The Carbon Curve

Episode 52 is a special joint episode with Plan Sea host Anna Madlener and Lennart Bach, Associate Professor and ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) scientist at the University of Tasmania.In this episode, Na'im joins Anna Madlener for a special co-hosted episode between Plan Sea and The Carbon Curve, recorded live at the Carbon to Sea 2025 Annual Convening. Anna and Na'im speak with Lennart Bach, to share insights and key takeaways from this year's convening.Last month, Carbon to Sea hosted its third Annual Convening in Washington, D.C., bringing together scientists, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to share recent progress and discuss a path forward for OAE. Building on the conversations started during the convening, Na'im and Bach highlight the importance of aligning on MRV approaches, cross-sector partnerships, increased community and policymaker engagement, and new funding pathways as key avenues to explore. 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 was a policy fellow with Elemental Impact. He previously ran carbon removal consulting practice Carbon Curve, and publishes The Carbon Curve newsletter and podcast. This post represents his personal views and not those of Carbon Removal Canada. You can get in touch with him on LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 51 is with Erin Burns, Executive Director of Carbon180.This episode highlights the critical need for long-term strategies and adaptability in carbon removal policies amidst changing political landscapes. Key takeaways include the importance of making carbon removal efforts tangible and real for policymakers by emphasizing measurable impacts and local benefits, the necessity of building broad coalitions and engaging various stakeholders to sustain and expand carbon removal initiatives, and the focus on developing new, specialized carbon removal policies while defending existing programs to ensure continued progress in the sector.In this episode, Na'im and Erin discuss:* Erin's unique journey into the carbon removal sector;* The mission and strategic direction of Carbon180;* Key policy wins and challenges faced in the carbon removal field;* The importance of taking a long-term view in carbon removal efforts;* Strategies for adapting to changing political landscapes;* Practical advice for carbon removal professionals and companies on maintaining momentum and engagement;* The necessity of building broader coalitions for durable policy success. Relevant Links:* Carbon180 - Website* Six defining moments for carbon removal in 2024 - Carbon180 Blog* A Carbon180 cofounder reflects on his time in Biden's DOE - Carbon180 Blog* The Carbon Removal Industry's Trump Playbook - Heatmap News [

Episode 50 is a special AMA style episode with Na'im Merchant and Rahima DosaniIn this special “ask me anything” episode of the Carbon Curve podcast, the tables are turned and Na'im is interviewed by his wife, Rahima Dosani, to discuss the past year's accomplishments and challenges, as well as future plans for 2025 in the carbon removal space. With Na'im leading Carbon Removal Canada, he shares insights on policy achievements, the growth of the sector, and the balancing act of managing an organization and parenthood. The conversation covers significant policy milestones and Na'im shares frustrations about the negative discourse aimed at carbon removal technologies, future goals and personal priorities for 2025, and a leadership framework needed to address climate change as a complex systems problem. In this episode, Na'im and Rahima discuss:* Discussion about the challenges and experiences of running a carbon removal organization, including balancing work and family life.* Highlights of exciting experiences in 2024 and a review of policy wins and successes.* Anticipating the future: looking ahead to 2025 and addressing criticisms of carbon removal.* Sharing future plans for the Carbon Curve and sharing personal goals and reflections.Relevant links in the episode:* Carbon Removal Canada website* Write-up following Na'im's Mammoth visit: We've come a long way. We have a long way to go.* Episode on adaptive leadership with Josh Albert (Konu)About Rahima Dosani: Rahima is the Director of Strategy, Learning, and Innovation at Global Health Visions, a women owned and operated global health consulting firm.She previously worked for the Center for Innovation and Impact at USAID and the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Myanmar and Malawi, after she did strategy consulting in New York City. Rahima holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and a master's in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health.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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

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 responsibilitiesRelevant Links:* Absolute Climate - Website* Evident - Website* C-Capsule - Website* A Standardized Test for Carbon Removal - Heatmap News* Absolute Carbon Standard V1.0About 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 48 is with Senator Colin Deacon, Senate of CanadaIndependent 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 47 is with Giana Amador, Executive Director at Carbon Removal AllianceMonitoring, 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 InstituteAbout 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 46 is with Josh Albert, Associate Partner with KONUYou'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 stakeholdersRelevant 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

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 alAbout 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 44 is with Jim Mann, Founder and CEO of UNDOA 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 supportRelevant 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 AnnouncementAbout JimWith 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 UNDOWith 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 43 is with Luke Connell and Shannon SterlingAs 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 websiteAbout CarbonRunFounded 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 ConnellOver 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 SterlingShannon 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 42 is with Sebastian Manhart, Senior Policy Advisor at CarbonfutureSebastian 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 TaxAbout 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 41 is with Noah Deich, Senior Advisor for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon ManagementToday 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 IcelandAbout 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 VirginiaAbout 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 40 is with Anu Khan, Founder and Executive Director at Carbon Removal Standards InitiativeAnu 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) - CRSIThis 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 39 is with Mark Cyffka, Co-Founder and COO of AirMyne. Today Na'im speaks with Mark Cyffka about common barriers to scaling the different approaches of direct air capture technologies, how AirMyne is looking to bypass those barriers with its technology, what the cost trajectory of DAC will be between now and 2050, and how to think about the modularity versus large-system approaches of developing DAC technologies.In this episode, Na'im and Mark discuss:* AirMyne's progress since the company was launched;* Common barriers to scaling direct air capture today;* AirMyne's technology;* Cost trajectory for DAC by 2050;* AirMyne's partnership with CO2 offtakes and its' role in in the two Regional DAC Hub projects in parallel to its partners;* Policy initiatives to address gaps in the scaling of DAC; and* The importance of social acceptance for DAC to scale.Relevant Links:* AirMyne's website* “Hello world, we're AirMyne.”* TechCrunch - “AirMyne taps geothermal energy to scale direct air carbon capture”* ETH Zurich - Cost of direct air carbon capture to remain higher than hoped* Berkeley Lab - Exploring Community-Centered Direct Air Capture* U.S. Department of Energy - Project Selections for FOA 2735: Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs – Topic Area 1 (Feasibility) and Topic Area 2 (Design)About Mark:Mark Cyffka is the co-founder at AirMyne where he leads day to day operations. Before AirMyne, Mark spent more than a decade in operations roles in the deeptech ecosystem, including sales, engineering, and product management roles. At BASF, Mark helped invent & commercialize products used to manufacture EVs and solar power systems. After the success of that product led to a spin-out, Mark advised the Finnish government on deeptech innovation with a focus on climate. Mark studied chemistry at Harvey Mudd College.About AirMyne:AirMyne is a company working to scale high-quality carbon removal through direct air capture (DAC). The company is based in Berkeley, California and employs 19 people. AirMyne has built, demonstrated, and patented a low-temperature, solvent-based DAC approach designed for low cost, safety, and scalability. 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 38 is with Dai Ellis (Co-founder and CEO) and Vilas Rao (Co-founder) of Cascade Climate.Today Na'im speaks with Dai Ellis and Vilas Rao about how Cascade Climate is working to address key challenges in open-system carbon dioxide removal (CDR), particularly around quantification of enhanced rock weathering (ERW), why a community-built quantification standard is key to increase consistency in MRV practices across the ERW market, and how to encourage industry adoption and data sharing to advance understanding of ERW.In this episode, Na'im, Dai, and Vilas discuss:* The co-founders' vision for launching and building Cascade;* The problem Cascade was founded to solve;* The reason for focusing on ERW and the key challenges associated;* The current state of net removal quantification and the reason for creating a community-built standard;* Incentives to encourage adoption and implementation of the community-built standard;* The importance of having data-access and encouraging data-sharing in driving shared learning and building trust;* The role policymakers play in ERW;* Responsible deployment of ERW in the Global South; and* The good-movie and the bad-movie versions of open-system climate intervention.Relevant Links:* Carbon Curve Podcast Ep. 3 - “Dai Ellis on what scaling up HIV medicines can teach us about building a thriving carbon removal market”* The Great Unwind - Substack by Dai Ellis* Carbon Travels - Substack by John Sanchez* Foundations for a Healthy ERW Market Cycle - Blog Post* Cascade Climate on OpenAir's This is CDR webinar series* Cascade Climate websiteAbout Dai:Dai Ellis is CEO and co-founder at Cascade Climate. Dai is an entrepreneur with deep experience founding and scaling high-performing nonprofit and for-profit ventures across climate, health, and education. He has co-founded five different ventures and paid forward what he's learned the hard way as an executive coach to climate tech founders and CEOs. Earlier in his career, Dai led the Clinton Health Access Initiative's pioneering work on market shaping for drugs, vaccines, and other health products in the Global South. More recently, he has been at the forefront of efforts to import learning and tools from global health market shaping into climate tech.About Vilas:Vilas Rao is a co-founder at Cascade Climate. Vilas has been growing businesses in the agriculture technology space for the past decade, looking for ways to apply technology to agricultural production systems to drive a more sustainable and secure food supply. Prior to Cascade, Vilas was the Chief Revenue Officer for Arable Labs, which delivers a real-time crop monitoring solution for farming. Earlier in his career, Vilas led the scale up of FieldView, the largest data platform and partner ecosystem in agriculture while at The Climate Corporation. Vilas got his start in agriculture working with smallholder farmers in Nepal, which led to his lifelong fascination with the connections between the food system, economic opportunity, and our planetary footprint.About Cascade Climate:Cascade Climate works to accelerate progress in climate interventions that leverage Earth's natural systems—from soils to oceans to glaciers—to stabilize our climate. As a philanthropically-backed nonprofit, Cascade coordinates and resources ambitious initiatives across science, industry, philanthropy, and policy to overcome the core bottlenecks that are holding back the most promising open-system climate interventions. Its initial focus is advancing the development of a healthy market for enhanced rock weathering (ERW), underpinned by its scientific evidence base and its potential for durable, gigaton-scale carbon dioxide removal.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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 37 is with Lukas May, Head of Policy and Expansion at IsometricThe traditional carbon offset market is riddled with problems. We've seen reporting on this from The Guardian, Bloomberg, and other media outlets. Researchers at CarbonPlan have also done some excellent work exposing just how broken some of these systems really are. As we build a new carbon removal industry, we now have an opportunity to build trust in a high integrity carbon removal market. One company, Isometric, is working to figure that out, building scientific integrity, transparency, and incentive alignment into their business model. The company just launched its own carbon registry this week, and the question is, can the company avoid the same pitfalls of the legacy actors in the traditional carbon offset market?In this episode, Na'im and Lukas discuss:* Isometric's mission and why trust is the central job of scaling carbon removal;* Definitions of the terms standards, methodologies, and protocols;* Ways that Isometric's products improve on incumbent models that exist today;* How Isometric addresses problem around misaligned incentive in the market today;* How Isometric defines quality;* Isometric's approach in developing protocols and partnering with the wider community;* The role of policy in helping build trust and rigor;* Alternatives to countries' building their own methodologiesRelevant Links:* Launch of Isometric Registry* Isometric receives ICROA Conditional Endorsement* Isometric Website* Isometric Registry* Isometric Protocols* Carbon Dioxide Removal Purchase Pilot PrizeAbout LukasLukas May is the Head of Policy and Expansion at Isometric. He has spent over a decade working between government and start-ups. He was most recently a Senior Civil Servant in the UK Government, where he led post-Brexit trade negotiations in the Asia-Pacific region. Before that he led international expansion at fintech start-up Wise, and he started his career at the UK financial services regulator.About IsometricIsometric is a new kind of registry on a mission to ensure the transition to carbon removal happens responsibly and fast. As carbon markets mature, buyers are rapidly shifting their attention and purchases from low-quality, temporary carbon offsets to high-quality, durable carbon removals. The Isometric Standard sets the world's most stringent set of rules for removing carbon, raising the bar for scientific rigor, transparency, and incentive alignment. The Isometric Registry provides a permanent audit trail for all credits issued by Isometric, allowing the information behind every credit to be reviewed and scrutinized. Isometric was founded in 2022 by CEO Eamon Jubbawy, who previously co-founded Onfido. The company is based in London and New York and has raised over $25 million from Lowercarbon Capital, Plural, and more.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 CDR 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 36 is with Nikki Batchelor of XPRIZE and Ben Rubin of Carbon Business Council.Carbon removal can be a force for good - not just in creating lasting climate benefits - but in delivering social, economic, and ecological benefits as well. Indeed, the future of carbon removal depends on that promise playing out. But it isn't a foregone conclusion that large scale carbon removal is uncompromisingly and unequivocally good for people and planet. As we build this new industry - an intentional approach to its responsible deployment is absolutely necessary. Today, Na'im speaks with Nikki Batchelor and Ben Rubin about the recently launched Carbon Dioxide Removal Responsible Deployment Training (CDR RDT).In this episode, Na'im, Nikki, and Ben discuss:* Achievements the Carbon Business Council has made since launch;* The XPRIZE Carbon Removal Competition and the final stage of the competition;* Findings from XPRIZE's Carbon Removal Innovation Landscape and the 2024 Outlook report;* The meaning and importance of deploying carbon removal responsibly;* Carbon Business Council's Responsible Deployment Training program;* Embedding environmental justice and community engagement approaches into XPRIZE competition criteria;* The adaption of key principles of the training program to a broader global context;* The implication of the framework for stakeholders beyond carbon removal tech developers; and* Upcoming announcements and initiatives from XPRIZE and Carbon Business Council.Relevant Links:* Breaking Ground: Guidance for Carbon Removal Companies and Funders on Responsible Project Deployment* CDR Innovation Landscape and 2024 Outlook* From the Ground Up: Recommendations for Building an Environmentally Just Carbon Removal Industry* CDR RDT, A Training Course & Suite of Foundational Resources for the Responsible Deployment of Carbon Removal  * CDR RDT: Carbon Dioxide Removal Responsible Deployment Trainings* Responsible & Regional Deployment of Carbon Removal: A Pacific Northwest Symposium* Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR): Issue Brief* Sources of opposition to renewable energy projects in the United StatesAbout Nikki:Nikki Batchelor is the Executive Director for the $100M XPRIZE Carbon Removal, a competition supported by the Musk Foundation to drive innovation, market adoption, and responsible deployment of carbon removal solutions. In this capacity she oversees program operations, develops partnerships, and leads strategic initiatives on topics such as environmental justice and investor engagement, including the Circular Carbon Network that provides market insights for the growing carbon tech and carbon removal sectors. Nikki also supports XPRIZE's work across the Energy & Climate Domain and previously managed operations and impact programs for the $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE from 2015-2021. She also serves on the Carbon Business Council Board of Directors and Puro.Earth Advisory Board.About XPRIZE:XPRIZE is an established global leader in designing, launching, and executing large scale competitions to solve humanity's greatest challenges. The XPRIZE unique model democratizes innovation by incentivizing crowd-sourced, scientifically viable solutions to create a more equitable and abundant future for all. About Ben:Ben Rubin is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Carbon Business Council. Ben serves on the Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee at the U.S. Department of Commerce, a federal appointment position. He is a Research Fellow with the Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal. Ben has been advancing climate action throughout his career, leading initiatives for companies, accelerators, governments and nonprofits. His work has galvanized billions of dollars in climate infrastructure funding, passed legislation, and reached hundreds of millions of people through media campaigns.About Carbon Business Council:Carbon Business Council (CO2BC), a member-driven and tech-neutral trade association of companies unified to restore the climate, is the preeminent industry voice for carbon management innovators. Together, the nonprofit coalition represents more than 100 companies and organizations across six continents with more than $16.5 billion dollars in combined assets.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 CDR 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 35 is with Anastasia Pavlovic, CEO of Eion and Elliot Chang, Co-founder and CSO of Eion.Today Na'im speaks with Anastasia Pavlovic, CEO of Eion and Elliot Chang, CSO of Eion. Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is an area of carbon removal that I've been really intrigued by. When I think about ERW, I think about high potential for scale, benefits to farmers, and potentially challenging MRV.So 35 episodes into this podcast, I'm finally doing an episode on ERW. Today I'll be speaking with Eion's co-founder, alongside a newly minted CEO, to educate me about what has evolved in the ERW space over the last few years and what the future has in store for this promising but still nascent carbon removal technology.About Anastasia PavlovicAnastasia Pavlovic is the CEO of Eion, which she joined in December 2023 bringing deep expertise in global operations and software with a passion for driving global change through local impact. Before joining Eion, Pavlovic led operations, commercialization, and growth for the Agoro Carbon Alliance, which works with farmers to sequester carbon in soil. Prior to the Alliance, Pavlovic commercialized software solutions in the US and Canada for Yara's Digital Farming organization. She has worked for venture-backed software companies scaling agtech and security products around the world. From West Virginia, Pavlovic holds dual B.S. degrees in Electrical Engineering and Systems Engineering. About Elliot ChangElliot Chang is Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer at Eion. With over ten years of research experience in ion interactions with abiotic and biotic surfaces found in both subsurface terrestrial and marine systems, Elliot focuses on the research and development of technology at Eion. Elliot provides a unique perspective on technology and innovation through his work in academia, national laboratories, and industry-based companies. Elliot has completed postdoctoral research positions at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he studied the physio-chemical properties of swelling clays in soils, and at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, where he developed new computational modelling approaches for radionuclide and metal transport in soils and nuclear waste repositories. He received his Ph.D. at UC Berkeley in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, studying rare earth element interactions with bacteria in engineered bioreactor and natural soil systems. He received his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering at Princeton University with a certificate in Sustainable Energy. Elliot is a member of the American Geophysical Union, American Chemical Society, and Sigma Xi Honor Society. About EionEion is a carbon removal company responsibly scaling enhanced rock weathering (ERW) on agricultural lands. It holds an industry-first patent for directly measuring the carbon removed by mineral weathering in soils using immobile trace elements. Combining scientific rigor with agricultural know-how, Eion fits into routine farming practices to unlock scale without compromising safety and rigor. That includes using olivine, a naturally abundant mineral that balances soil pH while efficiently absorbing carbon dioxide, and relying on routine soil samples and standard equipment to measure carbon removal and monitor soil conditions. By working with the agricultural system, Eion is on track to deliver 10 million tons of permanent carbon removal annually starting in 2030 while creating stable jobs in rural communities. In this episode, Na'im, Anna, and Elliot discuss:* Eion's beginning and journey thus far;* Anna's new role as the CEO and her experience getting into CDR from a background in agtech;* Eion's approach to enhanced rock weathering* Eion's ‘direct measurement approach' to MRV;* The different minerals used in ERW and the advantage of using olivine for Eion;* The scalability and potential of ERW in reaching the scale required;* The constraints in scaling ERW;* Eion's partnership with its feedstock partner, Sibelco;* The significance of Eion's recent delivery of carbon removal to Stripe;* Policy supports needed going forward for ERW;* Anna's mandate and the company's key priorities for 2024;Relevant Links:* The basics of enhanced rock weathering* How Eion Measures Enhanced Rock Weathering (Or How to Find Something That's No Longer There) * Eion's Delivery of Carbon Removal to Stripe, Inc.* The US Agriculture Improvement Act (Farm Bill)* Eion's websiteThis 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 CDR 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 34 is with Phil De Luna, Chief Carbon Scientist and Head of Engineering at Deep Sky. In this episode, Na'im speaks to Phil De Luna, Deep Sky's Chief Carbon Scientists and Head of Engineering. Na'im and Phil cover a broad range of what Deep Sky - a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) project developer that raised C$75M last year - has done to date, how they think about new technology adoption, why Canada is well suited for large scale carbon removal, and the policies that would help advance their work. And we get a few hints of what's in store for the rest of 2024.In this episode, Na'im and Phil discuss:* Phil's journey into CDR and the reasons he joined Deep Sky;* Deep Sky's philosophy on removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere;* Deep Sky's criteria for choosing partners and how partnerships work;* The reasons for the company's focusing on Quebec and Canada;* The exciting innovations in carbon removal;* Deep Sky's partnership with Isometric and their approach to MRV;* Opportunities and challenges to large scale deployment, and the importance of community engagement;* Different kinds of policies and actions from the Canadian government that could help develop and scale carbon removal technologies; and* Deep Sky's plan for 2024.Relevant Links:* “Why Canada Is Poised To Become A Carbon Removal Superpower” (Forbes)* “The Race Is On: 5 Steps To Rapidly Develop Carbon Removal Technology” (Forbes)* “Why 2023 Was A Breakout Year In Carbon Removals” (Forbes)* Canada's Investment Tax Credit for Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (Gov't of Canada)* Deep Sky Website* Isometric Website* Carbon Removal Canada Website* Ready to Removal: A Decisive Decade for Canadian Leadership in Carbon Dioxide RemovalAbout PhilPhil De Luna is Chief Carbon Scientist and Head of Engineering at Deep Sky, a carbon removals venture building large scale infrastructure to remove CO2 from the atmosphere to reverse climate change. Prior to Deep Sky, Phil led Carbontech at McKinsey & Company's sustainability practice. He is a Governor General Gold Medal winning scientist, ranked in the top 0.1% in the world in his field, a mentor at Creative Destruction Lab, and chair of Carbon Management Canada. Phil was the youngest-ever Director at the National Research Council where he built and led a $57M R&D program developing disruptive technologies to decarbonize Canada. He was on the founding team of CERT Technologies, a carbontech startup and finalist in the $20M Carbon XPRIZE. He is a Member of the College of the Royal Society of Canada, an adjunct Professor of Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Toronto, a former Member of Parliament candidate, a Globe & Mail Top 50 Changemaker, and a Forbes Top 30 Under 30.About Deep SkyDeep Sky is the world's first carbon removal project developer deploying the best carbon capture technology from around the world under one roof. Tech agnostic, Deep Sky brings together the most promising direct air and ocean capture technologies from around the world. Powered by renewable energy, Deep Sky's facilities are strategically located in Quebec, a region with an abundance of hydroelectric power, immense wind power potential and a vast territory with the rich geological makeup required for carbon storage. Deep Sky will bring the largest supply of high quality carbon credits to the market and commercialize carbon removal and storage solutions like never before. 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 CDR 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 33 is with Dr. Julio Friedmann, Chief Scientist at Carbon Direct, and with Tim Bushman, Director of Policy and Research at Carbon Removal Canada.Today Na'im speaks with Dr. Julio Friedmann and Tim Bushman about Canada's potential to scale up carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Late last year, Carbon Removal Canada released a report on Canada's readiness to scale carbon removal and the policies needed to unlock its potential. Today, Na'im speaks to two leading experts on carbon removal's future in Canada: Tim Bushman, who co authored the report and who has surveyed the Canadian landscape to understand the carbon removal potential here; and Julio Friedman, Chief Scientist at Carbon Direct, a world renowned expert on carbon removal and related industries, who was kind enough to review the report and has been a huge inspiration to so many in the carbon removal field.Tim and Julio will talk about the global CDR landscape, trends and developments to watch, Canada's advantages in scaling CDR, the policies currently in place, like an investment tax credit and a carbon management strategy, and the additional policies we will need to succeed in this new industry. In this episode, Na'im, Julio, and Tim discuss:* The current global CDR landscape, major developments and trends in the industry;* The important use cases and benefits for scaling CDR;* The scale of CDR needed for individual countries to achieve net-zero emissions, the steps required to get there, and the need to start building capacity now;* The potential leading role that Canada can play in scaling the global CDR industry;* Reasons governments should support the carbon removal industry and the ancillary benefits for doing so;* The most important near-term policy actions to support the sector, including a government procurement program, innovation investments, and standard-setting; and* Challenges and opportunities going forward.Relevant Links:* Ready to Removal: A Decisive Decade for Canadian Leadership in Carbon Dioxide Removal (Carbon Removal Canada, 2023)* Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal (2023)* Capturing the opportunity: A Carbon Management Strategy for Canada (2023)* British Columbia's Low Carbon Fuels Act* Carbon Direct's website* Carbon Removal Canada's websiteAbout Dr. Julio FriedmannDr. Friedmann recently served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Fossil Energy at the Department of Energy where he was responsible for DOE's R&D program in advanced fossil energy systems, carbon capture, and storage (CCS), CO2 utilization, and CO2 removal. More recently, he was a Senior Research Scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia. He has held positions at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, including Chief Energy Technologist. Dr. Friedmann is one of the most widely known and authoritative experts in the U.S. on carbon removal (CO2 drawdown from the air and oceans), CO2 conversion and use (carbon-to-value), hydrogen, industrial decarbonization, and carbon capture and sequestration.About Carbon DirectCarbon Direct helps organisations turn industry-leading carbon science into action through its end-to-end platform and advisory services. Their team consists of over 40 leading scientific advisors who have collectively published over 1,000 peer-reviewed papers on carbon measurement, management, and removal and engaged in meaningful climate action from restoration and conservation through to carbon project design and innovative tool development for project monitoring. This scientific foundation is enhanced by a broader team of over 20 carbon market advisors drawing upon finance, consulting, and software expertise. Carbon Direct's scientific and market base spans decarbonisation frameworks and strategies, emissions tracking, engineered, hybrid, and nature-based solutions, and cross-cutting issues such as governance and equity in carbon markets. About Tim BushmanTim Bushman is the Director of Policy and Research at Carbon Removal Canada where he helps to inform policies and regulations to support the rapid and responsible scale-up of carbon removal in Canada. We're very lucky to have him on the team. Tim has a background in climate science and has worked extensively across the field of carbon management. His research has focused on mitigation strategies for the difficult-to-abate sectors and carbon dioxide removal from the atmosphere. Prior to joining our team, he was a Senior Science Analyst at Carbon Direct and a Senior Analyst at Energy Futures Initiative.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 CDR 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 32 is with Na'im Merchant and Rahima Dosani.Building off of the special episode they did a year ago, Na'im and Rahima are back to reflect on all things carbon removal in 2023 and what's in store for 2024. They also get into launching Carbon Removal Canada, the role Canada can play in scaling carbon removal (CDR), managing changing professional demands, and other personal questions that Na'im was clearly not prepared for!We hope you enjoy the episode and wish everyone a happy 2024!About Rahima DosaniRahima Dosani is the Director of Strategy, Learning, and Innovation at Global Health Visions, a woman-owned and operated company helping to improve access to global health products and services in low-income countries. She previously worked for the Center for Innovation and Impact at USAID and the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Myanmar and Malawi after doing strategy consulting in New York City. Rahima holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from the Harvard Business School, and a masters in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health. She spends her spare time teaching yoga and being a private chef, and recently graciously agreed to relocate to Toronto, Canada with Na'im.Special note: A huge thanks to Tank Chen for his support with The Carbon Curve podcast over the last few months and I'm excited about the next set of episodes we're working on together. If you're interested in collaborating with a brilliant and dedicated individual on your carbon removal company or project, do reach out to him on LinkedIn!This episode was created and published by Na'im Merchant. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely Na'im Merchant's and do not reflect those of any other individual or entity.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.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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 31 is with Paul Needham, CEO of Arca.Today Na'im speaks with Paul Needham about the potential for accelerated carbon mineralization using mine waste as a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) method to decarbonize mining. Mining will play a huge role in the energy transition given the huge need of critical metals - and CDR can help ensure it's done in a net-zero fashion.Arca is working to stop - and reverse - climate change by capturing carbon dioxide from the air and transforming it into rock, where it is safely stored forever. Co-founded by Professor Greg Dipple and other geoscientists from the University of British Columbia, Arca has developed technologies that accelerate a natural geochemical process called carbon mineralization. Arca works with producers of critical metals, such as nickel, repurposing mine waste to deploy industrial-scale carbon dioxide removal solutions.Arca just announced a partnership with BHP, one of the world's largest producers of nickel for the EV industry, to launch the world's first accelerated carbon mineralization project at an active nickel mine in Western Australia. The company's technology has been recognized with a $1 million XPRIZE Milestone Award for Carbon Dioxide Removal. About Paul NeedhamPaul is a multi-time company founder and CEO, with three exits. Paul serves as board member to a venture fund that invests in African clean energy entrepreneurs, and is Senior Advisor to the D-REC Organization which is accelerating investment in clean energy in developing countries. Paul co-founded, built, and sold India's largest rooftop solar leasing company, providing access to clean energy to at least 250,000 people in rural India. Paul has a Masters Degree in Development Economics from the University of Cambridge and is now CEO of Arca, the carbon mineralization company.In this episode, Na'im and Paul discuss:* Paul's journey into carbon removal and Arca's founding history, from its academic roots to becoming a CDR company;* The clean energy paradox;* The science behind Arca's approach;* Arca's solution to help the mining industry decarbonize;* The process of partnering with mining companies;* Arca's role in mining industry's objective to decarbonize;* Arca's partnership with BHP;* Arca's technologies in development around measurement and verification and their methodology;* Ways in which government around the world could support CDR; and* The company's current and future priorities.Relevant Links:* Arca's partnership with BHP to launch a new pilot project at BHP's Mt Keith Nickel West mine in Australia* Arca's People Page* Arca's LinkedIn page* Arca's Dr. Greg Dipple and Paul Needham on This Is CDR [Webinar]* Arca winning the XPRIZE Milestone Award for Carbon Dioxide Removal* BC Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE)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 CDR 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 30 is with Bilha Ndirangu, CEO of Great Carbon Valley.Today Na'im speaks with Bilha Ndirangu. Bilha is the CEO of Great Carbon Valley. She is also the co-founder of Jacob's Ladder Africa, a non-profit focused on green workforce preparation.  In this and other roles, she is at the intersection of climate action, technology, and education, positioning Africa as an investment destination for the green economy, identifying and scaling relevant technologies, and preparing its youth to provide the requisite skills mix. She has had previous roles as CEO of the African Leadership Academy and CEO of Africa's Talking (a communications technology company), where she expanded the company into 20 markets in African countries. She also worked at Dalberg, where she helped launch the Nairobi office. Bilha holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from MIT and is a Yale Emerging Climate Leaders Fellow.Great Carbon Valley (GCV) is a systems integrator and project development company working to harness the abundant resources of the Great Rift Valley towards the global decarbonization efforts by developing large scale green industry and carbon removals projects. GCV aims to develop comprehensive DACS-anchored industrial parks that serve as complete solutions for energy-intensive businesses, enabling them to operate with enhanced efficiency and achieving net zero targets. GCV is seeking and working with a network of actors, including energy developers, Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology ventures, carbon storage providers, green industries, and project financiers, to develop the hubs. Earlier this year, GCV announced a partnership with Climeworks to explore development of large-scale direct air capture and storage projects in Kenya.In this episode, Na'im and Bilha discuss:* The mission and vision of Great Carbon Valley;* Attributes that make Kenya and East Africa ideal for hosting carbon removal projects;* The political wil behind carbon removal in Kenya and the potential political leaders see;* The employment and innovation opportunities that could come out of Africa;* Policies that will support industrial-scale carbon removal in East Africa;* Challenges and opportunities in attracting companies to build up the ecosystem in Kenya; and* The biggest disconnect in conversations around scaling carbon removal solutions between Europe, North America, and Africa.Relevant Links:* Envisioning African CDR Innovation with Bilha Ndirangu, Great Carbon Valley - Carbon Removal Africa Webinar* Africa's Great Carbon Valley - TED Talk by James Mwangi* Climeworks and Great Carbon Valley chart path to large-scale direct air capture and storage deployment in KenyaThis 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 CDR 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 29 is with Anna Stukas, Vice President of Business Development at Carbon Engineering Ltd.Today Na'im speaks with Anna Stukas about how Carbon Engineering is helping the aviation industry to decarbonize, and what roles direct air capture (DAC) technologies play in the sector's overall strategy to reach net-zero.Anna Stukas is a Vice President of Business Development at Carbon Engineering Ltd.  Anna is a professional engineer with nearly two decades experience bridging the gap between technology and business to overcome barriers to cleantech commercialization. She currently leads a variety of CE's partnering and business development efforts, with a focus on the aviation ecosys tem.  Anna previously worked with Angstrom Power and BIC developing hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, where her responsibilities spanned IP and licensing strategy, product safety, and international regulatory development, including at the United Nations and International Civil Aviation Organization. Anna currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, and of Science World. Anna's work has been recognized by the Minerva Foundation's Women In™ Energy Award for Philanthropy and Business in Vancouver's Forty Under 40 Award. Carbon Engineering (CE) is a climate solutions company. CE is focused on the global deployment of large-scale Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology that captures carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, enabling two complementary solutions to reach true net zero: permanent carbon dioxide removal and sustainable aviation fuel. With its partners, CE is working to deploy large-scale, commercial DAC facilities. In this episode, Na'im and Anna discuss:* The aviation industry's emissions problem and its progress in decarbonization;* Challenges with sustainable aviation fuel;* Carbon removal's role in counter-balancing residual emissions;* The role of direct air capture in decarbonizing aviation;* Carbon Engineering's recent agreement with airlines;* The role of other carbon removal solutions play in addressing aviation emissions;* The future of DAC in decarbonizing aviation;* The need for government procurement of carbon removal;* The critical pieces in ensuring sufficiency DAC capacity scale-up; and* Impacts of the Oxy acquisition.Relevant Links:* Na'im's report with Clean Air Task Force - “Decarbonizing Aviation: Challenges and Opportunities for Emerging Fuels”* Mission Possible Partnership - “Making Net-Zero Aviation Possible”* IATA's Net Zero Roadmaps* ANA Group Environmental Targets* Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) * Robert Höglund on the like-for-like removal principle for offsetting* U.S. DOE's $35 Million “Carbon Dioxide Removal Purchase Pilot Prize”* Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)* Oxy's announcement to acquire Carbon Engineering (Press Release)Special Note: Carbon Removal Canada's official (in person) launch event is in Ottawa on November 8th from 4-6pm. Register here while there's still space!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 CDR 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. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 28 is with Marty Odlin, Founder and CEO of Running Tide.Today Na'im speaks with Marty Odlin about how Running Tide is navigating the waters of open ocean CDR.Marty Odlin is the Founder and CEO of Running Tide, a global ocean health company. A systems engineer from a 4th generation fishing family, Marty founded the company in 2017 after seeing the devastating implications of climate change on his own community. Running Tide designs and deploys cutting-edge diagnostics and comprehensive interventions that rebalance the carbon cycle, decarbonize global supply chains, restore marine ecosystems, and revitalize coastal communities. Proudly headquartered in Portland, Maine, Running Tide is scaling worldwide in partnership with leading investors, companies, scientific institutions, and governments.Since the original recording, Running Tide has completed its first carbon removal deployment season in Iceland, which resulted in the delivery of the first ever ocean-based carbon removal credits to their first customer, Shopify. The company is also founding signatory and Marty was an author of the recently released Reykjavik Protocol, a set of supplier best practices designed to responsibly grow the nature-deployed credit industry, reduce uncertainties, and clarify conflicts of interest.In this episode, Na'im and Marty discuss:* Carbon removal's “victory conditions” and the critical need to engage the general public in order to reach gigaton scale carbon removal;* The fast and slow carbon cycles;* Running Tide's work on ocean CDR;* The advantages and challenges of open systems;* The importance of following the best available science;* The UN High Seas Treaty and implications on Running Tide's work.Relevant Links:* Running Tide announcing their credit delivery (also see interview between Running Tide & Shopify regarding credit delivery)* Blog post announcing RT signing onto the Reykjavik Protocol* Running Tide's Ocean CDR Research Roadmap* Running Tide's Framework Protocol for Open Ocean CDR* Ocean Visions* Ocean Frontier Institute at Dalhousie University* UN High Seas TreatyThis episode was created and published by Na'im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Lucia Simonelli.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.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 Twitter and LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 27 is with Sebastian Manhart, Senior Policy Advisor at Carbonfuture and Board Chair of DVNE, a new German carbon removal association.In the last year, carbon removal news has been dominated by policy wins in the United States. But we know that climate change is the ultimate collective action problem, and I've been keen to learn what other jurisdictions are doing to scale carbon removal globally. The EU is likely to be a big player in the carbon removal field.My guest today, Sebastian Manhart, will tell us about a number of meaningful policy developments underway that will have serious implications for the carbon removal field across Europe and around the world.In this episode, Na'im and Sebastian discuss:* The political landscape in EU* Major policy developments in the EU* Heavy policy focus on direct air capture vs. newer carbon removal methods* The EU's approach to carbon removal policy compared to the approach in the United States* Launching the DVNE, a new German carbon removal associationReading list:* Understanding Carbon Removal Policy Across Europe: An Exclusive Analysis * EU COM 2040 targets * EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) * EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) explainer * Carbonfuture Blog on ETS* DVNE About Sebastian:Sebastian Manhart is a climate advocate, leveraging his skills and experiences to support policy makers in making better decisions for our planet. He is the Senior Policy Advisor of Carbonfuture, the world´s leading platform for high-quality carbon dioxide removal (CDR). 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, a trade association unifying the voice of the US biochar industry. 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 is the Trust Infrastructure for durable carbon removal with two products that seamlessly connect the entire carbon removal lifecycle: Carbonfuture MRV+, the most comprehensive MRV solution for durable CDR, and the Carbonfuture Marketplace, the leading marketplace for durable CDR. Carbonfuture empowers suppliers by providing the essential project support and finance needed to transform their carbon removal projects into fully certified carbon credits. For corporate buyers, Carbonfuture offers access to portfolios of carbon removal credits adhering to the established third-party standards.Last call:I'm looking for someone to support the production, editing, and promotion of this podcast. I'm looking for someone who is passionate about carbon removal, who can help brainstorm guest ideas, develop thought provoking interview questions, schedule and join recordings, edit recordings, write up the show notes, and promote the episode on various channels.It's an important job and an exciting opportunity to plug into the carbon removal field. This is a fully remote contract position starting October 1st amounting to about 8 to 10 hours of work per episode. You don't need to be an expert in podcasting. I certainly wasn't when I started. Just a lot of passion, diligence, organization, and a willingness to learn. If you're interested, send an email to naim@carboncurve.co with your resume and a letter of interest by September 15th.This podcast is created and published by Na'im Merchant.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.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 Twitter and LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 26 is with Rahul Shendure, CEO of CarbonBuilt.There are many different storage pathways for carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere.One storage medium that we don't talk about enough is storage of CO2 in long-lived products like concrete. Storing CO2 in concrete not only helps solve the CO2 storage problem - especially for smaller, modular carbon removal deployments - but helps decarbonize a very carbon intense product.My guest today, Rahul Shendure, leads a company that is developing ultra low carbon concrete that is coming off the production line today and demonstrates the exciting potential for integrating carbon removal technologies alongside other decarbonization technologies in existing industrial processes.Rahul Shendure is a serial entrepreneur and investor focused on sustainability and health. He is the CEO of CarbonBuilt, whose technology enables the production of ultra-low carbon concrete, reducing emissions by 70-100%. He previously served as Co-Founder and CEO at Bellwether Bio, whose acquisition by Guardant Health led to the launch of the first blood-based colorectal cancer screening test. Rahul's earlier engineering and commercial roles span a wide range of climate-related industries ranging from plastics (GE), hydrogen fuel cells (Ballard Power Systems), renewable fuels and chemicals (Amyris) and next generation renewable electricity (Oscilla Power). Rahul earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from MIT and received his MBA from Harvard Business School.CarbonBuilt, winner of the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, enables concrete manufacturers to produce ultra-low carbon concrete products with 70-100% less embodied carbon. CarbonBuilt's technology replaces most of the expensive, high-carbon Portland cement typically used during concrete manufacturing with a proprietary low-cost cement alternative made from widely-available low carbon materials. These materials harden after chemically reacting with CO2, to not only strengthen the blocks, but also permanently store the CO2 in solid form, diverting it from the atmosphere. Because it can be cost-effectively installed at existing concrete manufacturing plants and delivers products that meet ASTM C90 and other applicable industry standards without increasing costs, CarbonBuilt's technology can be rapidly adopted by the nearly 800 concrete plants in the U.S. alone. In this episode, Na'im and Rahul discuss:* Concrete and its carbon footprint;* CarbonBuilt's technology for producing ultra-low carbon concrete;* The distinction between emissions avoidance and removal both in CarbonBuilt's technology as well as its credit system;* CarbonBuilt's commercial partnership with Blair Block;* CarbonBuilt's participation in the Four Corners Carbon Coalition's first project;* Barriers to scaling low carbon concrete technology and the role of policy in addressing these barriers.Relevant Links:* CarbonBuilt* CarbonBuilt and Blair Block commercial partnership* Four Corners Carbon Coalition* CarbonBuilt and Four Corners Coalition* Paving the Way for Low-Carbon Concrete: Recommendations for a Federal Procurement Strategy* Concrete: Square one for scaling distributed direct air capture?Special note:I'm looking for someone to support the production, editing, and promotion of this podcast. I'm looking for someone who is passionate about carbon removal, who can help brainstorm guest ideas, develop thought provoking interview questions, schedule and join recordings, edit recordings, write up the show notes, and promote the episode on various channels.It's an important job and an exciting opportunity to plug into the carbon removal field. This is a fully remote contract position starting October 1st amounting to about 8 to 10 hours of work per episode. You don't need to be an expert in podcasting. I certainly wasn't when I started. Just a lot of passion, diligence, organization, and a willingness to learn. If you're interested, send an email to naim@carboncurve.co with your resume and a letter of interest by September 15th.This podcast is created and published by Na'im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Lucia Simonelli.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.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 Twitter and LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 25 is with Jack Andreasen (Breakthrough Energy) and Dr. Claire Nelson (Cella).Today Na'im digs deep into the safe and secure storage of CO2 with Jack Andreasen and Dr. Claire Nelson.Jack Andreasen covers carbon management policy for Breakthrough Energy. In this role he works on policy across NGOs, federal and state governments, industry and start-ups in DAC, CCS and carbon storage. Previous to this role he was an energy policy analyst at The Climate Reality Project and worked for Duke Energy. Dr. Claire Nelson is a geochemist with expertise on geologic carbon storage and  in-situ mineralization in basalt. She is currently a postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia University as well as the co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Cella, a start-up developing a new technology for mineral carbon storage.In this episode, Na'im, Jack, and Claire discuss:* Various geologies and methods involved in geologic storage of CO2;* The potential global capacity to store CO2 geologically as well as the challenges in scaling to meet this potential;* The federal permitting process of Class VI wells in the United States as well as state primacy;* Cella's novel storage technology; and* What makes Kenya an ideal location for durable carbon removal.Relevant Links:* Carbon Miners Club* Net Zero: Science, Origins, and Implications* CellaThis podcast is created and published by Na'im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Lucia Simonelli.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.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 Twitter and LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 24 is with Professor Gregory Nemet, a Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the La Follette School of Public Affairs and Convener of the State of CDR report.Today Na'im speaks with Professor Gregory Nemet to learn more about the current state of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) globally, the varying magnitudes of carbon removal needed by midcentury as they correspond to different decarbonization scenarios, and the gap between the amount of carbon removal needed and the amount countries are planning to deploy. Greg Nemet is a convener of the State of CDR report - the first comprehensive global assessment of the current state of CDR. It describes the gap between how much CDR countries are planning to deploy and what is needed in scenarios to meet Paris climate goals. It finds that the size of the “CDR gap” differs across scenarios, depending on how the global economy is transformed to achieve net-zero emissions. It also finds that there are currently few plans by countries to scale CDR above current levels, exposing a substantial shortfall - which we'll get into today.About Prof. Gregory NemetGregory Nemet is a Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the La Follette School of Public Affairs.  He teaches courses in policy analysis, energy systems, and international environmental policy.  Nemet's research focuses on understanding the process of technological change and the ways in which public policy can affect it.  He received his doctorate in energy and resources from the University of California, Berkeley. His A.B. is in geography and economics from Dartmouth College.  He received an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship in 2017 and used it to write a book on how solar PV provides lessons for the development of other low-carbon technologies: “How Solar Energy Became Cheap: A Model for Low-Carbon Innovation” (Routledge 2019).  He was awarded the inaugural World Citizen Prize in Environmental Performance by APPAM in 2019.  He is currently a Lead Author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 6th Assessment Report.In this episode, Na'im and Greg discuss:* Past emerging technologies such as ammonia and solar PV that can serve as useful analogues to carbon removal;* The varying magnitudes of carbon removal needed by midcentury as they correspond to different decarbonization scenarios;* The gap between the amount of carbon removal needed and the amount countries are planning to deploy;* The urgency of investing in carbon removal in the next 10-15 years to ensure that we reach the needed scale by midcentury;* Trends and gaps across academic literature on carbon removal;* The importance of public perception and acceptance of carbon removal;* What comes next after the State of CDR Report.Relevant Links:* How Solar Became Cheap: A Model for Low-Carbon Innovation* State of CDR Report* Follow Professor Greg Nemet on LinkedIn and TwitterThis podcast is created and published by Na'im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Lucia Simonelli.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.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 Twitter and LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 23 of The Carbon Curve is with Dr. Julio Friedman (Chief Scientist at Carbon Direct), James Mwangi (Co-Founder and CEO of Africa Climate Ventures), Ugbaad Kosar (Director of Environmental Justice at Carbon180), and Marcius Extavour (Chief Climate Solutions Officer at TIME CO2). This episode was recorded from the 2023 Direct Air Capture Summit hosted by Climeworks on June 6, 2023.A couple of weeks ago, I attended the 2023 Direct Air Capture (DAC) Summit hosted by Climeworks and had the chance to moderate a discussion on setting up policy frameworks for scaling up carbon removal.The summit attracted 400 participants in person and thousands more online. It has become a central convening of DAC and carbon removal experts from around the world. As I stand up a new initiative aimed at scaling carbon removal in Canada, the sessions and networking provided useful insights on where the industry is going, the opportunities on the horizon, and challenges we should expect to contend with. I personally came away from the event re-energized about the prospects of DAC and carbon removal more broadly.The team at Climeworks did a great job organizing and hosting this event, and they worked with me to facilitate a handful of interviews live from the event venue with leaders in the carbon removal field to discuss their reflections from the summit and what is energizing them at this important juncture of this new industry. I had a chance to speak with:* Dr. Julio Friedmann, Chief Scientist at Carbon Direct (LinkedIn, Twitter)* James Mwangi, Co-Founder and CEO of Africa Climate Ventures (LinkedIn, Twitter)* Link to: Africa Climate Summit 2023* Ugbaad Kosar, Director of Environmental Justice at Carbon180 (LinkedIn, Twitter)* Dr. Marcius Extavour, Chief Climate Solutions Officer at TIME CO2 (LinkedIn, Twitter)I think the substance of these conversations reveal some valuable themes coming out of the event itself that I hope will be orienting and enlightening as we navigate this rapidly growing sector.This podcast is created and published by Na'im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Lucia Simonelli.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.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 Twitter and LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 22 is with Dr. Sifang Chen, a Managing Science and Innovation Advisor at Carbon180 and author of the recent white paper, Depending on the Ocean: Research and Policy Priorities for Responsible Ocean Carbon Removal.We continue to see growing interest in enhancing the ocean's ability to remove and store carbon dioxide. In the last month alone, we've seen the largest investment to date in an ocean-based carbon removal startup, California-based Ebb Carbon.Soon after, Dalhousie University announced it received CA$154 million - its largest grant ever - from the Canadian government to investigate the ocean's role in climate change, including advancing the science and technology around ocean-based carbon removal. In the face of economic uncertainty, it looks like ocean-based carbon removal isn't going anywhere, but a number of critical questions remain about its future.Today Na'im speaks with Dr. Sifang Chen from Carbon180 to learn more about ocean carbon removal pathways and how policy can help clarify efficacy, ecosystem impacts, and necessary regulations and governance.Dr. Chen authored the recently published Carbon180 white paper entitled, Depending on the Ocean: Research and Policy Priorities for Responsible Ocean Carbon Removal. This paper explores how policy can help lower existing uncertainties around ocean carbon removal and offers specific recommendations aimed at clarifying efficacy, ecosystem impacts, and necessary regulations and governance. In this episode, Na'im and Sifang discuss:* Fun facts about the ocean and the immense amount we still don't know about it;* Categories and types of ocean carbon removal methods;* Major challenges facing ocean carbon removal;* A responsible vs. irresponsible future for ocean carbon removal;* Policy's role in ensuring the responsible future; and* Centering environmental justice in ocean carbon removal.Relevant Links:* Depending on the Ocean: Research and Policy Priorities for Responsible Ocean Carbon Removal* Ebb Carbon's $20M Series A raise* Dalhousie University receives CA$154M to study the ocean's pivotal role in climate change* Follow Sifang on Twitter and LinkedInAbout Dr. Sifang ChenDr. Sifang Chen is a Managing Science and Innovation Advisor at Carbon180 and currently leads the organization's ocean CDR focus. Sifang works to ensure Carbon180's policy work is informed by the most up-to-date science and industry knowledge. She has previously worked in science policy, biotechnology, and nanotechnology. Sifang holds a BS in physics from the University of British Columbia and PhD in physics from the University of Washington.This podcast is created and published by Na'im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Lucia Simonelli.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.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 Twitter and LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 21 of the Carbon Curve is with Dr. Shuchi Talati, founder of the recently launched nonprofit, The Alliance for Just Deliberation for Solar Geoengineering.In this episode, Na'im and Dr. Shuchi Talati talk about shifting the conversation on two major climate interventions in the course of her career. First, we discuss her experience working with the Department of Energy to help facilitate a major shift in mandate for the Office of Fossil Energy and making it the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management. Second, we discuss an exciting new nonprofit that proposes a major shift in how we advance deliberations on a contentious topic that is often wrongly conflated with carbon removal - solar geo engineering.In this episode, Na'im and Dr. Talati discuss:* Dr. Talati's experience as Chief of Staff of DOE's Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management;* DOE's CDR initiatives including the Carbon Negative Shot, Direct Air Capture Hubs, and Mission Innovation;* The growing focus on environmental justice and community engagement in CDR;* The important distinction between CDR and solar geoengineering;* The need for inclusive governance structures and capacity building in the context of solar geoengineering; and* The launch of her new nonprofit, The Alliance for Just Deliberation for Solar Geoengineering.Relevant Links:* Our New Name is also a New Vision (DOE)* DOE's Carbon Negative Shot* Mission Innovation - CDR* How Direct Air Capture Succeeds: A framework for Effective DAC Hubs* The Alliance for Just Deliberation for Solar GeoengineeringAbout Dr. Shuchi TalatiDr. Talati is the founder of the recently launched nonprofit, The Alliance for Just Deliberation for Solar Geoengineering. She is also a Senior Visiting Scholar at Carbon180 where she is focusing on how to build just and sustainable carbon removal at scale. She most recently served as a Presidential Appointee in the Biden-Harris Administration as Chief of Staff of the Office of Fossil Energy & Carbon Management at the U.S. Department of Energy. She has also worked for multiple nonprofits as well as in the U.S. Senate. Dr. Talati earned a BS in environmental engineering from Northwestern University, an MA in climate and society from Columbia University, and PhD from Carnegie Mellon in engineering and public policy.This podcast is created and published by Na'im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Lucia Simonelli.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.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 Twitter and LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 20 of The Carbon Curve is with Marian Krüger, co-lead of the Remove Accelerator and Decarbonization Lead for Sus.Lab at ETH ZürichLet's hop over the Atlantic and talk about the carbon removal (or CDR) innovation and policy landscape in Europe. The EU is the world's third largest economy, and it's well positioned to have a major impact on the future of carbon removal policy and innovation. I wanted to understand Europe's potential in terms of what's in the innovation pipeline, as well as what systemic gaps need to be addressed to make Europe a carbon removal powerhouse.Today, Na'im speaks to Marian Krüger, co-lead of the Remove Accelerator and Decarbonization Lead for Sus.Lab at ETH Zürich. Remove is a new accelerator program designed to support carbon removal innovators while strengthening the CDR ecosystem.Sus.Lab or The Sustainability in Business Lab is a “Think and Do Tank” launched by the Chair for Sustainability and Technology at ETH Zürich. The lab was founded in 2016 with a mission to bring sustainability research into the real world through hands-on industry projects. The Remove Accelerator (formerly known as Carbon Removal ClimAccelerator before the rebrand) is Europe's first and only accelerator program purely focused on CDR startups. Originated as a project at ETH Zurich's Sustainability in Business Lab, the non-profit, non-equity program has supported more than 60 European early-stage CDR startups since its start in 2021 with coaching, expert matchmaking, ecosystem access and non-dilutive capital.In this episode, Na'im and Marian discuss:* The carbon removal work at ETH Zürich's Sustainability in Business Lab* The genesis and evolution of the Remove Accelerator (previously the Carbon Removal ClimAccelerator)* Country-level carbon removal policies in the EU and UK* EU-level policy progress and gapsRelevant Links:*  Sus.Lab at ETH Zürich* Carbon removal work* DemoUpCARMA & DemoUpStorage* Remove Accelerator* EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework* Luxembourg Negative Emissions Tariff* The L NET Straw Proposal - A Negative Emissions Tariff for Luxembourg and Beyond* Sweden's carbon removal strategy * Is Sweden becoming the world leader on BECCS?* Switzerland's long term climate strategy * UK greenhouse gas removal (GGR) business models About Marian Krüger:Marian Krüger has spent his whole career in impact entrepreneurship. First as a venture developer at the German green utility, Innogy, before founding his own startup, Ucair, to increase photovoltaic yield using drones and AI data analytics. After its acquisition, he went on to join ETH Zurich's Sustainability in Business Lab as Decarbonization Lead and co-founded and now leads the Remove Accelerator. Marian holds two Masters degrees, one in education and one in behavioral economics and sustainability from the London School of Economics.This podcast is created and published by Na'im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Lucia Simonelli.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 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.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 Twitter and LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 19 of The Carbon Curve is with Ted Christie-Miller, Head of Carbon Removal at BeZero CarbonScalability is essential to the success of long-term CDR deployment - it is broadly acknowledged that by midcentury, CDR must grow from its current capacity of thousands of tons to billions of tons of removal per year. But how do we evaluate the potential to scale, the barriers that could prevent the necessary scaling, and the levers needed to overcome these barriers?BeZero Carbon is a ratings agency for the voluntary carbon market. Combining expertise across climate science, finance and policy, it provides ratings, risk and data tools that improve information accessibility and decision making with the aim to build markets for environmental impact. As part of its work on carbon removal, BeZero Carbon has developed a methodology for assessing scalability across multiple carbon removal methods. Ted Christie-Miller, BeZero Carbon's Head of Carbon Removal, discusses how the methodology was developed, what it can be used for, what its limitations are, and what's next for BeZero on assessing CDR going forward.In this episode, Na'im and Ted discuss:* The strategic importance of long-duration CDR to BeZero Carbon and why BeZero decided to assess the scalability of long-duration CDR methods;* The methodology used to assess CDR methods and how it's different from methodologies used by other groups;* Challenges and surprises the team encountered when assessing scalability;* Key take-aways from this analysis and how BeZero hopes this assessment will be used, as well as planned future work.Relevant Links:* Carbon Removal Scalability assessment* Introduction* Methodology* Summary* Deep Dive: Biochar* Investing in early-stage carbon dioxide removal* Removals for Growth* Carbon Removals in the VCM* Barriers to scaling the long-duration carbon dioxide removal industry (CarbonPlan, by Na'im Merchant, Freya Chay, Danny Cullenward, and Jeremy Freeman)About Ted Christie-Miller:Ted joined BeZero in October 2021 to lead the carbon removal team at BeZero Carbon. Before joining BeZero he founded and led the cross-party Getting to Zero climate policy programme at the thinktank Onward. He regularly writes in the national media on topics of climate and carbon markets, including for The Times, The Telegraph, CityAM, CarbonPulse and BusinessGreen. Previous research has been cited in a series of UK Government reports, including the Net Zero Review and the Levelling Up White Paper.This podcast is created and published by Na'im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Lucia Simonelli.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 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.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 Twitter and LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

This is a special episode with Rahima Dosani (my amazing wife) who interviews me about my career transition from working in international development to carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and my thoughts on the CDR field more broadly.Over the last few years, countless people have asked me about my journey from working in global health to working on climate and the steps I took to shift into this field. Over the holiday break, Rahima and I recorded a special episode to reflect on that journey, including what I've learned along the way, what I think about the CDR field more broadly (as well as challenges and opportunities), and the personal impacts of this career transition. We hope this episode offers helpful insights for people looking to make a career move to working on climate in 2023.About Rahima:Rahima Dosani works in global health at the US Agency for International Development, where she helps scale up access to cutting-edge health interventions for some of the world's poorest countries. She also worked for the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Malawi, which is where we first met, and in Myanmar after doing healthcare strategy consulting in New York City. Rahima holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Harvard Business School, as well as a Master's in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health. She spends her spare time teaching yoga and being a private chef in Washington, DC.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 Twitter and LinkedIn.Na'im Merchant, Founder and Managing Director of Carbon Curve, is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge of removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. Every week, Na'im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

This episode features interviews with Rob Niven (CEO and Chair of Carbon Cure), Shashank Samala (Co-Founder and CEO of Heirloom), Natalia Dorfman (Co-Founder and CEO of Kita), Mike Kelland (Co-Founder and CEO of Planetary), Peter Reinhardt (Co-Founder and CEO at Charm Industrial), Adrian Corless (CEO at CarbonCapture), and Stacy Kauk (Head of Sustainability at Shopify)This episode is sponsored by Carbonfuture.Carbonfuture is an end-to-end platform for companies that want to participate in removing carbon from the atmosphere. Unlike conventional marketplaces, Carbonfuture's monitoring, reporting, and verification platform solves carbon credit uncertainty for buyers like Microsoft and SwissRe while Carbonfuture's support helps scale the world's most promising carbon removal ventures for real climate impact.2022 has been a big year for carbon removal. I remember saying the same thing about CDR in 2021, and I'm excited to see what 2023 will bring.Since the launch of this podcast in June, I've interviewed scientists, entrepreneurs, and policy experts on what it's going to take to reach gigaton-scale carbon removal (CDR).In the US, we've seen the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that supports ambitious initiatives like the Direct Air Capture Hubs Program … and of course, the Inflation Reduction Act, a huge win for the climate, and for CDR through the expansion of the 45Q tax credit.In addition, Frontier Climate, an advance market commitment that provides much-needed revenues to advance the CDR space, launched this past year and has supported a number of CDR companies with pre-purchase and long-term purchase agreements.There is still a lot to be done to scale CDR, from policy to financing to measurement, reporting, and verification - especially for non-direct air capture CDR methods. But with early policy and financing wins in the books, and programs like DAC Hubs finally getting underway, the focus is shifting to implementation.So I wanted to use this episode to highlight some of the excellent insights from entrepreneurs, and folks who support those entrepreneurs, from episodes that were recorded over the last year on what it will take to scale CDR.I've had a ton of great guests on this show, so it wasn't easy to put together a greatest-hits episode like this. So I wanted to use this opportunity to shine a spotlight on entrepreneurs in the space running CDR start-ups and organizations that will be critical in implementing CDR at scale.In this episode, you'll hear from (links to full episodes):* Rob Niven, Chair and CEO at Carbon Cure* Shashank Samala, Co-Founder and CEO at Heirloom* Natalia Dorfman, Co-Founder and CEO at Kita* Mike Kelland, Co-Founder and CEO at Planetary* Peter Reinhardt, Co-Founder and CEO at Charm Industrial* Adrian Corless, CEO and CTO at CarbonCapture* Stacy Kauk, Head of Sustainability at Shopify2022 was a busy year. Here are some of my favorite Carbon Curve posts, episodes, and projects from this last year worth checking out:*

Episode 16 of The Carbon Curve is with Mike Kelland, CEO and Co-Founder of Planetary.This episode is sponsored by Carbonfuture.Carbonfuture is an end-to-end platform for companies that want to participate in removing carbon from the atmosphere. Unlike conventional marketplaces, Carbonfuture's monitoring, reporting, and verification platform solves carbon credit uncertainty for buyers like Microsoft and SwissRe while Carbonfuture's support helps scale the world's most promising carbon removal ventures for real climate impact.According to ocean climate NGO, Ocean Visions, the ocean is under threat from overfishing, plastic pollution, and of course climate change. But the organization thinks - if managed responsibly - the opportunity to harness the power of the ocean to sequester and store CO2 is massive compared to terrestrial methods.That's why researchers are exploring the carbon removal (or CDR) potential of this vast resource that covers 70% of our planet's surface. But ocean-based CDR methods are unique and pretty complex ranging from ocean alkalinity enhancement to sinking seaweed. In addition, the ocean is a dynamic environment: it's tricky to measure the quantity of CO2 removed, it's unclear what impact different ocean-based CDR methods will have on ecosystems, and figuring out the policies and regulations to responsibly pilot, test, and eventually scale up the best solutions is really difficult.This is a field within carbon removal that's gaining a lot of traction precisely because there's so much to learn about what responsible and effective ocean-based CDR looks like. So today, I'm speaking to Mike Kelland, Co-Founder and CEO of Planetary, committed to enhancing the ocean's potential as a carbon sink while addressing ocean health in the process.In this episode, Na'im and Mike discuss:* Planetary's origin story and their ocean-based CDR method* Why the ocean is an important medium for CDR* Some of the risks associated with ocean-based CDR and how to mitigate them* How to get measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) right with ocean-based CDR methods* Planetary's Code of Conduct* What effective engagement of coastal communities and supportive policies and regulations look like* A 10-year vision of success in scaling up ocean-based CDR methodsRelevant links:* Planetary's website* Planetary's Science and Technology Code of Conduct* Recent coverage of Planetary's work on the TODAY Show (Twitter)* Learn about ocean-based CDR at Ocean VisionsIf 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 Twitter and LinkedIn.Na'im Merchant, Founder and Managing Director of Carbon Curve, is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge of removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. Every week, Na'im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 15 of The Carbon Curve is with Natalia Dorfman, CEO and Co-Founder of KitaThis episode is sponsored by Carbonfuture.Carbonfuture is an end-to-end platform for companies who want to participate in removing carbon from the atmosphere. Unlike conventional marketplaces, Carbonfuture's monitoring, reporting, and verification platform solves carbon credit uncertainty for buyers like Microsoft and SwissRe while Carbonfuture's support helps scale the world's most promising carbon removal ventures for real climate impact.After a short pause on new episodes, I'm excited to cover something I've been dying to talk about … insurance. Just hear me out.According to carbon removal purchase tracker CDR.FYI, around 640,000 tons of CO2 removal have been purchased globally, and only 7% of those tons have actually been delivered. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is still very much in its infancyAs CDR solutions move from pilot to commercial scale and purchases and deliveries really start to pick up, the market is going to become increasingly complex.We'll see more public sector involvement, more private sector buyers, more projects being deployed, and more communities being impacted. We'll see more successes, but also more failures - and as a result - more risk.My guest today, Natalia Dorfman, CEO and Co-Founder of Kita, thinks that insurance is critical to unlocking the scale potential of CDR. We talk about what problems innovative new insurance products can solve for buyers and sellers in the CDR market and the limits of insurance in solving some of the more thorny risks associated with scaling up CDR.In this episode, Na'im and Natalia discuss:* Natalia's career shift into climate and Kita's origin story* What Kita plans to cover, and their first insurance product - carbon purchase protection cover* How Kita is developing carbon removal-specific insurance products in a field this nascent* The role insurance can play in the durability or reversibility of carbon storage* Why carbon removal needs robust insurance offerings to successfully scaleRelevant links:* Kita's website* Carbon Business CouncilIf 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 Twitter and LinkedIn.Na'im Merchant, Founder and Managing Director of Carbon Curve, is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge of removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. Every week, Na'im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 14 of The Carbon Curve is with Peter Minor, Director of Science and Innovation at Carbon180This episode is sponsored by Carbonfuture.Carbonfuture is an end-to-end platform for companies who want to participate in removing carbon from the atmosphere. Unlike conventional marketplaces, Carbonfuture's monitoring, reporting, and verification platform solves carbon credit uncertainty for buyers like Microsoft and SwissRe while Carbonfuture's support helps scale the world's most promising carbon removal ventures for real climate impact.Since its founding in 2015, Carbon180 has played a central role in building the dynamic carbon removal (or CDR) ecosystem that exists today. Carbon180 is a climate NGO focused exclusively on CDR, collaborating closely with policymakers, peer organizations, and entrepreneurs to design the policies needed to get CDR to gigaton scale.Carbon180's tireless work is paying off in a big way - with key CDR provisions in the recently passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act (listen to my episode on recent CDR policy wins). We're now entering a new phase of growth in CDR, and Carbon180 believes that the success of that growth depends largely on trust. Their view is that measurement, reporting, and verification (or MRV) can be designed to enhance accountability while addressing the needs of a wider group of stakeholders, beyond just serving as a means for carbon accounting.So, Carbon180 has developed a tool to help us reframe our thinking on MRV. Today they introduced their High-Accountability MRV Matrix (see blog post). A principles first approach to MRV that will help drive innovation and enhance confidence in CDR among the next wave of its buyers.Peter Minor from Carbon180 will talk us through this tool and what it means for the CDR industry as it enters a new stage of growth. He also previews how high-accountability MRV could one day be used to build trust with communities at the front lines of CDR deployment and help unlock the public sector dollars we're going to need to scale up this critical climate solution.In this episode, Na'im and Peter discuss:* Peter's role at Carbon180* The importance of monitoring, measurement, reporting, and verification* The risks of setting a “low bar” for MRV, and the benefits of setting a “high bar” without stifling innovation* Why Carbon180 took a principles-based approach to MRV* An introduction to the High-Accountability MRV Matrix, what it's trying to solve (and not trying to solve)* How this matrix will be used and Carbon180's plans for MRV going forwardRelevant links:* A procurer's guide to high-accountability MRV, by Anu Khan, Deputy Director of Science and Innovation (blog post)* High-Accountability MRV Matrix (Google Sheets)* Carbon180 websiteAbout Peter Minor:Peter Minor (LinkedIn) uses his knowledge of the latest science, along with his relationships within the innovation community, to help the Carbon180 team craft policy recommendations that catalyze the carbon removal industry. Before joining the fight against climate change, he built a startup accelerator and venture fund focused on frontier innovation. He is a staunch believer that technology can help solve humanity's greatest challenges. Peter is based in the SF Bay Area and is a friend to all who are working in climate.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast app or subscribe via The Carbon Curve newsletter here. I'm pausing release on new episodes for two weeks following this one, but if you'd like to get in touch with Na'im, you can reach out via Twitter and LinkedIn.Na'im Merchant, Founder and Managing Director of Carbon Curve, is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge of removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. Every week, Na'im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 13 of The Carbon Curve is with Dr. Cara Maesano, Geochemical Lead at RMI's CDR InitiativeThis episode is sponsored by Carbonfuture.Carbonfuture is an end-to-end platform for companies who want to participate in removing carbon from the atmosphere. Unlike conventional marketplaces, Carbonfuture's monitoring, reporting, and verification platform solves carbon credit uncertainty for buyers like Microsoft and SwissRe while Carbonfuture's support helps scale the world's most promising carbon removal ventures for real climate impact.The core message of this podcast series is that the monumental task of removing gigatons of CO2 from the atmosphere is too big, too complex, and needs to happen too quickly for any one technology or stakeholder to solve alone.That's why I call carbon removal (or CDR) a collective action problem. Everybody has a unique and important role to play in scaling it up - from government, to entrepreneurs, to civil society.What I learned in my previous career improving access to healthcare in some of the most underserved parts of the world is that sometimes depending on the organic growth of a suite of technologies is just not sufficiently fast enough to solve big, important, global imperatives. Like expanding access to vaccines or HIV medicines in low income countries … or massively scaling up CDR by 2050.That's why Dai Ellis - who has written some excellent thought pieces on this - advocates for intentionally shaping the CDR market we want, instead of accepting the CDR market as it is.Roadmaps are one powerful organizing tool to accomplish this. If they're done well, they can accelerate the scale up of public goods like CDR by mapping out the gaps in an ecosystem, prioritizing what needs to get done, and assigning responsibility to the right stakeholder groups.It creates clarity and forward motion, and enables cross-sector collaboration. It charts a path for what it's going to take to build an entirely new sector roughly the size of the global concrete industry.That's why I'm excited to speak to today's guest - who co-developed a roadmap that spells out what it's going to take to scale up geochemical carbon removal approaches to gigaton scale by mid-century. This roadmap is tremendously valuable in its own right, but is also useful as a blueprint for how to plan, organize, and mobilize stakeholders around scaling up other CDR pathways.In this episode, Na'im and Cara discuss:* The definition of geochemical CDR* Why RMI developed this roadmap and why Cara thinks it will be useful and additive* How the roadmap was developed with the input of experts in the field* What the most critical building blocks are to get to megaton and gigaton scale for geochemical CDR* Some of the key bottlenecks to scaling up geochemical CDR and the overarching roles of major stakeholders in scaling it up* How this roadmap will be used and RMI's plans to support the CDR spaceRelevant links:* RMI's CDR Initiative* Geochemical Negative Emissions Technologies: Part II. Roadmap in Frontiers in Climate* Geochemical Negative Emissions Technologies: Part I. Review in Frontiers in Climate* Connect with Cara on LinkedIn* Rock Solid by the Energy Futures Initiative and Innovation for Cool Earth Forum RoadmapsAbout Cara:Dr. Cara Maesano began her science career working in cosmology labs at UC Santa Barbara and Stanford University, building instrumentation for cosmic microwave background studies. She holds a PhD in Physics from UC Davis, where she helped to construct large underground particle detectors and studied interactions between cosmic rays and carbon atoms. As a postdoc, Cara focused on environmental exposure assessments and the impacts of air pollution, and climate change in general, on public health. The realities of the health impacts of climate change led her to switch her focus towards carbon removal as a solution, and she joined The Climate Map as a research scientist in Spring 2021.  At RMI, she now leads efforts on technology assessments for Geochemical CDR and how they integrate into both the broader CDR ecosystem and the wider industrial landscape. 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 Twitter and LinkedIn.Na'im Merchant, Founder and Managing Director of Carbon Curve, is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge of removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. Every week, Na'im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 12 of The Carbon Curve is with Adrian Corless, CEO and CTO of CarbonCapture Inc.This episode is sponsored by Carbonfuture.Carbonfuture is an end-to-end platform for companies who want to participate in removing carbon from the atmosphere. Unlike conventional marketplaces, Carbonfuture's monitoring, reporting, and verification platform solves carbon credit uncertainty for buyers like Microsoft and SwissRe while Carbonfuture's support helps scale the world's most promising carbon removal ventures for real climate impact.About this episode:In early September, direct air capture (DAC) company CarbonCapture announced plans to build a massive new DAC facility in Wyoming. CarbonCapture and its storage partner expect this project to permanently remove five million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere every year by 2030. It would also be the first DAC deployment to use Class VI wells for permanent CO2 storage.A few things stood out to me about this announcement. First, the scale. This is the largest DAC facility ever announced. I wanted to dig deeper on the company's proposed modular approach to build up to its massive 5 million ton per year target capacity by 2030. Second, the announcement specifically referenced the Inflation Reduction Act. I wanted to learn more about how policy was a catalyst in this company's major decision to move forward with a project of this size. And finally, I was curious about CarbonCapture's partnerships with The State of Wyoming and Frontier Carbon Solutions. I wanted to hear more about how strategic partnerships translate into on the ground deployments of new carbon removal (or CDR) projects.So to answer these questions, I speak to CarbonCapture's CEO and CTO about what it's actually going to take, between now and 2030, from technology, policy, partnerships, and carbon markets to realize their ambitious plan - and what comes next.In this episode, Na'im and Adrian discuss:* CarbonCapture's origin story* What make's CarbonCapture unique and scalable, including its modular approach, open systems architecture, and project deployment model (and what about the company's solution is still being worked out)* Roll-out plans for Project Bison, the company's 5 million ton per year DAC plant in Wyoming and its partnership with Frontier Carbon Solutions* The challenges and opportunities with Class VI wells for CO2 storage, and Adrian's views on Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR)* What made Wyoming an attractive location for Project Bison, what recent policies helped spur this project launch, and how government procurement can be an important bridge to scaling up CDR* Recent steps taken that could make Canada an attractive destination for DAC deployment, and how CarbonCapture envisions expanding beyond North America* How the Inflation Reduction Act changed the economics of using DAC-sourced CO2 in the production of sustainable aviation fuelsRelevant links:* CarbonCapture's website* CarbonCapture's Project Bison announcement* The world's largest carbon removal project yet is headed for Wyoming (The Verge)* Storage partner Frontier Carbon Solutions* My recent report on decarbonizing aviation with Clean Air Task Force, which includes a discussion on the potential role for DACAbout Adrian Corless:Adrian has spent more than 25 years developing and commercializing products in the cleantech industry. From 2013 to 2018, he was the CEO of Carbon Engineering, where he successfully developed the company into a recognized global leader in CO2 direct air capture, piloting industrial scale systems in under two years. In addition, Adrian has spent 15+ years commercializing industrial hydrogen, fuel cell, and pump technologies, serving as CEO of Rotoliptic Technologies, CTO of Plug Power, and CTO of Cellex Power Products. He holds a Master's of Science degree from the University of Victoria, BC Canada with specialization in Energy Systems, Cryogenics, and LNG.Na'im Merchant, Founder and Managing Director of Carbon Curve, is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge of removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. Every week, Na'im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 11 of The Carbon Curve is with Celina Scott-Buechler, Senior Resident Fellow of Climate Innovation at Data for Progress (DFP).This episode is sponsored by Carbonfuture.Carbonfuture is an end-to-end platform for companies who want to participate in removing carbon from the atmosphere. Unlike conventional marketplaces, Carbonfuture's monitoring, reporting, and verification platform solves carbon credit uncertainty for buyers like Microsoft and SwissRe while Carbonfuture's support helps scale the world's most promising carbon removal ventures for real climate impact.About this episode:All too often, promising large-scale projects fall by the wayside because they've failed to capture the attention and imagination of the public, and they've failed to build trust with communities that have a real stake in the project.With new large-scale carbon removal (CDR) projects being announced and more information on the Department of Energy's $3.5 billion DAC Hubs Program around the corner, I couldn't think of a better time to cover this topic. My guest, Celina Scott-Buechler, has not just polled voters about their perceptions of CDR, but has engaged communities that could potentially be on the front lines of carbon removal deployment.In this episode, Na'im and Celina discuss:* Public perceptions of CDR uncovered by DFP's polling* Why the distinction between carbon capture and storage and CDR is important* How to build protections for responsible CDR scale-up in policies* DOE's DAC Hubs Program and flipping the typical implementation process on its head* Legacies of harm in communities, and the types of benefits communities want from DAC Hubs and CDR deployment more generallyRelevant links:* Data for Progress website* DFP's Progressive Platform for Carbon Removal* Charting a Path to Just Direct Air Capture Hubs by Celina Scott-Buechler and Simone H. Stewart, Ph.D.* Setting DAC on Track: Strategies for Hub Implementation (Apr 2022) by Carbon180* Follow Celina on TwitterAbout Celina Scott-Buechler (Twitter):Celina is the Senior Resident Fellow for Climate Innovation at Data for Progress (DFP), where she leads DFP's growing work on progressive carbon removal solutions—removing gigatons of past greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere by developing equitable, community-beneficial, and environmental justice-centered strategies. Celina holds a master's in atmospheric science from Cornell University and is working toward a PhD in environment and resources at Stanford University.Na'im Merchant, Founder and Managing Director of Carbon Curve, is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge of removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. Every week, Na'im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 10 of The Carbon Curve is with Stacy Kauk, Head of Sustainability at Shopify. After a few weeks off, I'm excited to bring you a new series of interviews with policy experts, market shapers, and entrepreneurs who are working tirelessly to responsibly and effectively scale up the carbon removal (or CDR) innovations needed to draw down CO2 from the atmosphere.Over the next 8 weeks I'll be speaking with guests on topics including environmental justice, measurement, reporting, and verification, and the policies that helped spur plans for a multi-million ton per year direct air capture facility in Wyoming.Today, we're covering a topic I'm absolutely obsessed with: How are we going to pay for carbon removal? Seriously. How are we going to pay for this?Companies like Shopify, Stripe, and Microsoft made catalytic early CDR purchases which helped create the entrepreneurial, dynamic carbon removal sector we see today.So I wanted to speak to Stacy Kauk, Head of Sustainability at Shopify, who was central to that effort about: the formation of an almost billion dollar advance market commitment for carbon removal, how we bring on the next wave of corporate buyers, and what comes next for the early catalytic funders that helped stimulate the CDR sector in the first place.In this episode, Na'im and Stacy talk about:* The formation of Shopify's Sustainability Fund, it's objectives, and notable successes to date* The genesis of the Frontier advance market commitment * How to attract the “next wave” of corporate buyers to long-duration carbon removal* What role the public sector could play in the long-term growth of CDRRelevant links:* Shopify's Sustainability Fund* Frontier advance market commitment* Shopify's report on kick-starting the carbon removal market* Follow Stacy Kauk on TwitterAbout Stacy Kauk:Stacy Kauk, P.Eng. joined Shopify in January 2020 and as the Head of Sustainability, Stacy's role is to ensure the millions of businesses using Shopify's platform, the nearly 600 million shoppers that purchased from a Shopify merchant last year alone, and climate entrepreneurs globally are working together in the fight against climate change. Stacy leads Shopify's Sustainability Fund, which has committed more than $32M to date (since 2019) across 22 entrepreneurial, tech-driven companies, to accelerate carbon removal solutions globally. Most recently, Stacy was behind Shopify's decision to help build and launch Frontier, an advance market commitment to buy an initial $925M of permanent carbon removal alongside our partners, Stripe, Alphabet, Meta, and McKinsey Sustainability. She also serves on the advisory board of the Carbon Management Research Initiative (CaMRI) at Columbia University. Prior to joining Shopify, Stacy was head of the Ozone Layer Protection Program at Environment and Climate Change Canada. Previously, Stacy worked on several chemicals management regulatory initiatives and represented Canada as a member of delegations for the Stockholm Convention and Montreal Protocol.Stacy began her career as a practicing engineer designing environmental protection measures and pollution prevention controls for a variety of industry sectors. She has worked for the City of Ottawa, Morrison Hershfield, and Golder Associates. Stacy holds a Bachelor of Engineering and Masters in Public Administration from Carleton University.Na'im Merchant, Founder and Managing Director of Carbon Curve, is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge of removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. Every week, Na'im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 9 of The Carbon Curve is with Robert Höglund and Dr. Natalya Jarlebring from Milkywire's Climate Transformation Fund.Over the last year or so, interest in carbon removal (CDR) has taken off.From the formation of new corporate buying coalitions, like Frontier, to large venture rounds, and ambitious new policies like Direct Air Capture Hubs, CDR is starting to hit an inflection point. All of this early traction is encouraging, but it also necessitates taking a step back, and reflecting on the carbon removal industry as it currently stands, and where it should go from here.It requires revisiting questions that some of us working in the industry with all the recent activity and excitement take for granted, like:What is carbon removal's role?How should we define CDR?How should corporates think about supporting the burgeoning CDR market?Is it accurate to say there's a CDR market in the first place?I'm excited to speak to today's guests because they bring a degree of clarity to a marketplace that still feels shrouded in obscurity. They work on Milkywire's Climate Transformation Fund supporting catalytic solutions - including permanent carbon removal - that are needed to reach global climate targets.In their capacity, they have worked through pretty foundational questions about CDR and have valuable insights to share on how we should be defining carbon removal, the state of the market today, and key priorities for the industry going forward.In this episode, Na'im, Robert, and Natalya discuss:A more precise definition of carbon removalMilkywire's Climate Transformation FundThe effective altruism case for supporting carbon removalDoes the carbon removal market even exist?Where does the CDR industry go from here?Relevant links:Milkywire's Climate Transformation FundClimate Transformation Fund's 2022 Progress ReportArticle: Nature restoration and carbon removal are not the same. Here's why it mattersArticle: The carbon removal market doesn't existCDR.FYI dashboardAbout Robert Höglund:Robert is an independent consultant dedicated to advancing the carbon removal ecosystem, writing about it, working on research and policy projects, running CDR trainings, etc. He also manages the Climate Transformation Fund at Milkywire, a donation fund that supports CDR and other climate projects. (Twitter)About Dr. Natalya Jarlebring:Natalya is a senior environmental lead at the tech platform Milkywire. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from Södertörn University, Sweden. Her research focused on various aspects of natural resource governance, as well as forest-related policy debates and their implications for the EU climate commitments. Natalya has also extensive experience working as a consultant in natural resource management and climate adaptation solutions. 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 Twitter and LinkedIn.Na'im Merchant is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge of removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere to combat climate change. Every two weeks, Na'im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Last month, the Department of Energy hosted a virtual summit convening innovators, environmental organizations, government leaders, and other stakeholders about The Carbon Negative Shot. The DOE launched this bold initiative last year to stimulate innovation in carbon removal (CDR) pathways that remove and durably store CO2 from the atmosphere at gigaton scale for less than $100/net metric ton of CO2.I wrote about this target in a recent report I did on barriers to scaling up the carbon removal industry. In my conversations with stakeholders across the carbon removal field, there's a widely held belief that in order to scale carbon removal we need to get the cost below this $100/ton threshold. Which I can understand, but …Why are we anchoring to this number in particular? Is it even realistic? What exactly is included in that cost? Is that the cost to the carbon removal provider? Or is it the price to the end buyer? Does it include subsidies? How about the cost of measurement, reporting, and verification? I think making carbon removal much more economical is absolutely necessary to successfully scale it up - and initiatives like the Carbon Negative Shot, policies like the expanded 45Q tax credit, and others will play a big role to get us there. But I think we need more precision in how we talk about cost and a better understanding of carbon removal's many cost drivers. So I wanted to get into this topic with someone leading a carbon removal company and navigating this uncertain road - the CEO of Heirloom. We talk about the importance of clearing up these definitions, and the ecosystem levers that can help drive carbon removal down the cost curve.In this episode, Na'im and Shashank talk about:A baseline definition for carbon removalKey carbon removal cost drivers and implications for sub-$100/ton carbon removalChallenges with storage, injection, and transportationThe ideal role of the public sector in supporting carbon removalThe importance of modularity for high technology learning ratesOther ecosystem barriers that could help drive down costs and scale up carbon removalRelevant show links:Heirloom's website (see careers page and white paper)Report on Barriers to Scaling Long-duration Carbon RemovalHow Solar Became Cheap by Greg NemetAbout Shashank Samala:Shashank Samala, CEO of Heirloom, a company with a goal of removing carbon dioxide out of the air at gigaton scale by 2035 to help reverse climate change. Shashank grew up in Southeast India where he saw firsthand the impact of climate change on some of the world's most vulnerable people.Shahank was previously an Entrepreneur in Residence at Carbon180, a leading climate policy NGO working on atmospheric carbon removal, and a founder at Tempo, which builds mission-critical electronics for surgical robots, satellites, reusable, rockets, and more, and raised over $100M from leading investors.Shashank previously worked at Square and received his Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University.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 Twitter and LinkedIn.Na'im Merchant is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge of removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere to combat climate change. Every two weeks, Na'im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

In Episode 7 of The Carbon Curve, Na'im speaks to Dr. Meron Tesfaye and Dr. Danny Broberg from the Bipartisan Policy Center.This week, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which has been called the most consequential climate bill in history. Among other things, it makes a $369 billion investment in reducing carbon emissions and lowering energy costs, putting America closer to reaching the climate goals set by the current administration.It also has provisions that affect the carbon removal sector directly - expanding much-needed incentives that will grow the CDR industry, and position the US as a leader in this rapidly growing field.In my view, well-designed and well-executed policies can have the single greatest impact on scaling up CDR. So I wanted to speak to policy experts Dr. Meron Tesfaye and Dr. Danny Broberg at the Bipartisan Policy Center - a think tank based here in Washington, DC working on carbon removal policies - about the specific carbon removal investments in the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as supportive policies that have been recently passed, and new proposals we should be watching for on the near horizon.In this episode, Na'im, Meron, and Danny discussed:Carbon removal in The Inflation Reduction ActThe CHIPS Act's funding for carbon removal research, development, and deploymentGovernment procurement of carbon removal proposed in the Federal Carbon Dioxide Removal Leadership Act (CDRLA) and the Carbon Removal and Emissions Storage Technologies (CREST) Act The DAC Hubs Program as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure LawThe Growing Climate Solutions Act, REMOVE Act, and SCALE ActPolicy priorities for carbon removal going forwardRelevant links:Bipartisan Policy Center websiteSummary of Energy and Climate Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act (BPC)Farm and Forest Carbon Solutions Task Force at BPCDirect Air Capture Advisory Council at BPCDAC Day Event Recap Promoting Early Markets for Carbon Dioxide Removal Through Federal Procurement by Natalie Tham, Danny Broberg, and Xan FishmanDr. Meron Tesfaye is a senior policy analyst for BPC's Energy Program. Meron has a Ph.D. in clean energy & hydrogen research and combines that state and federal-policy experience. Prior to BPC, she was a Senior Policy Fellow at Carbon180 and a Science Fellow in the California Senate Budget office. As a scientist turned policy enthusiast, Meron works on issues such as biomass-based carbon removal, hydrogen, and industrial decarbonization.Dr. Danny Broberg received his Ph.D. in Materials Science at UC Berkeley, where he researched next-generation solar and battery materials. After finishing his Ph.D., he went to Capitol Hill where he was a legislative fellow for Senator Chris Coons (D-DE). While there he helped craft and drive forward bipartisan policies relating to carbon management and clean energy commercialization. After a year and a half on the hill, he joined the Bipartisan Policy Center where he focuses primarily on carbon management policies, with a focus on technological solutions and critical mineral supply chains. He runs the BPC's DAC Advisory Council, which includes companies like Carbon Engineering, Climeworks, Global Thermostat, and Air Liquide, as well as former members of Congress like Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), John Delaney (D-MD, former presidential candidate), and Byron Dorgan (D-ND).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 Twitter and LinkedIn.Na'im Merchant is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge of removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere to combat climate change. Every two weeks, Na'im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 6 of The Carbon Curve is with Robert Niven, Chair and CEO of CarbonCure Technologies.Carbon removal (or CDR) is often represented as a process that involves pumping captured CO2 back underground where it belongs. But we can actually use CO2 removed from the atmosphere in every day products like plastics, fuels, and building materials. This is a burgeoning industry known as “carbontech” - where innovators are working on carbon neutral, and even carbon negative, products.One application that's really intriguing to me is the process of infusing CO2 into concrete. Which means that concrete can potentially serve as a carbon sink, permanently locking away atmospheric CO2 while also reducing the amount of cement needed in the concrete mix - further reducing this essential product's carbon footprint.I think this could be really impactful. Concrete is the second most consumed material in the world, second to water. If concrete production was a country, it would be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter on Earth, contributing to roughly 7% of global CO2 emissions. Additionally, because of chemical reactions integral to its production, concrete is really difficult to decarbonize.Thankfully, there are companies that are using CO2 to make concrete less carbon intensive. I wanted to speak to a leading company that's working to solve this problem directly, to learn more about their technology, and find out about what businesses and governments can do to help drive greater demand for low carbon concrete.In this episode, Na'im and Rob discuss:The carbon intensity of the concrete industry An overview of CarbonCure's technologyCarbonCure as a carbon removal company, and using carbon removal credits to erase low carbon concrete's “green premium”Policies that can support the scale-up of low carbon concrete, as well as opportunities for cities and communities to help drive demandWhat Canada do to help commercialize more carbon removal companies like CarbonCureThe next six months for CarbonCureRelevant show links:CarbonCure's website, resources, and careers page, (Twitter and LinkedIn)CarbonCure's mission to reduce concrete emissions by 500 million tons per year (PDF)Carbon180 report on federal strategies to support low carbon concrete, by Shuchi Talati, PhD, Chris Neidl, and Na'im MerchantOpenAir Collective's work on Low Embodied Carbon Concrete Leadership Act (LECCLA)This Is CDR episode (YouTube) on combining DAC and concrete with Chris Neidl and Na'im MerchantCarbon Curve post on companies at the cutting edge of carbontech (May 2022)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 Twitter and LinkedIn.Na'im Merchant is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up the climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere to combat climate change. Every two weeks, Na'im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Episode 5 of The Carbon Curve is with Ben Rubin, Executive Director of the Carbon Business Council.Over the past two years, the carbon removal (CDR) sector has flourished according to a Climate Tech VC report.Carbon removal, carbon utilization and CCS companies, as well as carbon marketplaces raised a combined $1.5 billion in the first half of this year. That's an eightfold increase over the same period last year (with much of that growth happening in the carbon removal space) which led me to ask: with the carbon removal industry beginning to take shape, when does it make sense for this plethora of startups to join forces, learn from one another and secure the policy wins necessary to thrive as an industry? And how do you find common interests across companies with different technologies, geographies, and business models.A few weeks ago, the Carbon Business Council officially launched with 40 member organizations in tow representing every facet of the carbon management space. I thought I'd ask their new Executive Director, Ben Rubin, about their theory of change (especially given their technology neutral approach) and how they are going to find a shared set of priorities in this nascent and disparate industry to help get to gigaton scale carbon removal. In this episode, Na'im and Ben discuss:What makes the Carbon Business Council different from other system actors in the carbon removal spaceThe types of members represented in the Carbon Business Council, and how they're being brought together to help shape the policy landscape to achieve gigaton scale carbon removalWhy they endorsed the Carbon Removal and Emissions Storage Act (CREST Act) at launchHow they address the needs of members outside of the USTheir Ethical Oath to Restore the EarthMentioned in this episode:Climate Tech VC's analysis on climate funding in 2022Carbon Business Council website and Oath to Restore the EarthBipartisan Policy Center's blog post comparing the CREST Act and CDRLA; also my previous post on government procurement of carbon removalIf 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 Twitter and LinkedIn.Na'im Merchant is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up the climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere to combat climate change. Every two weeks, Na'im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

Our 4th episode of The Carbon Curve is with Peter Reinhardt, CEO and co-Founder of Charm Industrial, where they're developing novel carbon removal and renewable industrial syngas technology. Prior to charm, Peter was CEO and co-founder at Segment a software as a service customer data platform, which grew to 600 people before it was acquired by Twilio in 2020 for 3.2 billion. He previously studied aerospace engineering at MITBuilding trust is absolutely critical to generating the political will and stakeholder buy-in we need to scale up carbon removal or CDR.The challenge is that there are few if any trusted third-party systems to stand behind a carbon removal project's claims about tons removed, additionality, permanence, and a number of other factors that are important in ensuring high quality carbon removal did in fact happen.Most of the certification and verification systems that exist today are built around avoidance-based carbon offsets - which have a whole host of their own problems around quality and trust.Unsatisfied with the state of current standards, and recognizing the need to move quickly to solve this problem, Charm Industrial is charting a new path - building their own monitoring, reporting, and verification protocol with input from experts across the carbon removal sector.I wanted to speak to them to learn more about whether their approach has the potential to build trust in the broader carbon removal ecosystem.In this episode, Na'im and Peter discuss:Charm's carbon removal process relative to other approachesChallenges with existing standard-setting systems in the carbon offsets worldWhy Charm took a different approach to MRV, and what that looks likeIf Charm's approach is adopted by other companies, can it “abstract up” into a generally accepted, third party approach?Show links:Charm's website and blog post on their path to MRVCharm's public registry on carbon removal deliveriesCharm's blog where more details on their protocol will be forthcomingNa'im's report with CarbonPlan on barriers to scaling carbon removal, including stakeholder perceptions on existing standard setting systemsIf 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 Twitter and LinkedIn.Na'im Merchant is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up the climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere to combat climate change. Every two weeks, Na'im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

The third episode of The Carbon Curve podcast is with Dai Ellis.Today's discussion is about sketching out a vision for the carbon removal market. Creating that market is going to be really tricky. Unlike other climate technologies carbon removal, for the most part, doesn't deliver a product or service besides its climate benefit. But the market for carbon removal can't exist without large purchasers creating consistent demand.In recent months we've seen the private sector take up that mantle by banding together with other companies to create advance market commitments (or AMCs) to buy CDR, establishing much needed demand for this nascent industry.The model is fashioned after AMCs that were used in the global health space to scale up access to vaccines, HIV medicines, and other life saving health products in low income countries.Dai Ellis was instrumental in helping shape some of those markets back when we both worked at the Clinton Foundation (referred to as the Clinton Health Access Initiative or CHAI in this episode) well over 10 years ago. Now he's thinking about market shaping in the context of new climate technologies. He wrote a series of four articles on his newsletter (subscribe here) sharing his lessons in global health to the early carbon removal market. Despite some key differences that Dai points out, there's some really valuable lessons that we can apply from global health to scaling up CDR. This episode will shed some light on those lessons.Dai Ellis is an entrepreneur and executive coach to climate tech founders and CEOs. He helps companies through inflection-point moments of rapid growth, typically in the Series A to C phase, and his current clients include a range of leading climate tech companies like Arcadia, Sealed, Running Tide, and David Energy.Climate tech is Dai's third career chapter after long stints in healthcare and education. Most recently, he co-founded a VC-backed startup in Africa called Nova Pioneer, building the first pan-African network of K-12 schools offering world-class education at affordable tuition levels.Even more relevant to what we'll be talking about today, Dai previously led the Clinton Health Access Initiative's (CHAI) work on creating and shaping markets for drugs, vaccines, and other health products in the developing world. During that stretch of his career he also chaired the Global Fund's Market Dynamics Committee and served as an advisor to the Gates Foundation.In this episode, Na'im and Dai talk about:What an advance market commitment (AMC) is, and how it was used in creating a market for vaccines and HIV medicines in low income countriesFeatures and challenges of these global health markets vs. the early CDR market todayKey similarities and differences between AMCs from the global health space and AMCs that have emerged to scale up CDRDai's six building blocks for not just creating, but shaping a healthy, thriving CDR market and the 2 building blocks we need to stand up most urgentlyRead Dai's excellent full series here:Frontier and its AMC progenitorAdventures in market shapingFrontier as a CDR market stewardToward a vision for the CDR marketRead my recent report with CarbonPlan on the barriers to scaling the carbon removal industry.You can connect with Dai Ellis on LinkedIn or Twitter or shoot him an email at ellisdai [at] gmail [dot] com.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 Twitter and LinkedIn.Na'im Merchant is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up the climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere to combat climate change. Every two weeks, Na'im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com

The second episode of The Carbon Curve Podcast is with Chris Neidl (Twitter, LinkedIn), Co-Founder of the OpenAir Collective. OpenAir is a volunteer-led, global network accelerating carbon removal advancement and evolution through member initiated missions. OpenAir has completely re-imagined climate activism by mobilizing people to not just support, but co-create policies at the local, state, and federal level to scale up carbon removal. The group is grounded in open source principles like decentralization and peer production. Through OpenAir, people are discovering ways to get involved in carbon removal that draws on their unique backgrounds and experiences - which will help make the field more dynamic and diverse.Chris Neidl is the co-founder of OpenAir, a global volunteer collective launched in 2019 to advance carbon dioxide removal (CDR) through member-driven advocacy and research and development missions. In this role Chris has helped lead CDR focused policy advocacy campaigns at the municipal, state and national levels including the Low Embodied Carbon Concrete Leadership Act (LECCLA), the Carbon Dioxide Removal Leadership Act (CDRLA), and the Luxembourg Negative Emissions Tariff (L-NET) Chris came to DAC and CDR from a fifteen year career in solar energy, which spanned diverse research, activist and project management roles in North America, South Asia, Afghanistan and East Africa. Chris is an upstate New York native and long-time Brooklyn resident currently based in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.In this episode, Na'im and Chris talk about:How working internationally informed their views on approaching climate change with a global perspectiveThe origin of OpenAir Collective and embracing “peer-production” to empower its membersInitiatives like New York State's Carbon Dioxide Removal Leadership Act and This Is CDROpenAir's role in advancing a federal Carbon Dioxide Removal Leadership ActZooming out on the carbon removal field more broadly - what's working well and what's notHow people can get involved in OpenAir 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 Twitter and LinkedIn.Na'im Merchant is an advisor and thought partner to start-ups, policy groups, and research organizations on scaling up the climate technologies to meet the monumental challenge removing billions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere to combat climate change. Every two weeks, Na'im will release a short interview with individuals advancing bold new ideas and taking a collective action approach to scaling up carbon removal. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carboncurve.substack.com