Climate Workers Anonymous

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 race to the bottom of low-quality credits finding a new market? Something in-between, or just too early to tell?

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 Executive Director of Carbon Removal Canada, to make sense of this news.

They also cover other CDR industry headlines from April, including sustainable aviation fuel, biochar in the global south, and significant subsidy announcements from Denmark and Canada for carbon removal projects.

On This Episode

⁠⁠⁠⁠Radhika Moolgavkar⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Susan Su⁠

⁠Na'im Merchant⁠

Resources

"Inside the Controversy That's Divided the Carbon Offsets Market" at Bloomberg

"SBTi is committed to robust governance and will not shy away from debate" by Luiz Amaral, CEO, Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)

"Carbon Offset Market Faces Chaos as African Mega-Project Collapses" at Bloomberg

"Removals are better than some reductions - The case of electrofuels for aviation" by Robert Höglund

2023 Global Biochar Market Report

Captura's fundraising news

Mission Zero's fundraising news

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 this industry tries to scale.

On This Episode

⁠⁠Wil Burns⁠⁠

⁠⁠Holly Jean Buck⁠⁠

Asa Kamer

Resources

Rhodium Group's "The Landscape of Carbon Dioxide Removal and US Policies to Scale Solutions" report

Connect with Nori

⁠⁠Nori⁠⁠

⁠⁠Nori’s X account⁠⁠

Nori’s other podcast ⁠⁠Reversing Climate Change⁠⁠

Nori’s CDR ⁠⁠meme X account

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 measuring CO2 removal in real-world conditions remains a significant hurdle.

Ensuring trust in the process will require improved measurement and verification from what exists today- a problem InPlanet is working to solve. 

On this episode we’re joined by InPlanet’s Head of Carbon Matthew Clarkson who recently released pre-print research evaluating the different methods of measuring CO2 removal from rock weathering and made recommendations for areas of improvement. 

ERW is technologically ready, has co-benefits, and has already attracted significant investment. It is ready to grow to climate relevant scale- but only if it can be properly measured. 

On this episode we’ll talk with Matthew about his MRV research, working on the ground with Brazilian farmers, and what hurdles he sees to InPlanet’s goal of megaton removal in the next three years. 

On This Episode

Radhika Moolgavkar

Mathew Clarkson

Resources

InPlanet

Fundraising News

Matthew’s Pre-print paper

Enhanced Weathering Alliance

Bloomberg article on ERW funding

Connect with Nori

Nori

Nori’s Twitter

Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change

Nori’s CDR meme twitter account

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 challenge. The discussion spans the voluntary versus compliance carbon markets, with a focus on how the EU employs regulatory measures whereas the U.S. leverages financial incentives to address carbon emissions.

The episode also addresses the impacts of these policies on multinational corporations, the potential effects on carbon credit pricing, and the interplay between public policy and private sector initiatives in driving innovation in carbon removal technologies.

On This Episode

⁠Wil Burns⁠

⁠Holly Jean Buck⁠

⁠Radhika Moolgavkar ⁠

Resources

"Carbon Removal Is Getting Gamified", Heatmap article from Emily Pontecorvo

Connect with Nori

⁠Nori⁠

⁠Nori’s X account⁠

Nori’s other podcast ⁠Reversing Climate Change⁠

Nori’s CDR ⁠meme X account

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 Executive Director of Carbon Removal Canada.

A spirited debate ensues about Shell Environmental Product's purchase of biochar credits, SWISS and Lufthansa Group's support of Climeworks, as well as the Copenhagen Airport's carbon removal portfolio purchase from Klimate.co. This type of industry interest in carbon removal, while directionally correct, can trigger debate within the carbon removal community. Many are happy for the support in scaling the new industry. Others worry it is better to maintain CDR's independence. This question is unlikely to be settled any time soon, but tune in and listen to some hot and yet considered takes on the matter.

On This Episode

⁠⁠⁠Radhika Moolgavkar⁠⁠⁠

Susan Su

Na'im Merchant

Resources

The ETH Zürich report on DAC costs

Robert Höglund's response

Connect with Nori

⁠⁠⁠Nori⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Nori’s X account⁠⁠⁠

Nori’s other podcast ⁠⁠⁠Reversing Climate Change⁠⁠⁠

Nori’s CDR ⁠⁠⁠meme X account

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 Columbia Law School.

They discuss the evolving field of climate law, its critical role in the development of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies, and the unique legal challenges presented by ocean-based CDR methods. Webb highlights the growing interest among law students in climate technology and emphasizes the importance of legal frameworks in addressing climate change. The conversation delves into the complexities of international and local laws governing oceans, the innovative concept of Community Benefits Agreements for climate projects, and the positive feedback on model law proposals intended to regulate CDR activities safely.

The episode underscores the necessity of a diverse portfolio of CDR solutions to combat the climate crisis and explores the legal opportunities and challenges facing the CDR industry’s advancement.

On This Episode

⁠⁠Radhika Moolgavkar⁠⁠

Romany Webb

Resources

Sabin Center for Change Law at the Columbia Law School

Connect with Nori

⁠⁠Nori⁠⁠

⁠⁠Nori’s X account⁠⁠

Nori’s other podcast ⁠⁠Reversing Climate Change⁠⁠

Nori’s CDR ⁠⁠meme X account

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 concerns and misconceptions regarding the risks of photosynthetically enhanced trees, and discover why tree resilience is as exciting to Living Carbon as carbon removal.

Enjoy this foray into the promising potential of biotech trees!

On This Episode

⁠Radhika Moolgavkar⁠

⁠Maddie Hall⁠

Resources

⁠Living Carbon ⁠

⁠CRISPER⁠

⁠Loblolly Pines ⁠

⁠Open AI⁠

Connect with Nori

⁠Nori⁠

⁠Nori’s X account⁠

Nori’s other podcast ⁠Reversing Climate Change⁠

Nori’s CDR ⁠meme X account

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 at 2.4 trillion euros.

3) The Green Claims Directive, which aims to address a critical issue: 53 percent of all environmental claims in Europe are misleading, and 40 percent are unfounded.Enjoy this power session on EU policy!

On This Episode

Radhika MoolgavkarSebastian Manhart

Resources

The Carbon Removal Certification Framework: Europe's Blueprint for Net-Zero 

From Greenwashing to Green Trust: The State of European Environmental Claims Regulation

Understanding Carbon Removal Policy Across Europe: An Exclusive Analysis

Tech openness letter signed by 350 companies

Connect with Nori

Nori

Nori’s X account

Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change

Nori’s CDR meme X account

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 potential pitfalls and the potential necessity of large-scale carbon removal, as humanity continues to emit over 40 gigatons of CO2 annually (and counting).

A must-listen for those who question the viability of CDR as well as those who believe in the "gigatons or bust" approach.

On This Episode

Wil Burns

Holly Jean Buck

Radhika Moolgavkar

Resources

Science paperEnvironmental Science & Technology paperHolly's book Ending Fossil Fuels

Connect with Nori

Nori

Nori’s X account

Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change

Nori’s CDR meme X account

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, making it a more concentrated source than ambient air.

Discover the scalability of photochemical CDR, and why Banyu’s been gaining so much momentum lately. Could Banyu’s process end up being energy negative? In other words, will it produce more energy than is actually required to remove the carbon?

Listen now.

*A special Thank You from our guests to the Seeley Family:

“Thank you to David Seeley and his father who brought Tetiaroa to our attention in 2014 and encouraged us to take advantage of the pristine coral ecosystem there for our research. The Seeley family generously supported our research and that of several others ever since. A kind, fun, and remarkable family we are grateful to have worked with.”

On This Episode

Alex Gagnon

Julian Sachs

Radhika Moolgavkar

Resources

Banyu Carbon

DOE Voucher Program

University of Washington marine research on Tetiaroa

Activate FellowshipOcean Visions Launchpad 

Tetiaroa Society

The Brando resort

Connect with Nori

Nori

Nori’s X account

Nori’s other podcast Reversing Climate Change

Nori’s CDR meme X account