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We have everything we need to manage climate change: the technology, labour, and capital. What's lacking is the collective will. Julio Friedmann challenges us to rethink the role of developed nations, the moral compass of money, and the need for inclusive, cooperative frameworks to create an abundant and just future.About Luminary: Dr. Julio Friedmann is one of the world's leading experts in carbon technologies and clean energy transition. He previously served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, overseeing R&D programs in carbon capture and storage (CCS) and CO₂ utilization. Currently, he is the Chief Scientist at Carbon Direct and a senior research scholar at Columbia University.About the Host: Gita Wirjawan is an Indonesian entrepreneur, educator, and Honorary Professor of Politics and International Relations at the School of Politics and International Relations, University of Nottingham. He is also a visiting scholar at The Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center (APARC) at Stanford University (2022—2024) and a fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.Explore and be part of our community https://endgame.id/Collaborations and partnerships: https://sgpp.me/contactus
Can AI help discover new materials, leading to dramatic breakthroughs in clean energy technologies? In Episode #1 of our deep dive on this topic, host David Sandalow explored the potential for breakthroughs with Taylor Sparks, a professor at the University of Utah and host of the Materialism Podcast, and Colin McCormick, Principal Scientist at Carbon Direct, a professor at Georgetown University and author of the materials innovation chapter in the Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap (Second Edition). In this episode, David, Taylor and Colin discuss the barriers that must be overcome to realize that potential as well as possible risks. The episode ends with some interesting book recommendations by Taylor and Colin! The AI, Energy and Climate Podcast is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Can AI help discover new materials, leading to dramatic breakthroughs in clean energy technologies? In Episode #1 of our deep dive on this topic, host David Sandalow explored the potential for breakthroughs with Taylor Sparks, a professor at the University of Utah and host of the Materialism Podcast, and Colin McCormick, Principal Scientist at Carbon Direct, a professor at Georgetown University and author of the materials innovation chapter in the Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap (Second Edition). In this episode, David, Taylor and Colin discuss the barriers that must be overcome to realize that potential as well as possible risks. The episode ends with some interesting book recommendations by Taylor and Colin! The AI, Energy and Climate Podcast is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What could make dramatic, transformational changes in the fight against climate change? One answer -- breakthroughs in the materials sciences that result in even better and cheaper clean energy technologies. Can artificial intelligence tools help produce such breakthroughs? Join host David Sandalow for a deep dive into this topic with Taylor Sparks, a professor at the University of Utah and host of the Materialism Podcast, and Colin McCormick, Principal Scientist at Carbon Direct, a professor at Georgetown University and author of the materials innovation chapter in the Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap (Second Edition). The AI, Energy and Climate Podcast is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What could make dramatic, transformational changes in the fight against climate change? One answer -- breakthroughs in the materials sciences that result in even better and cheaper clean energy technologies. Can artificial intelligence tools help produce such breakthroughs? Join host David Sandalow for a deep dive into this topic with Taylor Sparks, a professor at the University of Utah and host of the Materialism Podcast, and Colin McCormick, Principal Scientist at Carbon Direct, a professor at Georgetown University and author of the materials innovation chapter in the Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap (Second Edition). The AI, Energy and Climate Podcast is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Big tech's data center construction boom is fueling a flurry of natural gas development, despite the fuel's challenges, and it's complicating big tech's climate goals. But carbon capture and storage (CCS) could mitigate emissions from those new plants, and hyperscalers could secure low-carbon power while meeting their needs for speed and reliability. So how could natural gas with CCS serve data center loads? In this episode, Shayle talks to Julio Friedmann, chief scientist at Carbon Direct, who recently co-authored a couple pieces on the topic. Despite recent high profile cancellations of natural gas projects, Julio makes the case that gas-plus-CCS has attractive advantages, provided the carbon capture actually happens. Shayle and Julio cover topics like: The surprisingly attractive economics, even at lower flue concentrations Where it may be faster and cheaper than renewables, storage, and nuclear The challenges of siting CO2 infrastructure and uncertainty around the 45Q tax credit Whether “CCS-ready” kicks mitigation down the road, like H2 blending Big tech companies like Meta that are signaling interest, but not taking action The range of CCS technologies and the manufacturers jockeying to supply them CCS's uncertain political future in the U.S. Recommended resources: Carbon Direct: Carbon Capture for Natural Gas-Fired Power Generation Carbon Direct: Carbon capture for natural gas-fired power generation: An opportunity for hyperscalers Latitude Media: Where does gas fit in the puzzle of powering AI? Latitude Media: High costs, delays prompt withdrawal of five more Texas gas plants Latitude Media: Hydrogen-ready' power plants aren't actually ready for hydrogen Latitude Media: Engie's pulled project highlights the worsening economics of gas Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Daniel Woldorff. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is executive editor. Catalyst is brought to you by Anza, a platform enabling solar and storage developers and buyers to save time, reduce risk, & increase profits in their equipment selection process. Anza gives clients access to pricing, technical, and risk data and tools that they've never had access to before. Learn more at go.anzarenewables.com/latitude. Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. EnergyHub helps utilities build next-generation virtual power plants that unlock reliable flexibility at every level of the grid. See how EnergyHub helps unlock the power of flexibility at scale, and deliver more value through cross-DER dispatch with their leading Edge DERMS platform, by visiting energyhub.com.
Julio Friedmann -- the "Carbon Wrangler" -- is Chief Scientist at Carbon Direct and one of the world's leading experts on carbon capture and decarbonization more broadly. Host David Sandalow talks with Friedmann about ways AI can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and carbon capture's role in the fight against climate change. AI, Energy and Climate is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Julio Friedmann -- the "Carbon Wrangler" -- is Chief Scientist at Carbon Direct and one of the world's leading experts on carbon capture and decarbonization more broadly. Host David Sandalow talks with Friedmann about ways AI can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and carbon capture's role in the fight against climate change. AI, Energy and Climate is a special series from the DSR Network sponsored by NEDO and hosted by David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. AI for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap -- https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap and transitiondigital.org/ai-climate-roadmap. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The year 2024 ended with a sobering milestone: it was officially the hottest year ever recorded. That pattern of extremes continues around the world, especially in Southern California, which is suffering from one of its worst disasters in history. First responders are battling lethal wildfires that have consumed more than 12,000 buildings and homes, and forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate. But beyond these headlines about rising temperatures and intensifying disasters lies a critical question: How can we better predict and prepare for extreme weather events in a warming world? Recent breakthroughs in AI-powered weather forecasting have produced new models that not only match but sometimes outperform traditional prediction systems. These advances couldn't come at a more crucial time – in 2023 alone, the US suffered $95 billion in damages from 28 separate extreme weather events. So, how do we ensure these powerful new tools reach the communities that need them most? How can advances in weather forecasting enhance energy resiliency? And what role should public agencies play as private companies push the boundaries of prediction technology? This week host Bill Loveless talks with Alice Hill and Colin McCormick about AI in weather forecasting. Together, they authored a chapter on extreme weather response in the Innovation for Cool Earth Forum's report Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap. Alice is the David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations. She previously served as special assistant to President Obama and senior director for resilience policy on the National Security Council. Colin is a principal scientist at Carbon Direct, where he provides expertise across carbon removal methods and industrial decarbonization. He previously served as senior advisor for R&D at the US Department of Energy. He is currently an adjunct professor at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service.
Did you know that over 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions are generated by just 100 companies? Managing and reducing these emissions requires a robust understanding of carbon footprints, and that's where carbon accounting steps in. By identifying emission sources, optimizing reduction strategies, and increasing accountability, carbon accounting is becoming a cornerstone of sustainability efforts worldwide.
Editor's note: In honor of all the frying oil we'll be using this Thanksgiving, we're re-running an episode on biowaste. There's also increasing investment in biofuels from oil majors, especially for sustainable aviation fuel. So we're revisiting an episode with Julio Friedmann, chief scientist at Carbon Direct, on the possibilities and perils of using biowaste for biofuels. Biomass. It's the organic matter in forests, agriculture and trash. You can turn it into electricity, fuel, plastic and more. And you can engineer it to capture extra carbon dioxide and sequester it underground or at the bottom of the ocean. The catch: The world has a finite capacity for biomass production, so every end use competes with another. If done improperly, these end uses could also compete with food production for arable land already in tight supply. So which decarbonization solutions will get a slice of the biomass pie? Which ones should? In this episode, Shayle talks to Julio Friedmann, chief scientist at Carbon Direct. They cover biomass sources from municipal solid waste to kelp. They also survey the potential end-uses, such as incineration to generate power, gasification to make hydrogen, and pyrolyzation to make biochar, as well as fuel production in a Fischer-Tropsch process. In a report from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Julio and his co-authors propose a new term called biomass carbon removal and storage, or ‘BiCRS', as a way to describe capturing carbon in biomass and then sequestering it. Startups Charm Industrial and Running Tide are pursuing this approach. Julio and his co-authors think of BiCRS as an alternative pathway to bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS). They then zoom in on a promising source of biomass: waste. Example projects include a ski hill built on an incinerator in Copenhagen and a planned waste-to-hydrogen plant in Lancaster, California. Shayle and Julio also dig into questions like: How to procure and transport biomass, especially biowaste, at scale? How to avoid eco-colonialism, i.e. when wealthy countries exploit the resources of poorer countries to grow biomass without meaningful consent? If everyone wants it, when is biowaste no longer waste? And when there's a shortage of waste—like corn stover, for example—what's the risk of turning to raw feedstocks, like corn? How to pickle trees? (yes, you read that right) Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. EnergyHub is working with more than 70 utilities across North America to help scale VPP programs to manage load growth, maximize the value of renewables, and deliver flexibility at every level of the grid. To learn more about their Edge DERMS platform and services, go to energyhub.com.
Editor's note: There's some big money flowing into low carbon ammonia right now. Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a $1.56 billion conditional loan guarantee for Wabash Valley Resources, an Indiana low-carbon ammonia facility. In August, oil and gas producer Woodside Energy spent $2.35 billion on a low-carbon ammonia plant in Texas. Both of these facilities will produce low-carbon ammonia while using carbon capture and storage. We thought it would be a good time to revisit an episode with Julio Friedmann, chief scientist at Carbon Direct. He explains how ammonia could be used as a low-carbon fuel in everything from ships to heavy industry. The irony of ammonia is that it accounts for a whopping 2% of global emissions, but it could also become an important low-carbon fuel. It's the primary ingredient in agricultural fertilizer. But when combusted, it also emits no carbon, making it a promising low-carbon fuel, too — for ships, heavy industry, and even thermal power plants. But making the stuff takes massive amounts of energy, and ammonia's feedstocks – hydrogen and nitrogen – also require energy. So what would it take to slash emissions from ammonia production? And how would we actually use ammonia as a low-carbon fuel? In this episode, Shayle talks to Julio Friedmann, chief scientist at Carbon Direct. Julio and a team of colleagues just co-authored a report on low-carbon ammonia for the Innovation for Cool Earth Forum. They cover topics like: Why some countries like Japan, Singapore, and Korea are especially interested in developing ammonia infrastructure How ammonia compares to other low-carbon fuels like methanol and hydrogen How we would need to retrofit coal and gas power plants to co-fire with ammonia Addressing ammonia's corrosion and toxicity issues The areas that need more research, such as ammonia's impact on air quality and radiative forcing Key constraints like human capital and infrastructure Recommended Resources: Innovation for Cool Earth Forum: Low-Carbon Ammonia Roadmap Canary: Watch this TED talk to get up to speed on green ammonia and shipping Canary: The race is on to build the world's first ammonia-powered ship Chemical & Engineering News: Will Japan run on ammonia? Catalyst is brought to you by Kraken, the advanced operating system for energy. Kraken is helping utilities offer excellent customer service and develop innovative products and tariffs through the connection and optimization of smart home energy assets. Already licensed by major players across the globe, including Origin Energy, E.ON, and EDF, Kraken can help you create a smarter, greener grid. Visit kraken.tech. Catalyst is brought to you by Anza, a revolutionary platform enabling solar and energy storage equipment buyers and developers to save time, increase profits, and reduce risk. Instantly see pricing, product, and counterparty data and comparison tools. Learn more at go.anzarenewables.com/latitude. Catalyst is brought to you by Antenna Group, the global leader in integrated marketing, public relations, creative, and public affairs for energy and climate brands. If you're a startup, investor, or enterprise that's trying to make a name for yourself, Antenna Group's team of industry insiders is ready to help tell your story and accelerate your growth engine. Learn more at antennagroup.com.
James Lawler is joined by Carbon Direct's Julio Friedmann for Climate News Weekly. Join James and Julio as they discuss what Kamala Harris' candidacy and potential presidency could mean for climate policy, followed by positive signs that China's emissions may be hitting a turning point. The team also covers the accident involving a wind turbine off the coast of Massachusetts, bipartisan grid permitting reform legislation, and the EPA's latest round of funding for climate pollution. The team rounds out their coverage of this week's news by discussing wildfires sweeping the Northwestern U.S. and Canada, the (new) hottest day on record, and a power grid struggling to withstand the impacts of climate change.Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.Contact us at contact@climatenow.comVisit our website for all of our content and sources for each episode.
Today we had the very exciting and interesting opportunity to visit with Russell Hagen, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer of Weyerhaeuser. Russell is responsible for Weyerhaeuser's real estate, energy and natural resources businesses. Prior to his appointment as Chief Development Officer, Russell served as Chief Financial Officer from 2016 – 2021. Weyerhaeuser is the largest private owner of timberlands in North America, with 10.5 million acres in the US and 14 million acres licensed in Canada. In addition to timber products, Weyerhaeuser's businesses include recreation, real estate, land and minerals, wood products, and climate solutions, including renewable energy development, forest carbon and CCS, and carbon credits. We were thrilled to visit with Russell. In our discussion, Russell shares background on the history and scale of Weyerhaeuser and their business segments, Weyerhaeuser's sustainable forestry practices, the company's natural climate solutions business unit and ambitious growth targets for the business (aiming to grow the unit's EBITDA to $100 million by 2025), and the current state and pricing of voluntary carbon credits. We discuss Weyerhaeuser's strategy for maintaining high quality and credible carbon projects, the company's partnership with Carbon Direct, Weyerhaeuser's approach to acquisitions and the return profile for timber investments, forest management and sustainability, Russell's approach to strategic development as a former CFO, the natural climate solutions market, and solar and carbon capture projects. We explore factors in determining good locations for forest carbon projects, balancing carbon projects with timber operations, growing recognition and demand for nature-based solutions, particularly among tech companies, technological innovations including the potential for innovations in bioengineering and alternative fuels derived from wood fiber, and the potential for significant innovation and capital investment in both nature-based and technological solutions for carbon management in the future. It was our pleasure to host Russell and we greatly enjoyed the discussion. Mike Bradley kicked us off by highlighting that over the last 7-8 trading days, the 10-year bond yield has been stuck in a narrow trading range of ~4.25%. There could be some fireworks in the bond market on Friday when the all-important PCE Deflator report drops. WTI price rallied another $3/bbl this past week and pushed WTI price to ~$81/bbl. Global oil demand, rather than supply, seems to be the biggest catalyst to break WTI price out of its recent trading band of $70-$90/bbl. He noted natural gas price has pulled back to ~$2.75/M despite a hot weather outlook and that lower-48 dry gas production has rebounded from a recent trough below 99bcfpd back up to over 101bcfpd, which could prove problematic in reducing the huge current gas storage surplus. Broader markets continue posting new highs as they follow the direction of AI/Tech equities. Broader equities seem to be running on fumes/losing trading momentum as broader market indices (S&P 500 & Nasdaq) still remain technically overbought. Energy was by far the best-performing S&P sector this past week (+4%). He noted YTD performance of Timber Companies, S&P Timber REITs, S&P Materials Sector and REITs Index and rounded out the conversation by highlighting performance (YTD, 1yr, 2yr & 3yr) in EU Carbon Permits. Todd Scruggs flagged the recent bankruptcy of Zachry and subsequent layoffs, highlighting the scale and complexity of industrial projects and the inflationary forces involved (Zachry press release linked here). Thanks again to Russell for joining us and a special thank you to the whole Weyerhaeuser team for their help with making this episode possible. Our b
The IPCC says that we likely need to capture hundreds of gigatons of CO2 if we want to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. So what are we going to do with all that carbon? In this episode, Shayle talks to Julio Friedmann, chief scientist at Carbon Direct. Julio says we will store the vast majority of that CO2. But the markets for using CO2 in things like concrete, fizzy water, and chemicals will play an important role in developing the carbon management economy. Shayle and Julio cover topics like: The roughly 50 carbon capture facilities operating today and how much carbon they capture Why we should recycle carbon at all when we could just store it Current uses for CO2, like fizzy water, enhanced oil recovery, and concrete Emerging chemical uses, like jet fuel, ethanol, urea, and methanol Substituting glass and metal with products that use recycled carbon, like polycarbonate and carbon fiber The “over the horizon” stuff, like making space elevators from graphene Solving the challenge of local opposition to carbon infrastructure Who will pay the green premium for products made with recycled carbon Recommended Resources: Center on Global Energy Policy: Opportunities and Limits of CO2 Recycling in a Circular Carbon Economy: Techno-economics, Critical Infrastructure Needs, and Policy Priorities Canary Media: US Steel plant in Indiana to host a $150M carbon capture experiment NBC: Biden admin seeks to jumpstart carbon recycling with $100 million in grants Are growing concerns over AI's power demand justified? Join us for our upcoming Transition-AI event featuring three experts with a range of views on how to address the energy needs of hyperscale computing, driven by artificial intelligence. Don't miss this live, virtual event on May 8. Catalyst is supported by Origami Solar. Join Latitude Media's Stephen Lacey and Origami's CEO Gregg Patterson for a live Frontier Forum on May 30th at 1 pm Eastern to discuss Origami's new research on how recycled steel can help reinvigorate the U.S. solar industry. Register for free on Latitude's events page.
Greenwashing & Carbon Management Solutions on the Road to Climate Justice Tanya Nesbitt is a litigator and partner in Thompson Hine's Environmental group and co-leader of the firm's Greenwashing Defense & Litigation practice group. She helps companies navigate current mandatory disclosure rules related to the disclosure of climate-related risks. She also counsels clients on the reputational, litigation, and regulatory risks associated with greenwashing. She is a frequent speaker and author on litigation related to greenwashing and its implications for companies' ESG goals. In this episode, Tanya is joined by Dr. Christian Braneon, formerly of Carbon Direct, to discuss how greenwashing can serve as a hurdle to achieving climate justice in the carbon management sector. Their discussion includes mitigation strategies and how technology can both harm and assist efforts to reduce the prevalence of greenwashing.
The World Economic Forum held its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, last week, bringing together leaders from business, finance, politics, academia and culture. Regular Energy Gang guest Dr Melissa Lott was there, talking about one of the meeting's central themes: long-term strategies for the climate, nature and energy. On this week's show, she shares with host Ed Crooks and guest Julio Friedmann – who's chief scientist at the carbon management company Carbon Direct – what she learned there. The role of artificial intelligence was, inevitably, high on the agenda there, with some people arguing that it will turn out to be one of the most transformational innovations in human history. The world of energy is already being changed by AI, and the gang discuss how wide-reaching the effects could be.Julio recently co-authored a report titled the “Artificial Intelligence for Climate Change Mitigation Roadmap”, looking at all the different ways that AI could change supply and demand for energy and so have an impact on greenhouse gas emissions. The gang discussed this issue last year, when Ed took the sceptical view. He suggested the latest iterations of AI such as ChatGPT, known as large language models, could have huge implications for knowledge industries such as journalism or law, but were unlikely to make much difference to energy, which requires working with large volumes of particles, whether molecules or electrons.Julio disagrees, and he explains what he thinks are the important positive impacts that AI could have on energy and the climate, for example in managing complex systems such as road traffic and power grids, and in developing new materials.The gang then discuss some of the other questions that came up at Davos, and ask what these gatherings mean for the rest of the world.And finally, extreme weather in the US has again been in the headlines. Extreme cold gripped much of the country, and snow fell as far south as Mississippi and Louisiana. Has Texas learned the lessons from Winters Storm Uri in 2021, when blackouts lasted for days and hundreds died? How stable is the grid these days? And what are we learning about managing the risks created by climate change?For more information head to woodmac.com/podcasts. You can read Julio Friedmann's report on AI here: https://www.icef.go.jp/roadmap/.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Plants capture hundreds of gigatons of carbon every year in timber, crops, and other forms of biomass. Much of that carbon gets released back into the atmosphere through natural processes and human intervention. But there are a few ways that we can lock it away for good, like biochar, bio-oil, and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, or BECCS — all processes that fall under the umbrella of biomass carbon removal. The International Panel on Climate Change calls carbon removal “unavoidable” — and biomass is a leading carbon removal contender. But everyone wants a slice of the biomass pie. Airlines want it for jet fuel. Midwestern legislators want it for ethanol. Homebuilders want it for construction. Oh, and humans want it for food. By 2050 potential demand for biomass could far outstrip supply. So what kinds of biomass should we use for carbon removal — and where should we get that biomass from? In this episode, Shayle talks with Dr. Bodie Cabiyo, senior forest scientist at climate science consultancy Carbon Direct and lead author of A Buyer's Guide to Sustainable Biomass Sourcing for Carbon Dioxide Removal. They talk about topics like: How carbon removal is already competing with other uses for biomass. The complicated question of what counts as “waste,” which some BECCS companies are using to claim carbon reductions. Principles for sustainably sourcing biomass for carbon removal, like tracing chain of custody and avoiding market distortions. The environmental and carbon math tradeoffs involved in different sources of biomass. What Shayle would do with biomass if he were an omnipotent global leader. Recommended Resources: Carbon Direct: A Buyer's Guide to Sustainable Biomass Sourcing for Carbon Dioxide Removal Catalyst: From biowaste to ‘biogold' Energy Transitions Commission: Bioresources within a Net-Zero Emissions Economy: Making a Sustainable Approach Possible Sign up for Latitude Media's Frontier Forum on January 31, featuring Crux CEO Alfred Johnson, who will break down the budding market for clean energy tax credits. We'll dissect current transactions and pricing, compare buyer and seller expectations, and look at where the market is headed in 2024. Catalyst is supported by Antenna Group. For 25 years, Antenna has partnered with leading clean-economy innovators to build their brands and accelerate business growth. If you're a startup, investor, enterprise or innovation ecosystem that's creating positive change, Antenna is ready to power your impact. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more. Catalyst is brought to you by Atmos Financial. Atmos is revolutionizing finance by leveraging your deposits to exclusively fund decarbonization solutions, like residential solar and electrification. FDIC-insured with market-leading savings rates, cash-back checking, and zero fees. Get an account in minutes at joinatmos.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
In January of 2023, a headline from Boston Consulting Group read: The voluntary carbon market [VCM] is thriving. Their evidence? A 4-fold increase in the value of the market in the course of a year, to a valuation over $2 billion USD and growing. Nine months later, Reuters headlined a very different take: Carbon credit market confidence ebbs as big names retreat, citing the first dip in the number of credits used by companies in at least 7 years. What was causing such rapid growth in the VCM? What caused the decline? And, what is the chance of the VCM recovering? In the final episode of our 3 part examination of VCMs, we take a look at how these markets have evolved in terms of their growth and their efficacy, how they are operating right now, and what their future could look like. To shape our conversation, we are joined by a group of VCM buyers, sellers, consultants and skeptics: Katie Sierks (Microsoft), Laura Zapata (Clearloop), Dr. Colin McCormick and Alex Dolginow (Carbon Direct), and Dr. Joe Romm (Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media).Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.Contact us at contact@climatenow.comVisit our website for all of our content and sources for each episode.
Averting the worst impacts of climate change requires rapidly reducing carbon emissions across all sectors. This is particularly challenging for some so-called “hard-to-abate” sectors like cement and steel manufacturing. Carbon management – which includes carbon transport; carbon utilization and storage; direct air capture; and point source carbon capture – seeks to trap or remove carbon emissions where they can't be easily avoided. Recent policies like the Inflation Reduction Act have given these technologies a boost. But major questions remain regarding their feasibility, cost, and scalability. As the climate crisis unfolds, these questions urgently need answers. What is the role for carbon management in the energy transition? Who should be responsible for deploying these technologies? And can they be scaled quickly enough to play a role in meeting the world's climate goals? This week host Jason Bordoff talks with Dr. Julio Friedmann about the basics of carbon management and the regulatory landscape for this sector. Julio is the chief scientist at Carbon Direct, a consulting and investment firm focused on carbon management and carbon removal solutions. He served as principal deputy assistant secretary for the Department of Energy from 2013 to 2016, where he was responsible for the Department's research and development program across a variety of energy technologies. Until recently, Julio was a senior research scholar at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy.
Biomass burial is a CDR methodology that we haven't yet dug into on our show. Compared to some CDR techniques, biomass burial is a surprisingly simple approach. It involves burying wood trimmings underground to prevent decomposition and thus, the release of carbon back into the atmosphere. Our guests today are Ning Zeng, a professor at the University of Maryland and founder of Carbon Lockdown, and Daniel Sanchez, chief scientist for biomass carbon removal and storage at Carbon Direct. They are both developing this methodology which attempts to take advantage of nature's ability to capture CO2 in trees. By creating wood vaults in a underground oxygen-free environment - they aim to preserve carbon for potentially thousands of years. This method has begun to garner attention from investors, offset marketplaces like Puro, and the media. On this episode we'll explore the science behind biomass burial, its potential impact on reducing atmospheric CO2, and how it fits into the larger CDR portfolio. On This Episode Ning Zeng Daniel Sanchez Radhika Moolgavkar Resources Carbon Lockdown Ning's academic work on Wood Vault approach Puro listing for Carbon Lockdown Potomac project Greenbiz article about woody biomass burial Implementation Guidance Connect with Nori Nori Nori's Twitter Nori's other podcast Reversing Climate Change Nori's CDR meme twitter account --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support
In this episode of RPM, we're continuing our conversation about the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). More than a year out from the Act's passing, details of the tax laws and mechanisms for deployment are being finalized. Joining co-host Maribel Yoo to revisit this topic is Bhavika Vyas, managing director and member of the responsible investment team at StepStone and special guest Julio Friedmann, Chief Scientist at Carbon Direct. Our guests cover: A refresher on IRA (01:32); Projects awaiting clarification (04:00); Political durability (11:00) Global landscape and the effects of the IRA (15:35); and Investment opportunity remains (20:00) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dr. Matthew Potts of Carbon Direct joins Ryan Fan, Managing Director and Vice Chair, Global Markets to discuss a new criteria for high quality carbon dioxide removal (CDR). They explore the current challenges facing CDR, and how the common set of shared principles can help project developers and purchasers scale the CDR market.
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
Danan Margason is Chief Product Officer at Carbon Direct - a company offering science-backed carbon management solutions for businesses committed to reducing their carbon footprint. In this episode, we explore carbon capture, the carbon credit market, and how Carbon Direct balances profit and environmental impact. You'll learn about the differences between nature and engineering-based carbon capture, the challenges in measuring CO2, and why many carbon offsets fall short. This episode is perfect for anyone curious about carbon credits or looking to make a meaningful impact on their company's environmental footprint. Don't miss out on this insightful discussion - subscribe and listen on your favorite podcast app today. Check out https://climatemayhem.com/danan for show notes. Connect with Ty Wolfe-Jones and Jakub Kubicka With Ty Wolfe-Jones on LinkedIn With Ty Wolfe-Jones on Twitter With Jakub Kubicka on LinkedIn With Jakub Kubicka on Twitter Subscribe to Climate Mayhem On any podcast platform Read all show notes at climatemayhem.com Ask a question or suggest a topic on our What-The-Climate Listener Mail Form
Danan Margason is Chief Product Officer at Carbon Direct - a company offering science-backed carbon management solutions for businesses committed to reducing their carbon footprint. In this episode, we explore carbon capture, the carbon credit market, and how Carbon Direct balances profit and environmental impact. You'll learn about the differences between nature and engineering-based carbon capture, the challenges in measuring CO2, and why many carbon offsets fall short. This episode is perfect for anyone curious about carbon credits or looking to make a meaningful impact on their company's environmental footprint. Don't miss out on this insightful discussion - subscribe and listen on your favorite podcast app today. Check out https://climatemayhem.com/danan for show notes. Connect with Ty Wolfe-Jones and Jakub Kubicka With Ty Wolfe-Jones on LinkedIn With Ty Wolfe-Jones on Twitter With Jakub Kubicka on LinkedIn With Jakub Kubicka on Twitter Subscribe to Climate Mayhem On any podcast platform Read all show notes at climatemayhem.com Ask a question or suggest a topic on our What-The-Climate Listener Mail Form
In this episode of RPM, Bhavika Vyas, managing director and member of the Responsible Investing Team, as well as special guest Julio Friedmann, chief scientist at Carbon Direct, join co-host Maribel Yoo to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). They cover: An overview of the IRA (00:32); Scope and impact (06:51); Transforming business models (10:14) Considerations for investors (17:18); and Future policies and regulation (26:15) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Haber-Bosch process, which turns nitrogen and hydrogen into ammonia, produces an essential ingredient in fertilizers and explosives. But it's responsible for 2% of global emissions. Ammonia could become an important low-carbon fuel, because when combusted it emits no carbon. We could use it in ships, heavy industry and even mixed in with coal or gas in power plants. So what's keeping us from using it as a new low-carbon fuel? And why would you use it instead of hydrogen, which you already need to make ammonia? In this episode, Shayle talks to Julio Friedmann, chief scientist at Carbon Direct. Julio and a team of colleagues just co-authored a report on low-carbon ammonia for the Innovation for Cool Earth Forum. They cover topics like: Why some countries like Japan, Singapore and Korea are especially interested in developing ammonia infrastructure. How ammonia compares to other low-carbon fuels like methanol and hydrogen. How we would need to retrofit coal and gas power plants to co-fire with ammonia Addressing ammonia's corrosion and toxicity issues. The areas that need more research, such as ammonia's impact on air quality and radiative forcing. Key constraints like human capital and infrastructure. Recommended Resources: Innovation for Cool Earth Forum: Low-Carbon Ammonia Roadmap Canary: Watch this TED talk to get up to speed on green ammonia and shipping Canary: The race is on to build the world's first ammonia-powered ship Chemical & Engineering News: Will Japan run on ammonia? Full transcript here. Catalyst is a co-production of Post Script Media and Canary Media. Catalyst is supported by Antenna Group. For 25 years, Antenna has partnered with leading clean-economy innovators to build their brands and accelerate business growth. If you're a startup, investor, enterprise, or innovation ecosystem that's creating positive change, Antenna is ready to power your impact. Visit antennagroup.com to learn more.
This is the final week of our listener survey. Fill it out for a chance to win a $100 Patagonia gift card. And don't forget to donate to Canary Media to support in-depth journalism on the energy transition! In the last year, venture investments in carbon removal have doubled. Top tech companies are buying credits or taking equity stakes in cutting-edge projects to pull carbon out of the air and oceans. And it's not just propellerheads who are talking to themselves about the technology – a new wave of young talent is taking notice. Was 2023 the breakout year for engineered carbon removal? “We were all holed up in Covid lockdown. And we get out and suddenly everybody's like ‘talk to me about carbon,' says Julio Friedmann, the chief scientist at Carbon Direct. This week: the state of carbon removal. There is no way we can hit net-zero emissions without stripping lots of carbon out of the air. We'll hear from Julio Friedmann about the scientific urgency, tech advancements, and barriers to scale. And we'll hear from Microsoft's Rafael Broze about how the company is investing in the carbon-removal space. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The energy that powers global supply chains is also the biggest source of carbon emissions on our planet. But what exactly does that mean? In today's episode Deborah works to demystify the relationship between energy and carbon in supply chains with Sandra MacQuillan, chief supply chain officer at Mondelez International, Dr. Julio Friedmann, chief scientist at Carbon Direct, and Nalin Agarwal, co-founder of Climate Collective. Research manager Shelby Newsome also joins Deborah to share how digital threads could help decarbonize supply chains along with a few case studies of companies currently using them. SHOW NOTES: Sandra MacQuillan Mondelēz International Dr. Julio Friedmann Carbon Direct Nalin Agarwal Climate Collective Building resilient supply chains for the European energy transition Apple calls on global supply chain to decarbonize by 2030 'Clean Energy Charging' is coming to iPhones this year The wasted potential of garbage dumps Africa's access to universal electricity Zara party dresses made from CO2 AIR Vodka Aether Diamonds Microsoft will be carbon negative by 2030 Trimble Back to Source: Defining and Implementing Digital Threads Jaguar Land Rover x...
Jon has over 15 years of experience in energy investing and project finance. Prior to launching Carbon Direct, he was the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of BBL Commodities, a commodity hedge fund. Jon started his career at J. Aron, the commodities division of Goldman Sachs where he managed a large proprietary trading book across global macro markets with an emphasis on commodities. Jon was then a partner at Glencore, managing the firm's US derivative business prior to its IPO.Jon's focus on climate change and negative emissions extends to his work at Columbia University where he sits on the board of the Center on Global Energy Policy. He has been a lecturer on energy issues at the university and helps steer the Carbon Dioxide Management program. He is also an advisor to Lawrence Livermore National Lab on negative emissions.Jonathan joins me today to discuss the combination of advising and investing and how you put those two pieces together. Also, what skills are needed in the climate space. We talked about the impact of the new law, the IRA, what he thinks of voluntary carbon credits. Finally we chat about some of the biggest challenges in building the company.“Our approach has always been that for carbon management to scale, and that's ultimately the goal of our firm is to enable a vibrant carbon management ecosystem.“ - Johnathan GoldbergToday on Startups for Good we cover:Carbon Management IndustryBusiness opportunities in climate techManaging conflicts between regulatory and commercial interestsFuture of carbon credit disclosuresThe importance of aviation fuelWhat's missing in CFO type skills in early stage companiesTo learn more about Carbon Direct on their websiteSubscribe, Rate & Share Your Favorite Episodes!Thanks for tuning into today's episode of Startups For Good with your host, Miles Lasater. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a rating and review on your favorite podcast listening app.Don't forget to visit our website, connect with Miles on Twitter or LinkedIn, and share your favorite episodes across social media. For more information about Purpose Built visit our website.
Raciel Castillo is the perfect model of a tech startup founder focused on the future with optimism and positivity. His startup, RC Technologies, tackles climate change by deploying carbon direct air capture once carbon was released into the air. You can find and connect with Raciel Castillo here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raciel-castillo-941278212/ RC Technologies website: https://www.rctechnologies.co/ Raciel's views are enlightening and show a perspective where the future is bright when it comes to climate change solutions. Sustainability is part of the needs humanity has right now in order to survive on this Earth for many generations to come. Carbon removal is possible and there are more and more players who want to turn our future into a sustainable, breathable, green & happy one. Listen to this episode from the podcast series Startup Stories and let yourself inspired. Please help Raciel and his company get enough attention and traction to start deploying their awesome technology and be part of the essential carbon removal endeavor. Companies can hire RT Technologies starting right now. Full disclosure! This episode was not planned but was created through serendipity. Enjoy! With empathy and gratitude for your continual growth and development! Dr. Cristina Imre - Executive Coach & Mentor for Founders and Executives at Quantum Wins (Founder Coaching, CEO Coaching, Executive Coaching) ~ I am here to enable purpose-driven change-makers to move this world forward with their vision! ***Leave a review on Apple Podcast and tag me on Instagram @cristinaimre or LinkedIn to thank you personally. ---------------- With empathy and gratitude for your continual growth and development! Dr. Cristina Imre - The Founder Coach Executive Coach & Mentor for Tech Founders, Value-Driven Entrepreneurs, and Executives at Quantum Wins (Founder Coaching, CEO Coaching, Executive Coaching) ~ I am here to enable purpose-driven change-makers to move this world forward with their vision! ★☆★OFFICIAL WEBSITE ★☆★ https://quantumwins.life ★☆★CRISTINA'S BIO ★☆★ https://quantumwins.life/about-cristina-imre ★☆★CONNECT WITH CRISTINA ON SOCIAL MEDIA ★☆★ YouTube Instagram Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Linktr.ee
We're joined by Jonathan Goldberg, founder and CEO of Carbon Direct, a company at the forefront of scaling carbon management and the negative emission industry. Jonathan's diverse career, from trading at Goldman Sachs to founding a commodity hedge fund to becoming a partner at Glencore, gives him a unique perspective on the future of energy, particularly at this moment in history as we transition to the clean economy. As America's big businesses work to lower emissions and achieve carbon neutrality, companies like Carbon Direct are playing a massive role in this increasingly net neutral world. Listen to the conversation to get the fully story! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week we spoke to Jonathan Goldberg, CEO and Founder of Caron Direct, to discuss both the investment and carbon management aspects of climate impact. Listen to hear the role financial institutions and governments can play in accelerating climate impact and learn about the future of the Voluntary Carbon Market. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nyu-svs/support
On the path to net zero, carbon credits are a critical instrument in a broad toolkit to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Some say carbon credits should, first, go to nature-based solutions to protect biodiversity before investing in industrial carbon reductions or removals. Our experts discuss the opportunities – and complexities – within carbon markets. Guests: Andreas Aepli, CFO of Climeworks (Climeworks' CO2 storage partner: Carbfix); Jonathan Goldberg, CEO and founder of Carbon Direct; Richard Tarboton, Global Head of Net Zero Strategy, Credit Suisse; Oliver Withers, Global Head of Biodiversity, Global Sustainability, Credit Suisse. Host: James Gifford, Head of Sustainable and Impact Investing Advisory, Credit Suisse. Read more: Treeprint: The Beginning of the Big Carbon Age; Biodiversity: Concepts, themes and challenges.
In the latest episode of the Building Competitive Advantage in a Sustainable World podcast, David Young — BCG Henderson Institute Fellow researching Sustainable Business Model Innovation — interviews Nili Gilbert — Vice-chairwoman of Carbon Direct, Chair of the Investment Committee for the David Rockefeller Fund, Chair of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero Advisory Panel, and Chair for U.S. Policy for the UN Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance. Together, they discuss how asset owners and asset managers are taking collective action to reshape the financial ecosystem and use finance to shape the global economic system, while at the same time creating a unique competitive advantage for themselves. Nili also shares how companies need to go beyond their net-zero pledges by disclosing high-quality interim targets at 5 and 10-year horizons, consistently reporting progress against targets, and demonstrate action towards decarbonization. *** About the BCG Henderson Institute The BCG Henderson Institute is the Boston Consulting Group's think tank, dedicated to exploring and developing valuable new insights from business, technology, economics, and science by embracing the powerful technology of ideas. The Institute engages leaders in provocative discussion and experimentation to expand the boundaries of business theory and practice and to translate innovative ideas from within and beyond business. For more ideas and inspiration, sign up to receive BHI INSIGHTS, our monthly newsletter, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Carbon, offsets, credits…want to know more? Feeling confused? The new episode with James Burbridge of Carbon Direct will help shed a science-based light on this growing market. Carbon Direct was founded in 2019 to drive real climate impact by scaling carbon management through science. They have a deep experience and expertise in carbon science and policy, as well as commercial markets and technology. James Burbridge draws on his experience as an energy markets journalist in China and Singapore, covering the Chinese energy news and Singapore fuel oil markets. In 2015 he moved to North American carbon markets and helped drive the creation and launch of the OPIS Carbon Market Report. James joined the XPRIZE Foundation in 2019, where he designed and pitched the $100M XPRIZE Carbon Removal sponsored by the Elon Musk Foundation. He also worked on the prize operations team of the $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE.
Today's guest is John Dees, Senior Science Analyst at Carbon Direct.Carbon Direct is a science-first carbon management firm that enables organizations around the world to reduce, remove, and monitor their carbon emissions. They combine science, technology, and market expertise to help these organizations take action and reach their climate goals. They're an incredible organization with clients and portfolio companies spanning 28 countries. Now, if you've been a longtime listener of the show, Carbon Direct might be a familiar name. The CEO, Jon Goldberg, and the Chief Scientist, Julio Friedmann, have been guests in the past. We've also talked to Nili Gilbert who's the current Vice Chairwoman even before she worked at Carbon Direct. This episode is great because John Dees comes from a different background. He's in the trenches, living in excel, and working on the life cycle assessments (LCAs) for carbon emissions. In today's episode, we cover:An overview of Carbon Direct and where John sits in their portfolio of servicesProjects that require life cycle assessments (LCAs)How he thinks about climate and how his perspective has evolvedHow John got involved with carbon removalScaling carbon removal to a level that mattersCharacteristics to consider when selecting CDR technologiesBarries holding CDR backThe process behind developing LCAs for different projectsTypes of clients and business drivers for Carbon Direct's LCA servicesThe need for LCA standardization and challenges in doing soTooling for LCAs and blind spotsDifferences in LCAs between small vs. big companies and across sectorsIncentives for a company to care about LCA accuracyFor-profit LCA work vs. non-profit approachesWhen companies should start thinking about tracking LCAsGet connected: Jason JacobsMCJ PodcastMCJ Collective*You can also reach us via email at info@mcjcollective.com, where we encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.Episode recorded August 1, 2022.
Dr. Julio Friedmann is Chief Scientist and Chief Carbon Wrangler at Carbon Direct. He 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 utilisation, and clean coal deployment. More recently, he was a Senior Research Scholar and now a Non--Resident Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University SIPA, where he led the Carbon Management Research Initiative. He has held positions at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, including Chief Energy Technologist, where he worked for 15 years.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 decarbonisation, and carbon capture and sequestration. In addition to close partnerships with many private companies, NGOs, Julio has worked with the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and government agencies foreign and domestic. His expertise also includes oil and gas production, international clean energy engagements, and earth science.Dr. Friedmann received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), followed by a Ph.D. in Geology at the University of Southern California. He worked for five years as a senior research scientist at ExxonMobil, then as a research scientist at the University of Maryland.
Returning for another episode, Dr. Julio Friedmann, Chief Scientist and Chief Carbon Wrangler at Carbon Direct, joins Dominique Barker to uncover the future of carbon capture and removal technologies and the participation of corporates in this space.
Biomass. It's the organic matter in forests, agriculture and trash. You can turn it into electricity, fuel, plastic and more. And you can engineer it to capture extra carbon dioxide and sequester it underground or at the bottom of the ocean. The catch: The world has a finite capacity for biomass production, so every end use competes with another. If done improperly, these end uses could also compete with food production for arable land already in tight supply. So which decarbonization solutions will get a slice of the biomass pie? Which ones should? In this episode, Shayle talks to Julio Friedmann, chief scientist at Carbon Direct. They cover the sources of biomass, everything from municipal solid waste to kelp. They also survey the potential end-uses, such as incineration to generate power, gasification to make hydrogen, and pyrolyzation to make biochar, as well as fuel production in a Fischer-Tropsch process. In a report from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Julio and his co-authors propose a new term called biomass carbon removal and storage, or ‘BiCRS', as a way to describe capturing carbon in biomass and then sequestering it. Startups Charm Industrial and Running Tide are pursuing this approach. Julio and his co-authors think of BiCRS as an alternative pathway to bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS). They then zoom in on a promising source of biomass: waste. Example projects include a ski hill built on an incinerator in Copenhagen and a planned waste-to-hydrogen plant in Lancaster, California. Shayle and Julio also dig into questions like: How to procure and transport biomass, especially biowaste, at scale? How to avoid eco-colonialism, i.e. when wealthy countries exploit the resources of poorer countries to grow biomass without meaningful consent? If everyone wants it, when is biowaste no longer waste? And when there's a shortage of waste—like corn stover, for example—what's the risk of turning to raw feedstocks, like corn? How to pickle trees? (yes, you read that right) Catalyst is brought to you by Arcadia. Arcadia allows innovators, businesses and communities to break the fossil fuel monopoly through its technology platform, Arc. Join Arcadia's mission and find out how you or your business can help turn a fully decarbonized grid into a reality at arcadia.com/catalyst. Catalyst is supported by Advanced Energy Economy. AEE is on the front lines of transforming policy that accelerates the move to 100 percent clean energy and electrified transportation in America. To learn how your business can play a key role in transforming policy and expanding markets, visit aee.net/join.
Ninety-five. That's the number of times we've mentioned hydrogen on The Big Switch over the past 18 episodes. This week, we're taking a step back to ask what IS hydrogen? And how can it help decarbonize the economy? It turns out, there's a whole rainbow of hydrogen fuel – gray hydrogen, blue hydrogen, even pink hydrogen. But the kind of hydrogen that's most important for a net zero future is green hydrogen. It's made with carbon free-electricity, and it could go a long way toward decarbonizing sticky parts of the economy, like industry and shipping. In this episode, we talked to a very musical scientist – Dr. Julio Friedmann, chief scientist and chief carbon wrangler at Carbon Direct, about the promises and challenges of hydrogen. Prepare for lots of singing. Guests: Dr. Julio Friedmann is chief scientist and chief carbon wrangler at Carbon Direct, and non-resident fellow at the Center for Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. The Big Switch is produced by Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy in partnership with Post Script Media. This episode was produced by Alexandria Herr and Daniel Woldorff. Theme music and mixing by Sean Marquand. Story editing by Anne Bailey. A special thanks to Natalie Volk, Kirsten Smith and Kyu Lee. Our executive editor is Stephen Lacey.
Dr. Julio Friedmann, Chief Scientist and Chief Carbon Wrangler at Carbon Direct, joins Dominique Barker for the second episode in our carbon series, with a discussion on the global carbon markets.
Carbon Removal Newsroom, the sister podcast to Reversing Climate Change, was born out of a desire to explore current events in the carbon removal space from a policy perspective. But since the show debuted in early 2019, its production team has evolved and so has our approach to discussing the latest in climate news. Radhika Moolgavkar is Head of Supply and Methodology at Nori and Host of Carbon Removal Newsroom, and Asa Kamer serves as Producer of CRN. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Radhika and Asa join Ross to explain how CRN evolved to focus on the business, policy, and science of carbon removal news and share their favorite episodes from the recent past. Radhika and Asa explore how podcasting facilitates thoughtful public conversations around meaningful issues and describe how a show benefits when its host approaches the subject matter with a beginner's mind. Listen in to understand how CRN stays up on big news in the industry and get Radhika and Asa's take on the future of carbon removal. Connect with Nori Purchase Nori Carbon Removals Nori's website Nori on Twitter Check out our other podcast, Carbon Removal Newsroom Resources Carbon Removal Newsroom Air Miners Carbon180 The Carbon Removal Show Political Climate The Energy Gang Holly Jean Buck Chris Barnard at the American Conservation Coalition Susan Su Jane Zelikova The Boom in Carbon Removal Legislation and Funding on CRN EP045 Noah McQueen of Heirloom on CRN S3EP28 OpenAir's Toby Bryce on CRN S3EP29 Chan-Zuckerburg Initiative Invests $44M in Carbon Removal on CRN S3EP30 Ocean-Based Carbon Removal on CRN S3EP32 Ton-Year Accounting with Carbon Direct on CRN S3EP31 Eight DAC Companies to Watch in 2022 on CRN S3EP27 Forest Carbon Over-Crediting on CRN S3EP21 Climate Reparations on CRN S3EP26 Carbon Removal Memes on Instagram Carbon Removal Memes for Climate Restorative Teens on Facebook Carbon Removal Memes for Climate Restorative Teens on Twitter OpenAir Collective --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/reversingclimatechange/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reversingclimatechange/support
The CO2 is all around us, can't we just collect and store it safely? Today's guest is Jay Fuhrman. He is a postdoctoral researcher at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Joint Global Change Research Institute. He received his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Virginia in 2021. Jay's research uses integrated assessment models to understand the transitions required for deep climate mitigation, including the large-scale deployment of carbon dioxide removal technologies, their potential side-effects, and co-benefits. — The NTNU Energy Transition Podcast aims to function as a knowledge hub that empowers individuals and organizations in Europe and beyond to tackle climate change and move our global society toward carbon neutrality. New episodes every Thursday. The NTNU Energy Transition Initiative was established to deliver world-leading research on energy transition strategies, to achieve the Paris ambitions in an efficient and realistic way. Every spring we organize the NTNU Energy Conference in Trondheim, Norway. You can find us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and on our webpage. Please reach out by mail to energytransition@ntnu.no.
Do short-term carbon offsets have value? How should their value be calculated for buyers? Last month, the research non-profit CarbonPlan released an analysis of ton-year accounting of carbon offsets. The report examined how ton year accounting works, its limitations, and how it might be improved. The CarbonPlan authors also released a critique of the method used by NCX, an offset seller. NCX issued a response post, and the back-and-forth was a visible surfacing of some of the main issues within offset markets. On March 2nd, NCX announced a $50 million fundraising round from investors including JP Morgan and Marc Benioff, indicating that the uncertainty about offset calculations isn't dampening the enthusiastic corporate interest in voluntary markets. As net-zero plans have proliferated in the last year, the demand for voluntary offsets has grown, as has predicted future demand. However, while corporations and governments pledge to remove CO2 to fulfill their climate commitments, climate economists continue to debate some of the most fundamental elements of measuring offset emissions. Earlier this week, Bodie Cabiyo joined his Carbon Direct colleague Alex Dolginow in penning a thorough blog post titled “Accounting for Short-Term Durability in Carbon Offsetting”. In this episode Bodie and his Carbon Direct colleague John Dees joined host Radhika Moolgavkar to discuss ton-year accounting, the challenges of measuring short-term durability in offsets, and the current research into alternatives. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carbonremovalnewsroom/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/carbonremovalnewsroom/support
In this business-focused episode of Carbon Removal Newsroom, we're discussing the major carbontech funding announcements that occurred throughout September, along with the news from Norway's $1.4 trillion sovereign wealth fund that they'll be requiring their portfolio holdings to go net-zero. This episode is hosted by Radhika Moolgavkar, Nori's Head of Supply and Methodology, along with Holly Jean Buck, Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the University at Buffalo. Plus, give a warm welcome to our new co-host for business-focused episodes: Susan Su, partner focused on climate investing at Toba Capital and course creator for Climate Change for VCs, a course and community through terra.do. *** We start the episode by discussing the news from Norway's sovereign fund: with $1.4 trillion of assets, this fund is the world's largest single holder of stocks, and is the latest pool of investment money using its influence to decarbonize the economy. The fund currently holds a position in several of the world's largest oil companies, so achieving ‘net-zero' may necessitate use of carbon offsets and carbon removal. Meanwhile in the carbontech start-up world, the sustainable chemicals company Solugen announced $357 million of new investment in a venture round lead by Singapore's sovereign wealth fund as well as Blackrock, Carbon Direct, and others. Solugen makes chemicals out of sugars, as opposed to the fossil fuel inputs traditionally used by the highly emitting chemical industry. In the future, the company aims to use CO2 as a feedstock, potentially creating a vast new market for CO2 utilization. Also in September, Prometheus Fuels announced a $1.5 billion valuation after a series B funding round led by shipping giant Maersk and BMW. Prometheus aims to sell ‘electro-fuels' by capturing CO2 directly from the atmosphere, mixing it with water, and then using proprietary catalysts and filters to restructure the chemical bonds to create hydrocarbons. They also say their product will be cheaper than fossil fuels very soon. Also, Droneseed's $36 Million A valuation is more evidence that the carbontech space is hot. On September 8th, Swiss company Climeworks held a launch event for their new Direct Air Capture facility named Orca in Hellisheidi, Iceland. Orca is now the world's largest DAC plant and plans to capture and permanently sequester 4000 tons of CO2 per year, and turn it into basaltic rock. Charm Industrial announced the delivery of 1000 tons of permanent carbon removal ahead of schedule using their bio-oil technology. Finally, Holly Buck finishes the episode with a good news story of the week. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/carbonremovalnewsroom/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/carbonremovalnewsroom/support
Many corporations, organizations, and governments have made net zero commitments, and most are leaning on voluntary carbon offsetting to achieve these climate goals. But how can we be sure that such carbon offsets demonstrate a real change in the atmosphere? And how can we approach offsetting in a way that gives rise to an actual net zero society? Eli Mitchell-Larson is a climate researcher and PhD candidate at the University of Oxford and the corresponding author of The Oxford Principles for Net Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting. He also serves as an advisor to Carbon Direct and is helping build a new carbon removal advocacy organization in Europe. On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Eli joins Ross to walk us through Oxford’s four principles, explaining why the guidelines prioritize decarbonizing first and then negating emissions. Eli describes why he advocates for a shift to carbon removal offsetting and long-lived storage, discussing why he believes nature-based solutions are crucial—but may not be appropriate for carbon markets. Listen in to understand the argument of why companies must support the development of net zero aligned offsetting (and what that might look like) and learn how you can get involved in Eli’s burgeoning advocacy organization that serves as a champion for carbon removal. Connect with Ross Purchase Nori Carbon Removals Join Nori's book club on Patreon Nori's website Nori on Facebook Nori on Twitter Nori on Medium Nori on YouTube Subscribe to Nori's newsletter Email podcast@nori.com Check out our other podcast, Carbon Removal Newsroom Resources The Oxford Principles for Net Zero Aligned Carbon Offsetting 2020 ‘Prosets: Making Continued Use of Fossil Fuels Compatible with a Credible Transition to Net Zero’ on Research Square Eli Mitchell-Larson on Twitter Carbon Direct CDR Advocacy Europe CDR Advocacy’s Open Executive Director Role Carbon Takeback Obligation George Monbiot’s 2006 Article on Carbon Offsets United Nations Race to Zero Campaign Silvia Terra The Blue Carbon Initiative Carbon180 Carbon Dioxide Removal Primer --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/reversingclimatechange/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/reversingclimatechange/support