So much is happening in the world of biochar. It's both a physical product and can also be a more abstract concept called a "carbon removal". How is the industry balancing the divergent business logic of these two different markets, and what challenges and opportunities will it face? In today's episode of Carbon Removal Newsroom , producer and guest host Asa Kamer interviews Myles Gray, the program director of the US Bicohar Initiative about their 2023 Global Biochar Market Report. Biochar is re...
Jun 10, 2024•42 min•Season 5Ep. 30
Everyone used to say carbon removal was supply-constrained. Now everyone says it is demand-constrained. So which is it? Today's show has Dr. Gabrielle Walker , Co-Founder of the carbon removal marketplace CUR8 and the Founder of Rethinking Removals , an NGO working to change the conventional environmental story around CDR. She is hosted by Nori 's VP of Supply and Methodology, Radhika Moolgavkar. Dr. Walker discusses her long history in the climate space, including time spent in carbon capture, ...
May 28, 2024•45 min•Season 5Ep. 29
The XPRIZE remains one of the top stories in carbon removal and one of the largest funding sources for CDR start-ups. The Elon Musk-backed competition will award $50 million to the winning CDR startup in 2025 and send $10 million to three other runner-up teams. Over 1000 teams worldwide have applied since the award was announced in 2021. This month, XPRIZE released the detailed “Getting to Gigaton” report, which provided comprehensive data and analysis of the top 100 teams. A few weeks later, th...
May 21, 2024•38 min•Season 5Ep. 28
Lots of news in carbon removal this past week! Frontier made their largest-ever purchase of $58 million from relatively new BiCRS company Vaulted Deep , Climeworks unveiled their Mammoth facility in Iceland , and Microsoft purchased 3.3 million tons of CO2 from BECCs in Sweden. These deals represent significant private market volume in CDR. But a new report in Nature called The carbon dioxide removal gap” highlights some of the policy needs that remain to get carbon removal where it should be to...
May 14, 2024•33 min•Season 5Ep. 27
Biochar is an increasingly global carbon removal pathway. What does it look like to do business in Ghana and India? What does it mean for biochar to be decentralized? Mart de Bruijn is the Co-Founder and Director of Carboneers , a Dutch biochar company working to implement carbon removal solutions in India and Ghana. The conversation covers the challenges of securing enthusiastic participation from local farmers, navigating cultural and regulatory landscapes, and the technical aspects of biochar...
May 07, 2024•30 min•Season 5Ep. 26
Europe has a lot happening for carbon removal, and on several different levels. What is the state of CDR policy and industry? Today's episode has Nori's VP of Supply and Methodology, Radhika Moolgavkar, on hosting duties, and Sylvain Delerce, the Associate Research Direct of Carbon Gap, joining the show to catch listeners up on Carbon Gap and the latest on European carbon removal news. Sylvain highlights the European Union's efforts to structure and fund the industry amidst broader regulatory ef...
May 02, 2024•45 min•Season 5Ep. 25
The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) recently came out and announced they would be issuing guidance for how some carbon offsets may be used to address Scope 3 emissions (activities beyond direct business operations and energy). This set off a firestorm of protest within and outside of SBTi, as well as some calls of support. It was essentially a tabula rasa one could project one's carbon hopes and fears onto: would this lead to increased financing of sustainability efforts, or result in a ...
Apr 30, 2024•49 min•Season 5Ep. 24
Carbon removal is sometimes thought to be enjoying policy tailwinds. But is it anywhere close to what we need to avoid the worst of climate change? A new report from the Rhodium Group suggests the CDR industry is receiving about 1% of what it would need to reach a one CO2 gigatonne/year capacity! Our regular panelists, Drs. Holly Jean Buck & Wil Burns discuss the challenges of government budgeting, politics, eminent domain, profit-sharing Community Benefits Agreements, and so much else as th...
Apr 23, 2024•39 min•Season 5Ep. 23
InPlanet is an enhanced weathering company spreading rock dust on agricultural fields to draw down CO2. In November, it announced a new investment of $4.6 million from a group of investors. Based in Germany, InPlanet collaborates with farmers in Brazil, aiming to remove 1 million tons of CO2 by 2026. As they work to scale their operations, they face a similar challenge all ERW operations are dealing with right now. While the basic science of rock weathering is well understood, accurately measuri...
Apr 09, 2024•36 min•Season 5Ep. 22
Criticism of VCM is very common. But what about CCM?! Compliance Carbon Markets face design and political economy issues as well. Could we replace them both with industrial policy? Maybe, but that has trade-offs too. For what is a climate-concerned person to root? This show delves into the fluctuations in the European Union's Emissions Trading System (ETS) carbon price and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DoE) efforts to boost carbon dioxide removal (CDR) investments through a purchasing challen...
Mar 26, 2024•30 min•Season 5Ep. 21
Do carbon removal suppliers and registries have a responsibility in choosing their customers, or in enforcing how their carbon removals are used? Is it better that the money go to carbon removal than alternative uses? What matters, and at which magnitudes? In today's episode of Carbon Removal Newsroom , host Radhika Moolgavkar , Nori's VP of Supply and Methodology, is joined by her business panelists Susan Su , a venture capitalist at Toba Capital, and Na'im Merchant , the Co-founder and Executi...
Mar 19, 2024•43 min•Season 5Ep. 20
Law structures so much of our lives, but can feel inaccessible to those untrained. It is also in flux! How is the law being changed in response to climate change? Which laws can be adapted to suit our climate-changing country and world? And which are unprepared for new challenges? Today's episode of Carbon Removal Newsroom is hosted by Radhika Moolgavkar, Nori's VP of Supply and Methodology. She is joined by Romany Webb, the Deputy Director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at the Colum...
Mar 12, 2024•25 min•Season 5Ep. 19
Biotech trees: the new frontier This week on Carbon Removal Newsroom, we sat down with Maddie Hall, CEO and co-founder of Living Carbon, to discuss how her company enhances the ability of photosynthetic organisms to draw down and store carbon from the atmosphere through the responsible use of biotechnology. Listen in to hear Maddie explain how these trees are designed to absorb more carbon dioxide by leveraging C4 photosynthesis, a more efficient form of photosynthesis. Learn about typical conce...
Mar 05, 2024•24 min•Season 5Ep. 18
A lot has been happening in Europe lately.To break it all down for us, we’re joined by Sebastian Manhart, senior policy advisor at Carbonfuture and Initiator and Chair of the DVNE, Germany's CDR association.The episode discusses three major topics: 1) The good, the bad, and the surprising news from the concluded trilog negotiations on the Carbon Removal Certification Framework - how did reductions make it in there?2) The EU’s proposed 2040 emissions targets which quantifies the cost of inaction ...
Feb 26, 2024•35 min•Season 5Ep. 17
Is Large-Scale CDR Sustainable? Two recent journal publications point to potential risks associated with large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Is 10 gigatons annually a realistic and sustainable target? Should we aim for 1 gigaton, or could 28 be feasible? What land use and energy limitations are inherent in large-scale CDR, and what policy measures could ensure a just and scientifically rigorous implementation of this emerging technology? In this episode, our Policy Panel discusses both the...
Feb 13, 2024•34 min•Season 5Ep. 16
What is Photochemical Carbon Removal? In this episode of Carbon Removal Newsroom we learn how two professors from the University of Washington went from studying coral on the late Marlon Brando’s private island, to developing an energy efficient process that removes carbon dioxide from the ocean. Join co-founders Dr. Alex Gagnon and Dr. Julian Sachs of Banyu Carbon , as they dissect their groundbreaking photochemical process. Learn how carbon dioxide is the most abundant dissolved gas in water, ...
Feb 06, 2024•35 min•Season 5Ep. 15
How’s the CDR economic outlook for 2024? Sightline Climate recently reported that investment for the entire climate tech industry dropped 30% in 2023. Similarly, Pitchdeck released a report specifically outlining carbon removal's recent dip in VC funding. However, Captura just announced a $21.5 million Series A raise. So is CDR immune to the climate tech investing downturn? In this episode of Carbon Removal Newsroom, we talk about market responses to uncertainty, the role of large offtake agreem...
Jan 24, 2024•39 min•Season 5Ep. 14
What's new in carbon removal? Join us for the 2024 Carbon Removal Newsroom kickoff! Will 2024 see the emergence of universal carbon market standards? December saw a coalition formed by leading regulatory bodies. We unpack the implications of California Bill 1305 . How does this legislation mandate transparency in voluntary carbon offset marketing? What could this mean for combating greenwashing and ensuring data reliability? The EPA resources for marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) and marine s...
Jan 16, 2024•33 min•Season 5Ep. 13
The world’s annual climate summit, COP28, has wrapped up in Dubai. As usual, the massive gathering will end without an all-encompassing deal to fix the climate, but with many new side deals, pledges, and announcements that are very relevant to our climate future. Boosters and critics alike will all find lots of fodder from the past few weeks, and for better or worse carbon removal played a role in the deliberations. On this episode, our policy panel reflects on the role CDR played at COP, and ca...
Dec 19, 2023•34 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Biomass burial is a CDR methodology that we haven’t yet dug into on our show. Compared to some CDR techniques, biomass burial is a surprisingly simple approach. It involves burying wood trimmings underground to prevent decomposition and thus, the release of carbon back into the atmosphere. Our guests today are Ning Zeng , a professor at the University of Maryland and founder of Carbon Lockdown, and Daniel Sanchez , chief scientist for biomass carbon removal and storage at Carbon Direct. They are...
Dec 12, 2023•35 min•Season 5Ep. 11
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 o...
Dec 05, 2023•41 min•Season 5Ep. 10
This 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 pr...
Nov 21, 2023•46 min•Season 5Ep. 9
In 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 (CRI...
Nov 07, 2023•38 min•Season 5Ep. 8
As 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 an...
Oct 31, 2023•38 min•Season 5Ep. 7
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 a...
Oct 24, 2023•29 min•Season 5Ep. 6
A 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 a...
Oct 17, 2023•33 min•Season 5Ep. 5
Not 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 ana...
Oct 10, 2023•48 min•Season 5Ep. 4
It’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 ...
Oct 03, 2023•52 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Carbon 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 mea...
Sep 26, 2023•37 min•Season 5Ep. 2
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 ne...
Sep 19, 2023•35 min•Season 5Ep. 1
