Carbon Removal Newsroom
A bite-sized podcast for carbon removal news on-the-go. Each episode features unique guests and perspectives.
Listen on...
In 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
Listen to the episode
This month, there’s been a flurry of business news in the CDR world. We’re taking August off from the show, but before we go we’re going to dive into 10 stories that broke in the last few weeks, that have big implications for the carbon removal industry. On this episode hear about companies putting CO2 into concrete, plastics, and fuel, new investment funds, announcements of new engineered carbon removal facilities, and analysis of the macroeconomic conditions the industry is facing. To explain what’s behind these headlines, we’re by our regular business panel, Susan Su and Na’im Merchant. They tell us all about news from… · CarbonCure · Airminer’s Kiloton Fund · Twelve · EU Climate VC funding · Prime Coalition · Avnos · Brimstone · Deep Sky + Captura · Octavia · “500 Climate Unicorns in 20 Years?” *On This Episode* Susan Su Na’im Merchant Asa Kamer *Resources* CarbonCure announcement Airminer’s Kiloton Fund Twelve’s new plant Sifted article on EU climate funding Prime Coalition fund Avnos Brimstone announcement Deep Sky hub in Canada Octavia Our Episode w/ Octavia’s CEO Sean O’Sullivan Interview *Connect with Nori* Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account --- 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 episodeLast week Octavia Carbon announced they are planning to build a DAC plant in the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, the first such plant in the Southern Hemisphere. The Valley formed as a result of three tectonic plates meeting in one place. This phenomenon has created unique geology, which the entrepreneurs at Octavia feel could be an ideal place to capture and store CO2 underground. An hour away in Nairobi, they are building commercial-scale DAC machines and planning to deploy their technology with plans to begin storing CO2 underground in 2024. They want to leverage advantageous local renewable energy, geology, and personnel to attract global customers. Today we’ll be talking with Octavia’s CEO, Martin Freimüller, about why Kenya is right for DAC, what they are working on now, and why the price of a DAC credit in Kenya will differ from one from the U.S. *On This Episode* Radhika Moolgavkar Martin Freimüller *Resources* Octavia Carbon Octavia’s Project Hummingbird Announcement Puro.earth Cella *Connect with Nori* Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account --- 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 episodeWe’ve been covering a lot of US state and federal CDR policy in the last few episodes. Today we’re taking a much-needed international trip and discussing some critical stories happening across the globe. Zimbabwe’s government has announced new regulations on voluntary carbon offset trading to prevent greenwashing and ensure that local communities benefit. Carbon credit schemes in Zimbabwe have been unregulated. The new policy mandates that all carbon projects register with the program, ensuring that a percentage of the revenue goes directly to local communities. Deforestation rates in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest have fallen by 33.6% during the first six months of 2023 under the new administration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. This contrasts sharply with the record-breaking deforestation rates in 2022 under former president Jair Bolsonaro, who promoted mining and farming in protected areas. The UK government has announced comprehensive changes to its Emissions Trading Scheme: a program designed to decarbonize the country eventually. The ETS will now include more sectors, set new emissions limits for the power sector, energy-intensive industries, and aviation, and incorporate carbon removal technologies into the ETS. CDR solutions, like direct air capture, BECCs, and nature-based removals, will now be traded in the ETS program. Today I’m with our regular policy panel of Holly Buck Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the University at Buffalo and the author of Ending Fossil Fuels, and Wil Burns the Co-Executive Director of the Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy at American University. *On This Show* Holly Jean Buck Wil Burns Radhika Moolgavkar *Resources* New Zimbabwe Regulations Amazon Deforestation Decrease Cerrado Deforestation Increase “Brazilian Amazon Indigenous Territories” paper Petrobras Increasing Oil Output UK ETS Changes Drax BECCS projects Our Episode on California’s SB 308 *Connect with Nori* Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account --- 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 episodeThe Xprize’s Carbon Removal prize has been one of the most exciting stories in CDR. As it seeks to pump $100 million towards carbon removal projects, the organization is also taking steps to ensure that funding supports companies that benefit, rather than harm, the communities they work in. This is no small detail, but in fact a main question about the future of carbon removal: can it become embraced by local communities who will host projects? We’ve been focusing on that very question on this show because we feel it is just as important as funding news and scientific advancements. In order to help build an environmentally just industry, Xprize has partnered with Carbon180 to write a comprehensive report on environmental justice in the context of carbon removal projects. This report discusses the importance of environmental justice for carbon removal companies, the concept of climate justice, and the need for fair distribution of project benefits. In this episode we’re joined by two of the authors of this report, who are leading the effort build environmental justice into the CDR industry: Nikki Batchelor, the Executive Director of the Carbon Removal Prize, and Ugbaad Kosar, the Director of Environmental Justice for Carbon180. *On The Show* Ugbaad Kosar Nikki Batchelor Radhika Moolgavkar *Resources* Xprize Carbon Removal Carbon180 From the Ground Up report *Connect with Nori* Nori Nori’s Twitter Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori’s CDR meme twitter account --- 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