Carbon removal is not one thing

Episode 66 is with Richard Barker, Partner at Counteract

In this episode, Na’im speaks with Richard Barker, a partner at Counteract, about why financing models vary widely by pathway, capex/opex profile, and deployment context. Richard highlights industrial integration opportunities, the need for team and financial readiness for long corporate timelines, how policy should set stable expectations akin to landfill tax, and more.

Na’im and Richard discuss:

* Richard’s Journey Into Climate Investing

* Counteract’s Investment Thesis

* Financing Models Evolving

* CDR Pathways With Industrial Fit

* Financing In Tight Markets

* Preparing Startups To Scale

* Lessons From Other Industries

* Policy Expectations And Demand

* Counteract Next Delivery Fund

Relevant Links:

* Counteract - Website

* Counteract’s Portfolio Companies

About Richard Barker:

Richard is a Partner at Counteract. His varied experience spans over 35 years and working in a number of countries. He studied engineering at Oxford University, before lecturing in Economics at UCC in Ireland. After spells in strategic consulting and as Head of Strategy at ANZ Investment Bank in Australia, Richard founded and grew a number of sustainable businesses - in chemical process technology, aluminium recycling and biomethane - before moving onto the investment side about 10 years ago. He has advised a number of investors on sustainable infrastructure investment before joining Counteract.

About Counteract:

Founded in 2021, Counteract was the world’s first early stage investor dedicated to carbon removals. They’re a team of experienced entrepreneurs who saw a huge opportunity in an overlooked part of climate. The team has looked at over 1,000 companies on its journey to investing in 27 companies to date - diverse by both geography and CDR pathway. This, together with Counteract’s own research capability, puts it at the centre of this nascent market with unparalleled knowledge and a strong reputation within the CDR ecosystem

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 on the advisory board of the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative and Terraset, and a former policy fellow with Elemental Impact. 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 the Head of Content and Community at CDR.fyi, a public benefit corporation dedicated to accelerating carbon removal through transparency. He is also the co-founder of CDRjobs, a career platform for the carbon removal industry. Based in Taiwan, Tank is a carbon removal advocate focused on educating policymakers, corporate leaders, and the public on the importance of carbon removal, using data-driven insights to support communication and policy advocacy.

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