Shows
The CDR Policy ScoopCDR and Credibility: Unpacking reversal rules under Article 6.4 - with Danny CullenwardThe Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM, also known as the Article 6.4 mechanism) is going through another round of public consultations. One key document on the table is the draft standard on non-permanence/reversals, which has sparked a lot of questions.What are the options on the table? What does it mean for different types of carbon removal projects? How are the various documents up for public consultation via the Methodology Expert Panel and the PACM Supervisory Body connected?There is no better person to help with deciphering the content and process than Danny...2025-07-3130 minThe CDR Policy ScoopIs the UK quietly leading the CDR charge? - with Ted Christie-MillerWe’ve covered a lot of CDR policy developments in Europe and across the pond in the United States. But, truth be told, the UK is a bit of a blind spot for us.The UK’s Net-Zero Strategy was one of the first to establish an engineered Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR aka CDR) target. And only days before our scoop, the UK government has confirmed its plan to integrate removals into the UK ETS by 2029, with legislation targeted for 2028.Is the UK quietly and humbly leading the way in CDR? What will it t...2025-07-3028 minThe CDR Policy ScoopCDR Durability: What counts as real climate impact? - with Gabrielle WalkerLike it or not, the “like-for-like” debate in carbon removal isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Conversations around temporary versus durable, conventional versus novel removals are increasingly diverging. Should carbon markets foresee separate roles for these removal types, or strive for a common ground that makes all removals comparable? Is true compatibility even possible?Co-hosts Sebastian Manhart and Eve Tamme are delighted to welcome Gabrielle Walker, co-founder of Rethinking Removals and CUR8, as their guest. Scientist-turned-CDR powerhouse, Gabrielle has a deep understanding and passion for these topics like no other. Join the...2025-07-2329 minThe CDR Policy ScoopThe EU’s first CRCF methodologies: are they good to go?The first methodologies for permanent removals under the EU’s Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming Regulation are being finalised.The European Commission’s 8th Carbon Removal Expert Group meeting, held on 10 July, was dedicated to a draft delegated act on DACCS, BioCCS, and biochar.Does this draft piece of legislation do justice to the CDR methods under consideration? Or does it fall short, and the Commission consultants should be sent back to the drawing board?Join co-hosts Sebastian Manhart and Eve Tamme as they analyse the heated discussions in the expe...2025-07-1627 minThe CDR Policy ScoopCan Germany lead the way on CDR Policy? - with Nadine WalshNot one week passes without news of major developments coming out of Germany: earlier in the year, Europe’s biggest economy became the first country in the world to enshrine a net-zero target (2045) into its constitution.Following the recent election, the ruling coalition then included carbon removal in its coalition treaty. More recently, a line dedicated to CDR was added to the federal budget and rumour has it that large sums of funding could soon be allocated to this as early as 2026.Could Germany become the global powerhouse for CDR? And what will it...2025-07-1128 minThe CDR Policy ScoopEU’s 2040 targets: will CDR hit the bullseye?A day after the European Commission published its legislative proposal for the EU’s 2040 climate target, Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart sat down for a timely session to analyse the proposal.Although the expected 90% net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 (compared to 1990 levels) is the headline target, several key elements in the proposal have elicited strong reactions among stakeholders.And what does it all mean for carbon removal?The CDR Policy Scoop co-hosts cut through the noise and analyse how the proposal could evolve during the upcoming negotiations.2025-07-0427 minThe CDR Policy ScoopSHOWDOWN: Reductions vs Removal Credits - with Renat Heuberger and Marta KrupinskaThis gets to the core of the carbon market debate.Reductions, including avoidance credits, currently account for over 95% of credits in the VCM. Meanwhile, removal credits are rapidly gaining momentum, with $6.5B in purchases to date, outpacing the growth of all other credit types.In the Reductions corner, no less than Renat Heuberger, CEO at Terra Impact Ventures and Founder / former CEO at South Pole, who has been at the forefront of the VCM for nearly two decades.In the Removals corner, the one and only Marta Krupinska, CEO at...2025-07-0138 minThe CDR Policy ScoopGreen Claims Directive: what is happening? - with Elisabeth HardingOne of the world's first regulations to fight corporate greenwashing is on the final stretch. Or is it?The final trilogue, the negotiations between the three EU institutions, was pushed back to June 23rd but was ultimately cancelled. A push by the German government and the conservative EPP group in Parliament has led the policy process off the rails, with the European Commission considering withdrawing its proposal.Critics of the GCD highlight the increased complexity and costs for industry, which is already struggling across Europe. Proponents see it as an essential tool to...2025-06-2729 minThe CDR Policy ScoopAligning the VCM with Government Policy - with Alexia KellyShould the VCM shape or follow government policy?The Voluntary Carbon Market is at a crossroads as governments ramp up climate ambition and explore carbon markets.What would a genuine alignment between VCM and government policy look like? What are the risks and opportunities? How can the VCM support both national and global net-zero goals? To help us dig into these questions and more, we’re thrilled to welcome a leading voice in carbon markets and climate policy, Alexia Kelly from High Tide Foundation.Join as co-hosts Eve...2025-06-2529 minThe CDR Policy ScoopThe world's first durable CDR transaction under the Paris Agreement - with Veronika ElgartThe Paris Agreement's carbon markets could be worth up to $250 billion annually and reduce or remove gigatons of CO2.But how do we operationalise it? How can countries start trading durable removals under the Paris Agreement’s Article 6.2 mechanism?Norway and Switzerland have just agreed on the first durable removals transaction under this framework. For their pilots, planned to be executed pre-2030, they aim to transfer up to 10 Kt of BECCS from Norway and up to 1 Kt of mineralised CO2 from Switzerland.Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart are joined by th...2025-06-2326 minThe CDR Policy ScoopA European CDR Purchasing ProgrammeA European CDR Purchasing Programme for Permanent Carbon Removal?Sounds too good to be true? Well, it may become a reality soon.On May 21st, the European Commission held a dedicated workshop on “A Purchasing Programme for CRCF Permanent Carbon Removal Credits”.As stated in its own excellent pre-read, Europe will need to fund CDR with up to €6 billion by 2030 to achieve its indicative target of 5 Mt/year.But where should this money come from? How should a purchasing programme be designed? And should it fund specific CDR te...2025-05-2926 minThe CDR Policy ScoopPublic Subsidies + Carbon Credits: The winning combo? - with Erik RylanderMany projects want to blend public funding with revenue from voluntary carbon markets as carbon removal scales up.Meanwhile, governments have different approaches to it. And sceptics keep questioning whether it makes sense in the first place - what about additionality, corresponding adjustments, and real climate impact?We’re excited to welcome Erik Rylander, the Head of CDR at Stockholm Exergi, to share his immense experience in innovative funding for their successful BECCS project. We will dig into the real-world lessons from Stockholm Exergi’s journey and explore what policymakers and project developers need...2025-05-2625 min
The Carbon Removal ShowS4 #3 | CDR Policy Deep Dive - Part 2: The Landscape TodayIn the second of our three-part deep dive, we plunge into the murky, acronym-rich depths of carbon removal policy across the UN, the EU, the US and beyond - and we promise to come up for air, eventually.
In this episode:
🧠 Acronyms and Initialisms Aplenty: Consider yourselves warned. This episode contains more letters than a game of Scrabble. Don't worry, it'll be quacking... sorry, cracking.
🌐 The UN – Going Global: We finally (finally!) get to grips with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement - the big hope for creating a global, complian...2025-05-1558 minThe CDR Policy ScoopCan we bank on Canada’s new PM to deliver carbon promises? - with Na'im MerchantAgainst all odds, the Liberal Party just won the Canadian general elections. Mark Carney’s party explicitly campaigned to turn Canada into a global leader in carbon dioxide removal.Canada plans to do so by - among other things - extending its investment tax credit to 2035, supporting a broad range of CDR tech, and introducing dedicated CDR targets for 2035 and 2040.This all sounds incredibly promising. But will Canada be able to realise this ambition?No better person to answer this question than Na'im Merchant, Executive Director of Carbon Removal Canada, an...2025-05-1427 min
The Carbon Removal ShowS4 #2 | CDR Policy Deep Dive - Part 1: From Kyoto to Carbon RemovalWelcome to the first in a Carbon Removal Show three-part policy miniseries! We’re diving into the bureaucratic spaghetti of CDR policy - what it is, why we need it, and why pretending it doesn’t exist is no longer an option. It’ll be fun – we promise.
In this episode:
📜 Policy 101: What do we mean when we talk about carbon removal policy? Tom, Emily and their guests unpack the layers - from global frameworks to national targets, and the many policies themselves that can (hopefully) keep this show on the road.
2025-05-061h 01The CDR Policy ScoopEU ETS: Is this the most important consultation of the year?It's out: the European Commission published a consultation to gather feedback on what the world's largest emission trading system - the EU ETS - should look like after 2031.For carbon removals, integration into the EU ETS represents one of the most promising paths to predictable demand at scale. Whether and how that will happen is still up for debate.A unique opportunity to get involved with such a crucial legislative process from the get-go.Join Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart for a punchy 30-min discussion that dives into the consultation...2025-05-0227 minThe CDR Policy ScoopCO₂: Waste or commodity? - with Rachael MooreAre we scrubbing the smokestacks and skies of a waste gas, or creating a valuable resource for a net-zero world?As carbon management technologies like CCS, CCU, DACCS, and BECCS advance, policymakers and markets are narrowing down on CO₂’s role.In this CDR Policy Scoop, we dive into:What happens if we treat CO₂ only as waste?What is the real potential for CO₂ to be commoditized?How does this debate shape business models, public acceptance, and climate impact?We’re thrilled to welcome seasoned carbon management expert Rachael...2025-04-2827 minThe CDR Policy ScoopCBAM: The carbon removal catalyst? - with Dan MaleskiHow can the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism help scale carbon dioxide removal?Designed to put a price on imported carbon and prevent leakage, but could it also act as a catalyst for scaling CDR?This CDR Scoop cuts through the noise to explore this critical link. We're digging deep to uncover the potential synergies and challenges.To ensure we cover all angles, we're thrilled to welcome leading CBAM expert Dan Maleski from Redshaw Advisors. Get ready for unparalleled insights from someone truly in the know!Join...2025-04-1627 min
The Carbon Removal ShowS4 #1 | Where are we in the CDR story and where are we going?Welcome back to The Carbon Removal Show! We’re kicking off Season 4 with a view from the top - checking in on the state of the carbon removal industry here in the dizzying heights of 2025.
In this episode:
🌍 Where are we now? Durable CDR purchases hit 8 million tonnes in 2024 (a 78% bump from 2023), but 64% of that was Microsoft flexing. Deliveries? Still catching up – and most of it’s biochar.
📉 Caveats, ahoy: Sales are booming, but actual removals are still lagging. The buyer pool is basically a tech giant p...2025-04-1041 minThe CDR Policy ScoopSHOWDOWN: Biochar vs Direct Air Capture - with Martin FreimüllerA fun, interactive, first-of-a-kind live debate with over 1000 attendees signed up.We picked two real heavyweights: DAC, the poster-child of CDR, with over 200 DAC companies founded to date. On the other hand, biochar, responsible for a whopping 84% of all durable CDR deliveries to date.In the DAC corner: Martin Freimüller is the Co-Founder and CEO of Octavia Carbon – the first DAC company in the Global South and fifth largest in the world. He moved his life to Kenya in 2021, upon realising it's the world's best place for DAC.In the...2025-04-0826 minThe CDR Policy ScoopRethinking Net-Zero: Do international credits help or harm?On March 31st, EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra floated various ideas for how Europe’s expected 90% emission reduction target for 2040 could be achieved.One of them: letting EU countries purchase United Nations Article 6 credits to meet EU's 2040 climate target. Similar suggestions are currently being proposed by the upcoming German government.This would require undoing a core principle of Europe’s Climate Law: only European reductions and removals shall count towards climate neutrality.The backlash has been significant, especially in civil society and environmental groups.But could this - wi...2025-04-0424 minThe CDR Policy ScoopSBTi: Step forward or missed opportunity for CDR? - with Robert Höglund8,000 companies have emission reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. Only around 50 of them have so far purchased durable carbon removal.Imagine if all of them purchased CDR? The impact could be >50Mt of demand. Per year. Starting from 2030.On March 18th, the SBTi released the draft net-zero standard 2.0 which marks a potential inflection point. Will it:Drive companies to begin CDR purchases immediately?Keep CDR voluntary until the 2040s?Inadvertently push companies away from SBTi due to concerns about mandatory CDR costs?To make sense of...2025-03-2127 minThe CDR Policy ScoopCORSIA vs ETS: What will actually clean up aviation?Aviation is responsible for almost 1Gt of CO2 emissions, or 2.5% of global emissions. Up to 4% when accounting for non-CO2 climate warming effects. And demand is only going up: 3-4% year-on-year.Aviation is also notoriously hard to decarbonise: most hope is placed on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Given there will always be considerable residual emissions (ICAO: 200Mt-950Mt in 2050), carbon removal is central to aviation’s net-zero aspiration for 2050.From a policy perspective, it is incredibly challenging to regulate, as 61% of aviation emissions are emitted on international flights and only 39% within a single country’s bo...2025-03-1428 minThe CDR Policy ScoopWill the EU need twice as much CDR as expected?Will the EU need 2x as much CDR?The highly anticipated 333-page milestone report on carbon removal by Europe's Scientific Advisory Board has landed, promising to be the most comprehensive analysis of CDR to date. Does this heavyweight report deliver the strategic guidance needed to shape effective EU CDR policy? What other crucial insights does it offer – and more importantly, what might it have missed?Eve and Sebastian delve into the report and share their take.Tune in to find out more.Links:Eve...2025-03-0627 minThe CDR Policy ScoopCDR at DoE is dead... or is it? - with Noah DeichIn February 2025, all probationary contract staff at the Department of Energy were terminated, including the most incredibly talented and experienced people who had turned the U.S. into a CDR powerhouse over the previous years.What does this - alongside the freezing of IRA and BIL funds - mean for CDR in the U.S. moving forward? How will DAC Hubs be affected? What about the Public Procurement Purchase Prize?To make sense of this very difficult and sensitive situation, Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart are joined by the one and only Noah...2025-02-2629 minThe CDR Policy ScoopCDR into the EU ETS: Boom or doom?Emission trading systems (ETS) are often touted as the largest potential source of demand for carbon dioxide removal (CDR), providing a large, predictable market worth billions. The EU ETS is by far the largest and most successful in the world, with its market size around 900 billion EUR and carbon price climbing over 80 EUR/t. 2025 is the time when a lot of decisions to critical questions will need to be answered. From the design of such integration, to a selection of which CDR technologies, to the volume allowed.Eve Tamme and Se...2025-02-1928 minThe CDR Policy ScoopLike-For-Like: The policy silver bullet? - with Robert HöglundIn carbon removal policy circles, three simple words - like-for-like - seem to come up more and more. It is a simple and obvious concept that is actually incredibly complex and misunderstood.Robert Höglund joins Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart in exploring like-for-like as a concept, why it is becoming a core pillar of CDR policy design and what net-zero targets should actually look like.Tune in to find out moreLinks:Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and WebsiteSebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and WebsiteRobert Höglund: LinkedIn, Website an...2025-02-0627 minThe CDR Policy ScoopHow will the EU fund CDR?On January 28th, the European Commission hosted a long-awaited workshop on public funding for permanent CDR. Expectations were high - maybe too high?What came out of it and what is lined up for funding of CDR in Europe? Both Eve (in person) and Sebastian (remote) attended, and are bringing you all the insights you need to know.Tune in to find out moreLinks:Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and WebsiteSebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and WebsiteSebastian’s critique on the report presented during the workshop.Official EU page fo...2025-01-3126 minThe CDR Policy ScoopTrump’s Inauguration: What will happen to CDR in the US? - with Erin BurnsDonald J. Trump has been sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. As soon as he took office, executive orders were signed affecting all areas of the U.S. society and economy, including climate and CDR. Joined by Erin Burns, the Executive Director of the U.S.’ leading CDR nonprofit Carbon180, Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart try to make sense of a dynamic and fragile situation.From the impact on the international stage, to how existing policy successes can be defended, to changes in narrative we might - or maybe abs...2025-01-2327 minThe CDR Policy ScoopOur 2025 CDR Policy PredictionsWhat will be the main themes and developments this year?2025 will likely be the biggest year for CDR policy to date. Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart compared and discussed their top 5 predictions, covering national, regional, and global CDR policy.Tune in to get to know what to look out for in 2025.Show notes:Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and WebsiteSebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2025-01-1528 minThe CDR Policy ScoopThe EU's 2040 Climate Target(s): What to expect?The EU’s 2040 Climate Target(s): hope in difficult times or empty promises?In 2025, the European Union will attempt to formalise a binding target for emission reduction in 2040. This would complement the existing 55% reduction target for 2030 and a climate neutrality target for 2050.As of today, the European Commission plans to recommend an ambitious 90% reduction target for 2040. In the current political landscape, this will be a contested proposal.What about the role of carbon dioxide removal? Will we be seeing the much asked for dedicated durable CDR target? For...2025-01-1529 minThe CDR Policy ScoopCRCF: Did the EU get it right?The CRCF - the gold standard for CDR certification?Some see it as the world's most important CDR policy, others just as an empty shell with no clear impact. In this CDR Policy Scoop, Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart dive into this hot topic they both feel very passionately about.Tune in to hear where it currently stands, what some of the sticking points are, and how it will fit into European climate policy (or not).Find out more:Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and W...2025-01-1529 minThe CDR Policy ScoopUS Election: What does it mean for carbon removal? - with Jason GrilloWhat will the Trump victory mean for CDR?Speculation is rife - is this the end of CDR in the U.S., a blessing in disguise, or simply not that important?In this CDR Policy Scoop, Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart are joined by the one and only Jason Grillo to dig into what this Republican trifecta of control over the White House, House of Congress, and Senate means for CDR – on both federal and state level – and also the implications for the world at large. Find out more:2025-01-1528 minThe CDR Policy ScoopCOP29: CDR’s big moment?Will COP29 be the breakthrough COP for CDR?What a start! Article 6.4 standards were adopted on day 1 of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. What does this actually mean, and what else can we expect?In this CDR Policy Scoop, Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart try to make sense of a topic that has generated a lot of excitement but also raised some serious questions.Find out more:Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and WebsiteSebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and WebsiteParis Agreement Crediting MechanismPACM Standard: Requirements for activities involving removals under the...2025-01-1528 minThe CDR Policy ScoopWelcome to the CDR Policy ScoopThe CDR Policy Scoop, where we unpack carbon removal policy in 30 minutes or less.Punchy, unfiltered, to the point discussions on all hot developments in the sector. Listen in to go several levels deeper and beyond the analysis that you won't find anywhere else. Enjoy.Find out more:Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and WebsiteSebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.2025-01-1404 min
The Carbon Removal ShowExciting news from The Carbon Removal ShowThe Carbon Removal Show team are dusting off our mics, and we have some exciting news!
The biggest of welcomes and ‘thank you’s to our coalition partners: BeZero, Carbon Engineering, Carbonfuture, Carbon Gap, CarbonX, Klarna, MASH Makes, Milkywire, the Negative Emissions Platform, Opna, Patch, Pinwheel, Planboo, ReCarber, Standard Gas Technologies and Supercritical; and to our individual supporters: Sebastian Manhart and Eve Tamme.
To learn more about The Carbon Removal Show, including how to support our...2024-10-2404 min
Carbon ConversationsFixing the Planet with Carrots and Sticks - Climate Policy with Sebastian ManhartSebastian Manhart is a climate advocate, leveraging his skills and experiences to support policymakers in making better decisions for our planet.
He is currently the Senior Policy Advisor of Carbonfuture, the world's leading provider of high-integrity, durable carbon removal. In this role, he focuses on promoting policies to help scale durable carbon removal in Europe, the United States, and beyond.
Sebastian previously spent a decade as a tech entrepreneur, including being Chief Operating Officer at Simprints, the world’s only nonprofit biometrics company. He also advised Angela Merkel’s Chancellery and worked with governments globally through...2024-04-1230 min