayla Cohen, whose work focuses on the developing soil carbon policies in Europe and climate justice issues. Another organization that continues to provide high-level insight in Europe is Carbonfuture, a marketplace for ‘durable’ carbon credits. They claim over 40% of the market for durable carbon removal this year. And luckily for the public they also continue to publish information on the CDR market, including work on the topic of creating a trusted and inclusive MRV system, which we delved into on this show just a few weeks ago. The author of much of this work is their Senior Policy Advisor Sebastian Manhart. The EU is poised to be a world leader in CDR, as it has been with climate policy. It features ambitious climate targets, robust academic research in the field, a talented labor pool, and a sophisticated non-profit sector taking on the challenge. But it also faces many of the headwinds found elsewhere against CDR such as high-costs, ambivalence from some of the public and existing environmental sector, fear of moral hazard, and broader macro-economic challenges threatening investment into newer climate tech. On this episode Kayla and Sebastian join to talk about the current situation in Europe, the developments they’d like to see, and where they predict policy will be in 2030 and beyond. *On This Episode* Sebastian Manhart Kayla Cohen Asa Kamer *Resources* Carbonfuture Carbon Gap Carbon Gap article on ‘solutions to mitigation deterrence’ Our show on Carbonfuture’s work on Trust + MRV EU Soil Monitoring Law Sebastian’s Article on Incorporating CDR in the ETS Kayla’s Article on the EU Soil Monitoring Law Carbonfuture report on CDR law in 31 EU States *Connect with Nori* Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support
Listen to the episodeIt’s been a few months since our business panel has gathered to break down the many headlines coming from the world of CDR. On this episode we’ll talk about some of the biggest news from September: new funds, new deployments, new corporate purchases, and a gathering of the who’s who in carbon removal in New York City. You’ll hear news about Amazon + Occidental Microsoft + Heirloom DOE’s DAC Hubs Microsoft + Carbon Streaming Climeworks The Reykjavik Protocol Climate Weeks NYC & more… Joining us on this episode is our business panel: Susan Su, a partner focused on climate investing at TOBA capital, a board member at the Carbon Business Council, and a board advisor to the Environmental Voter Project and Na'im Merchant the Executive Director of Carbon Removal Canada, an Elemental Excelerator policy fellow and the author of the The Carbon Curve, a newsletter about the policies and technologies needed to grow the carbon removal market. *On This Episode* Radhika Moolgavkar Susan Su Na'im Merchant *Resources* Amazon’s deal with Occidental Microsoft’s deal with Heirloom Heirloom DAC Hub Microsoft’s deal with Carbon Streaming Climeworks in Kenya Our interviews with Octavia’s CEO The Reykavik Protocol Web Summit Climate Track Carbon Removal Canada’s launch event *Connect with Nori* Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support
Listen to the episodeCarbon removal credits need to be much more trustworthy than carbon offsets are today in order to scale-up CDR. On last week’s show, we covered the news that the voluntary carbon markets have shrunk this year. After many carbon offset projects have come under scrutiny, corporate buyers have grown more hesitant. To prove that carbon removal is worth investing in and better than the status quo, project developers and sellers of credits will need to be able to prove that a credit sold actually means CO2 was removed from the air. It’s one thing to do that in a lab when the technique is being developed in a lab. It’s another to do it at scale, in the field, in real-world conditions. The tools available today won’t be enough to create market-wide trust. What software, MRV, and accounting technologies are being built today, that will manage the carbon markets of the future? Dr. Anna Lehner at Carbonfuture is one of the people trying to answer this question. Today, we’re talking to Anna about how a wide range of CDR methodologies can be measured, quantified, certified, and sold to make it easy for buyers, all while creating more trust in the market. *On This Episode* Radhika Moolgavkar Dr. Anna Lehner *Resources* Carbonfuture Carbonfuture’s Trust Framework SBTi Standards cdr.fyi Robert Höglund’s post on which companies are buying carbon removal CCS+ Initiative European CRCF *Connect with Nori* Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support
Listen to the episode*The voluntary carbon market (VCM) has a total value of over **$2 billion**, and some predictions show it growing to $10 billion in just a few years. * *But the integrity of the carbon offsets available has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, causing demand to slow and prices to go down.* *According to a new report from Morgan Stanley the market is approaching a ‘**tipping point’**, as more and more companies hesitate to stake their environmental claims on offsets that may be debunked in the newspaper the next day.* *If the market does hit a tipping point, what’s next? And what does it mean for the companies and governments hoping that “carbon removal” can fill the gap with a more reliable type of offset?* *Our panel will take a look at implications of the oil company Oxy * *purchasing** Carbon Engineering. Is big oil good for DAC? * *Whether or not oil and gas should be involved in carbon removal is healthy debate within the CDR community, and this announcement made headlines in the broader environmental media too. * *Listen to hear what our policy panel, Holly Buck and Wil Burns, think about this news and its aftermath. * *On This Episode* Radhika Moolgavkar Wil Burns Holly Jean Buck *Resources* Size of VCMs Article on “Tipping Point” report West et al. Paper on Carbon Offsets Liberia + Dubai Offset Deal Oxy buys Carbon Engineering NOAA Awards *Connect with Nori* Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support
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