Carbon Removal Newsroom – Details, episodes & analysis

So much is happening in the world of biochar. It's both a physical product and can also be a more abstract concept called a "carbon removal". How is the industry balancing the divergent business logic of these two different markets, and what challenges and opportunities will it face?

In today's episode of Carbon Removal Newsroom, producer and guest host Asa Kamer interviews Myles Gray, the program director of the US Bicohar Initiative about their 2023 Global Biochar Market Report.

Biochar is responsible for a huge amount of currently delivered durable carbon removals. It's more shovel-ready than other forms of carbon removal, which have much higher CapEx requirements and are betting more on future cost-curves than present deployment. However, some participants in biochar production can face challenges from those concerned about additionality, among other issues.

The discussion covers the production scale, market dynamics, economic challenges, and the growing number of biochar producers, particularly in the Global South. Gray also highlights the importance of high-quality standards, the role of innovative business models, and the need for better market development for physical biochar to help scale the industry globally. Listen in to learn more.

On This Episode

⁠⁠Asa Kamer

Myles Gray

Resources

US Biochar Initiative

USBI's 2023 Global Biochar Market Report

Connect with Nori

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nori⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nori’s X account⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nori’s other podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Reversing Climate Change⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nori’s CDR ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠meme X account

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support

Everyone used to say carbon removal was supply-constrained. Now everyone says it is demand-constrained. So which is it?

Today's show has Dr. Gabrielle Walker, Co-Founder of the carbon removal marketplace CUR8 and the Founder of Rethinking Removals, an NGO working to change the conventional environmental story around CDR. She is hosted by Nori's VP of Supply and Methodology, Radhika Moolgavkar.

Dr. Walker discusses her long history in the climate space, including time spent in carbon capture, and how she works to address questions from corporate buyers.

The conversation covers the importance of portfolios in carbon removal strategies, the necessity of immediate action, and the challenges of gaining local and environmental community support.

Additionally, Dr. Walker delves into major stories in carbon removal for 2024, including the XPRIZE finalists, Europe's policy actions, and private industry investments.

On This Episode

⁠Dr. Gabrielle Walker

⁠⁠Radhika Moolgavkar⁠⁠

Resources

Dr. Walker's LinkedIn

Dr. Walker's Twitter

Rethinking Removals

⁠CUR8

Connect with Nori

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nori⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nori’s X account⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nori’s other podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Reversing Climate Change⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nori’s CDR ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠meme X account

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support

Do carbon removal suppliers and registries have a responsibility in choosing their customers, or in enforcing how their carbon removals are used? Is it better that the money go to carbon removal than alternative uses? What matters, and at which magnitudes?

In today's episode of Carbon Removal Newsroom, host Radhika Moolgavkar, Nori's VP of Supply and Methodology, is joined by her business panelists Susan Su, a venture capitalist at Toba Capital, and Na'im Merchant, the Co-founder and Executive Director of Carbon Removal Canada.

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

On This Episode

⁠⁠⁠Radhika Moolgavkar⁠⁠⁠

Susan Su

Na'im Merchant

Resources

The ETH Zürich report on DAC costs

Robert Höglund's response

Connect with Nori

⁠⁠⁠Nori⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Nori’s X account⁠⁠⁠

Nori’s other podcast ⁠⁠⁠Reversing Climate Change⁠⁠⁠

Nori’s CDR ⁠⁠⁠meme X account

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support

House Republicans launched the Conservative Climate Caucus on Wednesday and it’s already the third-largest caucus in the House with around 60 members. Maine becomes the first state to order public fossil fuel divestment. A new paper in Nature Climate Change looks at the difference between avoidances and removals of CO2 (a more accessible summary of the paper was written for Carbon Brief). There is a proposal at the International Criminal Court to define a new global crime called 'ecocide.' All of this and more, discussed in this week’s episode of Carbon Removal Newsroom.

Host Radhika Moolgavkar of Nori is joined by panelists Dr. Holly Jean Buck of the University at Buffalo and Chris Barnard of the American Conservation Coalition for this episode.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support

Dr. Holly Jean Buck of the University at Buffalo and Chris Barnard of the American Conservation Coalition are back with host Radhika Moolgavkar of Nori for another episode of Carbon Removal Newsroom!

This week, our panelists examine the federal budget’s climate change and carbon removal proposals and connect the dots between the budget and the infrastructure bill. We also address the G7 Summit, discussing concerns around whether G7 leaders are doing enough, and pondering why there is no end date for coal. Our panelists look at clean energy standards and President Biden’s suspension of new oil and gas drilling leases on federal lands, then discuss the early heatwave and strained grid in Texas. As always, we conclude the episode with an uplifting environmental win— restored protections to the Tongass National Park in Alaska.

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In this episode of Carbon Removal Newsroom, our panelists look at the benefits and risks of nuclear power, attempting to find where the balance should lie between necessary safety precautions and overburdensome regulations. We address the grim accomplishment of the highest recorded levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere— 419 parts per million— and the real-world impacts of changes in the climate. With much of the west in drought, farmers and fish are competing for limited resources, and water rights along the Colorado River are under debate. We discuss the emergence of rare climate bipartisanship on carbon storage bills, and round out the episode with a positive story of the week.

Panelists Dr. Holly Jean Buck of the University at Buffalo and Chris Barnard of the American Conservation Coalition join host Radhika Moolgavkar of Nori for this episode.

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support

This episode of Carbon Removal Newsroom addresses the recent news in oil and gas including a court order for Royal Dutch Shell to sharply cut greenhouse gas emissions from all of its global operations, and a vote from Chevron’s shareholders telling the company to reduce its own emissions and the emissions produced by customers who burn its oil and gasoline. Our panelists also discuss how nature-based solutions can help bridge the gap between political parties, and reflect on the film Kiss the Ground while looking at how soil can heal the earth and mend political divisions. We are joined by special guest panelist Quill Robinson, Vice President of Government Affairs at the American Conservation Coalition, alongside returning panelist Holly Jean Buck of the University at Buffalo and host Radhika Moolgavkar, Nori’s Head of Supply and Methodology. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/carbonremovalnewsroom/support

Carbon180 released a new report, "Zero, Then Negative: The Congressional Blueprint for Scaling Carbon Removal," and this week on Carbon Removal Newsroom, our panelists dive into some of the report's details! Nori's Head of Methodology, Radhika Moolgavkar, hosts guest panelists Ugbaad Kosar, Deputy Director of Policy at Carbon180, and Lucia Simonelli, Senior Policy Fellow specializing in Direct Air Capture at Carbon 180. Returning panelists Dr. Holly Jean Buck of the University at Buffalo and Chris Barnard of the American Conservation Coalition also join in with questions and thoughts on the report. 

The discussion covers how direct air capture facilities might scale up, how a federal land link program could solve succession problems in farming, the role that prizes have played in human history and how they can be advantageous in the climate space, and why not every climate solution is appropriate in every place. Our guest panelists also describe their ideal three-course meal of carbon removal solutions and explain how tech and land-based solutions can work together to help society reach its climate goals. 

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This week on the Carbon Removal Newsroom podcast, Nori's Head of Methodology Radhika Moolgavkar hosts Dr. Holly Jean Buck of the University of Buffalo, and the Director of Sustainability at Bushel, Allison Nepveux. They discuss the Colonial Pipeline hack, how we can extract ourselves from our fossil fuel dependency, the impact of agricultural financing and crop insurance, and we hear some pushback on the Growing Climate Solutions Act.

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Today's bonus episode of the Carbon Removal Newsroom podcast has host and Nori's head of supply and methodology, Radhika Moolgavkar, chat with her old friend and sustainability advocate, Shasta Smith, about climate and environmental policy in Washington state. They discuss the new cap and trade bill that recently passed and former state climate and carbon bills, and some of the general ideas and concerns that relate to this legislation.

Some of the bills mentioned:

• Affordable housing bill - HB 1220
• GMA that did not pass - HB 1099
• Cap and Trade - SB 5126
• Carbon Tax - SB 5372

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