Episode 49 is with Peter Minor (Absolute Climate) and Travis Caddy (Evident)

Despite all of the recent progress to integrate carbon removal in carbon markets globally, a significant problem remains. Existing market mechanisms continue to commoditize carbon removal credits that we haven’t effectively standardized yet. Carbon credits are sold as interchangeable units despite differences in how project quality is evaluated. Absolute Climate thinks it has solved this problem with the Absolute Carbon Standard and its partnership with longstanding registry Evident. I speak to Peter Minor and Travis Caddy about this standard and exciting new partnership.

In this episode, Na’im, Peter and Travis discuss:

* the importance of standardized carbon removal measures;

* Creating conflict-free certification mechanisms;

* the creation of the Absolute Carbon Standard by Absolute Climate

* the role of Evident in offering independent certification

* the challenges of commoditizing carbon credits

* the significance of separation of responsibilities

Relevant Links:

* Absolute Climate - Website

* Evident - Website

* C-Capsule - Website

* A Standardized Test for Carbon Removal - Heatmap News

* Absolute Carbon Standard V1.0

About Peter:

Peter Minor is a co-founder and CEO of Absolute Climate, and a veteran of the carbon removal industry. He previously served as the Director of Science & Innovation at Carbon180, the premier US federal policy organization for carbon removal. While there, he contributed to the development of key programs like the DOE Regional DAC Hubs, and pioneered core principles required for high-accountability MRV. Peter is also a technical reviewer for the carbon removal XPRIZE and steered development of Activate’s Carbon Management vertical. Always the optimist, Peter is a firm believer in humanity’s capacity to solve big problems.

About Absolute Climate:

Absolute Climate develops industry-leading carbon removal standards and methodologies without the conflicts of interest. They partner with registries, rather than operating their own, in order to better align incentives with climate impact. Their first product is the Absolute Carbon Standard, the first “standardized test” for carbon removal. It applies the same universal criteria to all projects, providing apples-to-apples quality comparisons even for dramatically different approaches.

About Travis:

Travis Caddy is the Business Development Director of Evident, where he is leading growth and partnerships across multiple registries certifying the Clean Economy. Beyond renewable energy, he also supports market design and implementation for other emerging asset classes, including carbon removal, sustainable aviation fuel and biomethane. Travis holds a Bachelor of Arts from University College London and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London.

About Evident:

Evident is the world leader in certification of the Clean Economy and provider of the world's most widely used registry of environmental assets, serving customers in over 140 countries. Evident collaborates with governments and standard-setters to implement robust, credible certification standards that encourage transition to a certified, global Clean Economy. Evident manages the I-REC certificate service for electricity, MiQ certificate service for low-methane natural gas, among others.

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.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app or subscribe via The Carbon Curve newsletter here. If you’d like to get in touch with Na’im, you can reach out via LinkedIn.

Episode 48 is with Senator Colin Deacon, Senate of Canada

Independent Senator Colin Deacon was appointed to represent Nova Scotia in the Senate of Canada in June 2018. Senator Deacon shares his vision on how government policy can empower entrepreneurs and encourage investment in carbon removal technologies, and that regulator agility is critical to adapting to the fast evolving needs of carbon removal and climate solutions more generally. We dive deep on what regulatory agility could look like, including regulatory sandboxes, touch on opportunities for international cooperation on carbon removal given that Canada will host the G7 in 2025, and how innovation can provide hope and optimism in addressing climate change.

In this episode, Na’im and Senator Colin Deacon discuss:

* Senator Deacon’s journey to the Canadian Senate;

* Senator Deacon’s understanding of carbon removal as part of the tool kit in addressing climate change; 

* The role of public policies in creating frameworks to enable entrepreneurs to solve problems;

* The idea of regulatory sandboxes for carbon removal;

* Canada as a global leader in carbon removal;

* Building political capital in scaling carbon removal;

* Ensuring political consistency through shifts in a democracy.

Relevant Links:

* Senator Colin Deacon’s Office

* Senator Colin Deacon on LinkedIn

* “Harnessing Canada’s Entrepreneurial Spirit to Remove Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere” - The Hill Times (Op-ed)

* Senator Deacon makes the case for why Canada holds the potential of becoming home to the most effective and cost-efficient carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies in the world - CHAMBER SPEECH [Video]

* Examine and report on ocean carbon sequestration and its use in Canada - Testimony from Canadian CDR companies at the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans [Video] 

* Na’im’s testimony the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans [Video]

About Senator Deacon:

Senator Colin Deacon was appointed to represent Nova Scotia in the Senate of Canada in June 2018. A lifelong entrepreneur, he believes in the power of innovation to address the most pressing issues facing Canada and the world. Recently, he is most focused on championing policies to incentivize and empower the private sector to aggressively address climate change, enabling greater regulatory agility particularly in response to emerging technologies, and harnessing the digital economy.

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.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app or subscribe via The Carbon Curve newsletter here. If you’d like to get in touch with Na’im, you can reach out via LinkedIn.

Episode 47 is with Giana Amador, Executive Director at Carbon Removal Alliance

Monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) is critical to ensuring carbon removal quality, but what is the role of public policy to enable MRV to deliver on this promise? Giana Amador, Executive Director at Carbon Removal Alliance, describes the catalytic role government can play in supporting MRV standards, fostering transparency, and promoting community benefits for long-term carbon removal industry growth. We also discuss the significance of the newly introduced 45BB production tax credit aimed at fostering technological diversity in carbon removal solutions.

In this episode, Na’im and Giana discuss:

* Giana’s journey in carbon removal;

* the mission of Carbon Removal Alliance to scale permanent carbon removal;

* The evolution of the carbon removal sector;

* The significance of bipartisan support for CDR;

* Challenges and opportunities in monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) standards;

* The role of government in building a high-quality permanent carbon removal industry;

* The importance of transparent data sharing to increase trust and understanding of carbon removal impacts; and

* The promising potential of the Carbon Dioxide Removal Investment Act.

Relevant Links:

* Carbon Removal Alliance - Website

* Establishing quality in carbon removal - MRV Policy Roadmap

* The Carbon Dioxide Removal Investment Act - The Bill - Senator Bennet (D-Colo.) and Senator Murkowski (R-Alaska) 

* Carbon Dioxide Removal Investment Act - World Resources Institute

About Giana:

Giana Amador is the Executive Director of the Carbon Removal Alliance. The Carbon Removal Alliance bridges the gap between carbon removal innovators and US policymakers to help scale a diverse set of permanent carbon removal technologies. In 2015, Giana co-founded the first dedicated carbon removal organization, Carbon180. At Carbon180, Giana wore many hats — from guiding the team’s strategy and communications to ultimately leading its policy program. During her time as policy director, Giana advocated for landmark carbon removal policies, including the $3.5 billion for direct air capture hubs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the first-ever dedicated carbon removal research program in the Energy Act of 2020. Giana has provided testimony before the House Natural Resources Committee and advised presidential campaigns on carbon removal.

About Carbon Removal Alliance:

The Carbon Removal Alliance is a nonprofit coalition working to build a gigaton-scale industry that is categorically good for the climate, economy, and people. CRA narrows the gap between innovators and policymakers working to remove carbon from our atmosphere by translating the realities of building carbon removal projects into government programs that help the field scale. Alliance members are responsible for virtually all of the permanent carbon removal to date and represent an emerging class of companies who can help the US meet its climate goals.

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.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app or subscribe via The Carbon Curve newsletter here. If you’d like to get in touch with Na’im, you can reach out via LinkedIn.

Episode 46 is with Josh Albert, Associate Partner with KONU

You’ll often hear people say climate is a systems problem, but we in the carbon removal field don’t have a useful framework for driving systems change. In this episode, we explore the complexities of climate change, going beyond single solutions and acknowledging the diverse stakeholders and shifting systems involved. Our guest introduces the Adaptive Leadership Framework, a unique approach to driving systems change. We'll discuss its potential in combatting climate change and scaling carbon removal.

In this episode, Na’im and Josh discuss:

* Josh’s journey from working on the global health sector to his current role;

* Josh’s experience at KONU and the organization’s focus around leadership development;

* Key concepts around Social Systems and Adaptive Leadership

* Challenges in tackling complex problems;

* Case Study: Gina Raimondo's Leadership in Pension Reform;

* Systems Change in Carbon Removal: Technical vs. Adaptive Problem Solving;

* Ways to address resistance to change and identifying stakeholder losses; and

* Engaging skeptical stakeholders and building trust among stakeholders

Relevant Links:

* KONU - Website

* On the Balcony - Podcast by KONU

* The Leadership Life - Blog by KONU

* Adaptive Leadership in 12 Minutes (YouTube)

* Adaptive Leadership - Harvard Business Publishing Education (paywall)

* The Theory Behind the Practice: A Brief Introduction to the Adaptive Leadership Framework - Harvard Busines Review Press (paywall)

* 5 Key Essentials Of Adaptive Leadership - Brent Gleeson (paywall)

* Leading Pension Reform in Rhode Island - HKS Case Program (paywall)

About Josh Albert:

Josh is an Associate Partner with KONU, a leadership development and change advising firm. He brings expertise in team leadership and systems change, and he is a trained adaptive leadership coach and facilitator. Josh holds a Master’s in Public Policy with a focus on leadership and institutional development from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Previously, Josh spent eight years with Last Mile Health, a health justice nonprofit that partners with governments to build health systems serving remote communities. During his time there, he served as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing in-country operations in Liberia for four years, including during the Ebola outbreak. Josh played a key role in establishing the organization as a national leader within Liberia’s health system. Together, he and Na’im collaborated to orchestrate a partnership with the Liberian government that scaled Last Mile Health’s model for delivering remote health systems to every community in the country.

About Konu:

KONU partners with mission-driven organizations to craft adult learning experiences that help people unlock progress on their most difficult leadership challenges and change goals. Clients include the UN, the World Bank, US National Park Service, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, Marriott International.

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.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app or subscribe via The Carbon Curve newsletter here. If you’d like to get in touch with Na’im, you can reach out via LinkedIn.

Episode 45 is with Eli Mitchell-Larson, Co-founder and Chief Scientist at Carbon Gap, and Robert Höglund, Co-founder of CDR.fyi and Fund Manager at Milkywire.

Today Na’im speaks with Eli and Robert about their latest publication titled “All excess emissions must be removed”, which argues for the central role of carbon removal (CDR) to address the global carbon debt, especially among historically high emitters, not only the “residual emissions” remaining at the year of net zero - and how this reframing expands the use case for carbon removal.

In this episode, Na’im, Eli, and Robert discuss:

* Previous research collaborations - the ability to pay and mitigation deterrence;

* The significance of carbon budgets;

* The definition(s) of residual emissions and CDR optimal emissions;

* The need for large-scale carbon removal and the role of historic emitters;

* Justice issues and the equitable management of carbon budgets; and

* The importance of innovative carbon removal use cases.

Relevant Links:

* Carbon Gap’s Website

* Who Can Pay for Carbon Removal? - Carbon Gap

* How to avoid carbon removal delaying emissions reductions - Carbon Gap

* All excess emissions must be removed - Carbon Gap

* Marginal Carbon Substack

* Warming caused by cumulative carbon emissions towards the trillionth tonne - MR Allen et al

About Eli:

Eli Mitchell-Larson is a climate advocate, policy entrepreneur, and researcher based at the University of Oxford. He is co-founder and Chief Scientist at Carbon Gap, Europe’s leading NGO focused on building expertise and policy proposals to responsibly scale carbon dioxide removal. As a research Associate @ Oxford Net Zero, his work has helped form the basis of scientific frameworks to define durable net zero, climate-compatible offsetting (Oxford Offsetting Principles), supply-side climate policies (Carbon Takeback Obligation).

About Robert:

Robert Höglund manages the charitable Milkywire Climate Transformation Fund, Co-founded the market overview CDR.fyi, writes for Carbon Gap, as well as his own publication Marginal Carbon.

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. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app or subscribe via The Carbon Curve newsletter here. If you’d like to get in touch with Na’im, you can reach out via LinkedIn.

Episode 44 is with Jim Mann, Founder and CEO of UNDO

A few weeks ago, Microsoft inked a new 15,000 ton carbon removal deal with UNDO and similar deals with other enhanced rock weathering (ERW) companies. Na’im speaks with Jim Mann, Founder and CEO of UNDO, about the company’s efforts in scaling carbon removal through ERW both in the U.K. and in Canada.

In this episode, Na’im and Jim discuss:

* The origin of UNDO and the reasons for exploring ERW as the key CDR method; 

* The operational processes at UNDO;

* UNDO’s experience going through the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition;

* The company’s approach to measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV);

* Partnerships with academia, local community, and businesses in the supply-chain;

* UNDO’s expansion into Canada and future goals; and

* Impactful policy support

Relevant Links:

* UNDO Website

* UNDO LinkedIn

* UK Government memo on ERW

* Canadian Wollastonite website 

* UNDO X Newcastle Peer-reviewed paper in Plos One

* Xprize Carbon Removal - Top 20 Finalists Announcement

About Jim

With a background in ecology, combined with extensive experience in scaling businesses, Jim was drawn to the fight against climate change and the ecological disaster it’s bringing with it. In 2019, Jim co-founded The Future Forest Company - a reforestation effort with a mission to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and restore biodiversity across the UK.  

Realising that tree planting could only go so far in helping solve the climate crisis, UNDO was born with the aim of delivering large-scale carbon removal projects with a permanence of 100,000+ years. 

When Jim is not busy creating a liveable planet for future generations, he runs competitively at ultra-distance, his favourite events being 100-mile or more mountain races. He lives in Scotland with his partner Liz and their two young children.

About UNDO

With pioneering enhanced rock weathering technology, UNDO generates durable, high-quality carbon removal to support businesses on their pathway to net zero. This nature-based process also improves soil fertility, food security and the health of our oceans. 

Since 2022, UNDO has worked at the cutting edge of science alongside experts in the climate, carbon and agricultural sectors to develop an ERW technology which accelerates natural weathering processes to remove carbon from the atmosphere while bringing soil and crop benefits to agricultural communities. The UNDO operational, scientific and technical model leverages existing infrastructure, with a carbon efficiency of greater than 90 percent, allowing UNDO to quickly scale operations whilst offering carbon removal at competitive prices. UNDO aims to be the first company to remove one million tonnes of CO₂, a first step towards billion-tonne scale global operations. They operate primarily in the United Kingdom and now, Canada.

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 also a policy fellow with Elemental Excelerator. 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 a carbon removal advocate based in Taiwan whose focus is on communicating the importance of carbon removal to policy makers, corporate leaders, and the broader public through education, communications, and policy advocacy.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app or subscribe via The Carbon Curve newsletter here. If you’d like to get in touch with Na’im, you can reach out via LinkedIn.

Episode 43 is with Luke Connell and Shannon Sterling

As we wrap up Climate Week NYC today, I wanted to share a special episode with the CarbonRun leadership team on their exciting $25M offtake agreement with Frontier Climate - probably the biggest carbon removal news of Climate Week. It even hit the front page of the New York Times. We talk about what they’ve been up to leading to this announcement, and what this major milestone means for their company and the communities they work with.

In this episode, Na’im, Luke, and Shannon discuss: 

* The origins and mission of Carbon Run; 

* Luke's journey into carbon removal and entrepreneurship; 

* Shannon's extensive background in environmental science and working in communities

* The science and benefits of river alkalinity enhancement;

* Challenges and opportunities in scaling this technology;

* The significance of their recent offtake agreement with Frontier;

* The economic and ecological co-benefits of their approach;

* Effective community engagement and maintaining public trust; and

* Policy and regulatory needs for advancing carbon removal.

Relevant Links:

* CarbonRun Website

* New York Times article on CarbonRun

* Frontier Climate CarbonRun offtake details

* What is CarbonRun - YouTube

* Nova Scotia's rivers still suffer from acid rain. Restoring them could also help the climate - CBC News

* Where Ideas Meet Impact: Hydrologist's research positions her to take a global lead in atmospheric carbon dioxide removal - Dalhousie University

* Frontier Climate website

About CarbonRun

Founded and developed in Nova Scotia by an environmental scientist and freshwater ecologist, CarbonRun’s team of experts are dedicated to restoring rivers damaged by pollution to protect aquatic life. Its founders are global experts on river ecosystem health with decades of applied experience restoring rivers.

About Luke Connell

Over his career, Luke Connell has strived to bridge the gap between social impact and entrepreneurialism, finding his path to CDR in 2020. Prior to co-founding CarbonRun, he led an innovation based, national charity and co-owned a popular, 3 location Toronto restaurant. He has a proven track record as a small-business founder and team builder. Luke sits on various charitable boards and actively invests in promising sustainability companies. He lives in Toronto with his wife, 2 children and dog Rudy.

About Shannon Sterling

Shannon Sterling, PhD (Duke) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and  Environmental Sciences at Dalhousie University, and an internationally-recognized expert in  catchment hydrology and biogeochemistry, with specific expertise in freshwater acidification and  climate change. Her research group has studied the hydrology and watersheds of Nova Scotia for the  past 15 years and led the discovery that aluminum levels were still at toxic concentrations in Nova  Scotia due to a legacy of acid rain. 

Dr. Sterling earned her Bachelor of Science in Geography at McGill University, Master of Science in Fluvial Geomorphology at the University of British Columbia, her Ph.D. in Earth Sciences at Duke University and was a Chateaubriand and a Marie Curie Intra European Fellow at the Universite de Pierre et Marie Curie (Sorbonne Université) in Paris.

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 also a policy fellow with Elemental Excelerator. 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 a carbon removal advocate based in Taiwan whose focus is on communicating the importance of carbon removal to policy makers, corporate leaders, and the broader public through education, communications, and policy advocacy.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app or subscribe via The Carbon Curve newsletter here. If you’d like to get in touch with Na’im, you can reach out via LinkedIn.

Episode 42 is with Sebastian Manhart, Senior Policy Advisor at Carbonfuture

Sebastian Manhart discusses recent carbon dioxide removal (CDR) policies in Europe and the U.S. He points out key policy achievements, compares the EU's and U.S.'s different CDR approaches, and emphasizes the importance as well as the challenges of integrating CDR into compliance markets. He also mentions his own projects aimed at advancing the CDR industry.

In this episode, Na’im and Sebastian discuss:

* recent developments in carbon removal policies across Europe and the U.S.;

* significant policy wins over the past year;

* key legislative approaches to the EU’s carbon removal policies

* Progress from individual European countries in CDR;

* the approaches of the EU and the U.S.;

* the potential and readiness of integrating CDR into compliance markets;

* the importance of government roles and the need for developing domestic CDR industries;

* the founding of the German CDR Association, DVNE, the U.S. Biochar Coalition, and CDRjobs.

Relevant Links:

* How the EU is shaping policies to pursue global leadership in carbon removal (2023)

* Carbonfuture website 

* CDRjobs website 

* US Biochar Coalition website

* Enhanced Weathering Alliance website

* Deutscher Verband für Negative Emissionen (DVNE) website

* Carbon Gap funding EU vs US analysis

* Sebastian Manhart (LinkedIn, Website, Newsletter)

* Compliance Market Poll

* Denmark’s Livestock Tax

About Sebastian:

Sebastian Manhart is a CDR policy expert. He is the Senior Policy Advisor of Carbonfuture, the world’s leading CDR platform. Sebastian is also the Chair of the Board of the DVNE, the German CDR Association, as well as a founding Director of the US Biochar Coalition. Sebastian also recently founded CDRjobs, the sector’s leading job platform. Previously, Sebastian spent a decade as a tech entrepreneur, advised Angela Merkel´s Chancellery, and worked with governments globally through the World Bank. Sebastian is an economist with a BA from UCL and an MPhil from Cambridge University.

About Carbonfuture:

Carbonfuture builds the trust infrastructure needed to scale CDR. It operates across pathways, focused on developing both MRV and marketplaces services.

The DVNE is the German CDR association, supporting the German government in achieving its ambitious 2045 net-zero target.

The US Biochar Coalition aims to establish high-quality, permanent biochar carbon removal as a key pillar in American industrial and climate strategy.

CDRjobs is the one stop shop for anyone transitioning into, or within CDR with all jobs in CDR in a single place.

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 also a policy fellow with Elemental Excelerator. 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 a carbon removal advocate based in Taiwan whose focus is on communicating the importance of carbon removal to policy makers, corporate leaders, and the broader public through education, communications, and policy advocacy.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app or subscribe via The Carbon Curve newsletter here. If you’d like to get in touch with Na’im, you can reach out via LinkedIn.

Episode 41 is with Noah Deich, Senior Advisor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management

Today Na’im speaks with Noah Deich about how the US Department of Energy (DOE) is contributing to the carbon removal landscape through innovative programs and policies aimed at decarbonizing the energy sector and advancing carbon removal technologies. 

In this episode, Na’im and Noah discuss:

* Noah's journey into the carbon removal space; 

* The role of DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management;

* Key innovation programs and initiatives supporting carbon removal; 

* The Carbon Negative Shot initiative and its goals;

* The importance of Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) in carbon removal projects;

* The DOE’s pilot program for purchasing carbon removal credits;

* Community benefits and engagement in carbon removal projects;

* Approaches in driving market demand for carbon removal.

Relevant Links:

* DOE Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management

* Carbon Negative Shot

* Carbon Dioxide Removal Purchase Pilot Prize

* Direct Air Capture Pre-Commercial Technology Prize

* Commercial Direct Air Capture Pilot Prize

* The Roads to Removal (R2R) Report

* Na’im’s reflections on the unveiling of Mammoth in Iceland

About Noah:

Noah Deich is a Senior Advisor for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. Noah came to FECM from Carbon180, which he co-founded to catalyze the development of a portfolio of carbon removal solutions. Prior to that, Noah was an economic and management consultant with Accenture and ICF international, where he gained experience in many fields including environmental market and carbon offset modeling and renewable and fossil energy power plants valuations. Noah received his MBA from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and his BA from the University of Virginia

About DOE FECM:

The DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) minimizes environmental and climate impacts of fossil fuels and industrial processes while working to achieve net-zero emissions across the U.S. economy. Priority areas of technology work include carbon capture, carbon conversion, carbon dioxide removal, carbon dioxide transport and storage, hydrogen production with carbon management, methane emissions reduction, and critical minerals production. To learn more, visit the FECM website, sign up for FECM news announcements, and visit the National Energy Technology Laboratory website.

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 also a policy fellow with Elemental Excelerator. 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 a carbon removal advocate based in Taiwan whose focus is on communicating the importance of carbon removal to policy makers, corporate leaders, and the broader public through education, communications, and policy advocacy.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app or subscribe via The Carbon Curve newsletter here. If you’d like to get in touch with Na’im, you can reach out via LinkedIn.

Episode 40 is with Anu Khan, Founder and Executive Director at Carbon Removal Standards Initiative

Anu founded the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative or CRSI in early 2024 while an Entrepreneur in Residence at Carbon180. She previously led the Science & Innovation team at Carbon180 where her work focused on measurement, reporting, and verification (or MRV) as a crucial level for building a just, equitable, and highly accountable carbon removal (or CDR) sector. Prior to Carbon180, Anu worked in climate philanthropy at Founders Pledge. Her academic background is in electrochemistry and materials science. 

CRSI is a new nonprofit initiative that provides technical assistance and capacity building for carbon removal policy, focused specifically on carbon quantification. As a nonprofit, CRSI is able to provide financially unconflicted information to policymakers, regulators, and other NGOs working in CDR, decoupled from the sale of carbon credits or the growth of carbon markets. 

In this episode, Na’im and Anu discuss:

* The Carbon Removal Standards Initiative (CRSI);

* the importance of Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) in ensuring justice and accountability;

* efforts to provide technically unconflicted information to policymakers and regulators;

* bridging gaps in carbon quantification standards and build industry trust; and

* the need for robust and scientifically sound standards tailored to various industries and jurisdictions.

Relevant Links:

* Carbon Removal Standards Initiative - Website

* High Accountability MRV (2024) - Carbon180

* CRSI Quantification Resource Database

* Quantification Beyond Crediting (Blog) - CRSI

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 also a policy fellow with Elemental Excelerator. 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 a carbon removal advocate based in Taiwan whose focus is on communicating the importance of carbon removal to policy makers, corporate leaders, and the broader public through education, communications, and policy advocacy.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app or subscribe via The Carbon Curve newsletter here. If you’d like to get in touch with Na’im, you can reach out via LinkedIn.