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The 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