CARBON REMOVAL WEEKLY SUMMARY (13 NOVEMBER - 19 NOVEMBER 2023)-WEEK#39
Links to recent scientific papers, web posts, upcoming events, job opportunities, podcasts, and event recordings, etc. on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technology.
💸COMMERCIAL NEWS
Frontier buyers sign $47M in offtake agreements with CarbonCapture Inc. and Heirloom (Frontier)
Biden-Harris Administration Invests $444 Million to Strengthen America’s Infrastructure for Permanent Safe Storage of Carbon Dioxide Pollution (ENERGY.GOV)
Deep Sky raises $75M for commercial facility, research, new hires—Carbon removal company aims for industrial-level activity in Quebec (Sustainable Biz)
New Funding ($5M) Puts Rewind on Track to Achieve Gigaton-Scale, Natural Carbon Removal Within This Decade (Street Insider)
Bio-Logical Raises $1M in Seed Funding (Finsmes)
Eion Delivers First Enhanced Rock Weathering Carbon Removal to Stripe (Street Insider)
Drax Partners With Patch To Enhance Carbon Credit Offering (Carbon Herald)
Carbominer Selected For Funding Grant To Implement Direct Air Capture In Agriculture By EIC Accelerator (Carbon Herald)
📝RESEARCH PAPERS
Controversies of carbon dioxide removal
Anderson, K., Buck, H.J., Fuhr, L. et al. (2023). Controversies of carbon dioxide removal. Nat Rev Earth Environ.
Ethanol-treated eggshell-derived sorbents for direct air capture
Cormie, M. J., Arencibia, A., Sanz, R., Sanz-Pérez, E. S., & Erans, M. (2023). Ethanol-treated eggshell-derived sorbents for direct air capture. Journal of CO2 Utilization, 77, 102616.
Beyond emissions trading to a negative carbon economy: A proposed Carbon Removal Obligation and its implementation
Ghaleigh, N. S., Bednar, J., Macinante, J., & Obersteiner, M. (Accepted/In press). Beyond emissions trading to a negative carbon economy: A proposed Carbon Removal Obligation and its implementation. Climate Policy.
Is tree planting an effective strategy for climate change mitigation?
Kirschbaum, M. U., Cowie, A. L., Peñuelas, J., Smith, P., Conant, R. T., Sage, R. F., ... & Robinson, S. A. (2023). Is tree planting an effective strategy for climate change mitigation?. Science of The Total Environment, 168479.
Identifying the Most (Cost-)Efficient Regions for CO2 Removal With Iron Fertilization in the Southern Ocean
Bach, L. T., Tamsitt, V. M., Baldry, K., McGee, J., Laurenceau-Cornec, E. C., Robert, S., ... & Philip, B. (2023). Identifying the most (cost-) efficient regions for CO2 removal with Iron Fertilization in the Southern Ocean. Authorea Preprints.
Legal limits to the use of CO2 removal
Rupert F. Stuart-Smith et al. (2023). Legal limits to the use of CO2 removal.Science382,772-774.
Carbon Sequestration: A Key Strategy for Climate Change Mitigation towards a Sustainable Future
Prajapati, S. K., Choudhary, S., Kumar, V., Dayal, P., Srivastava, R., Gairola, A., & Borate, R. B. (2023). Carbon Sequestration: A Key Strategy for Climate Change Mitigation towards a Sustainable Future, Emrg. Trnd. Clim. Chng. 2(2), 1-14.
Emergent methane mitigation and removal approaches: A review
Mundra, I., & Lockley, A. (2023). Emergent methane mitigation and removal approaches: A review. Atmospheric Environment: X, 100223. (In proofing. Affiliation for Lockley was entered incorrectly; affiliation was formerly BSSC not BSA).
Bad Science and Good Intentions Prevent effective Climate Action
Taylor, G. M., Wadhams, P., Visioni, D., Goreau, T., Field, L., & Kuswanto, H. (2023). Bad science and good intentions prevent effective climate action.
Initial Validation of a Soil-Based Mass-Balance Approach for Empirical Monitoring of Enhanced Rock Weathering Rates
Reershemius, T., Kelland, M. E., Jordan, J. S., Davis, I. R., D’Ascanio, R., Kalderon-Asael, B., ... & Planavsky, N. J. (2023). Initial Validation of a Soil-Based Mass-Balance Approach for Empirical Monitoring of Enhanced Rock Weathering Rates. Environmental Science & Technology.
Air-sea carbon dioxide equilibrium: will it be possible to use seaweeds for carbon removal offsets?
Hurd, C. L., Gattuso, J. P., & Boyd, P. W. (2023). Air‐sea carbon dioxide equilibrium: Will it be possible to use seaweeds for carbon removal offsets?. Journal of Phycology.
Near-term deployment of novel carbon removal to facilitate longer-term deployment
Nemet, G. F., Gidden, M. J., Greene, J., Roberts, C., Lamb, W. F., Minx, J. C., ... & Riahi, K. (2023). Near-term deployment of novel carbon removal to facilitate longer-term deployment. Joule.
Evaluation of CLC as a BECCS technology from tests on woody biomass in an auto-thermal 150-kW pilot unit
Langørgen, Ø., Saanum, I., KHALIL, R., & Haugen, N. E. L. (2023). Evaluation of CLC as a BECCS technology from tests on woody biomass in an auto-thermal 150-kW pilot unit. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 130, 104006.
A potential for climate benign direct air CO2 capture with CO2-driven geothermal utilization and storage (DACCUS)
Leveni, M., & Bielicki, J. (2023). A potential for climate benign direct air CO2 capture with CO2-driven geothermal utilization and storage (DACCUS). Environmental Research Letters.
Ambitious near-term decarbonization and direct air capture deployment in Latin America's net-zero goal
Adun, H., Ampah, J. D., Bamisile, O., Hu, Y., & Staffell, I. (2023). Ambitious near-term decarbonization and direct air capture deployment in Latin America's net-zero goal. Energy for Sustainable Development, 77, 101338.
Global crop production increase by soil organic carbon
Ma, Y., Woolf, D., Fan, M., Qiao, L., Li, R., & Lehmann, J. (2023). Global crop production increase by soil organic carbon. Nature Geoscience, 1-7.
Integrated global assessment of the natural forest carbon potential
Mo, L., Zohner, C. M., Reich, P. B., Liang, J., de Miguel, S., Nabuurs, G. J., ... & Ortiz-Malavasi, E. (2023). Integrated global assessment of the natural forest carbon potential. Nature, 1-10.
Reducing the carbon footprint of buildings using biochar-based bricks and insulating materials: a review
Osman, A. I., Farghali, M., Dong, Y., Kong, J., Yousry, M., Rashwan, A. K., ... & Yap, P. S. (2023). Reducing the carbon footprint of buildings using biochar-based bricks and insulating materials: a review. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 1-34.
A two-fold strategy towards low-carbon concrete
Zunino, F. (2023). A two-fold strategy towards low-carbon concrete. RILEM Technical Letters, 8, 45-58.
Harnessing the Potential of Pigeonpea and Maize Feedstock Biochar for Carbon Sequestration, Energy Generation, and Environmental Sustainability
Kumar, N. V., Sawargaonkar, G., Rani, C. S., Pasumarthi, R., Kale, S., Prakash, T. R., ... & Venkatesh, B. (2023). Harnessing the Potential of Pigeonpea and Maize Feedstock Biochar for Carbon Sequestration, Energy Generation, and Environmental Sustainability.
A machine learning approach for country-level deployment of greenhouse gas removal technologies
Asibor, J. O., Clough, P. T., Nabavi, S. A., & Manovic, V. (2023). A machine learning approach for country-level deployment of greenhouse gas removal technologies. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 130, 103995.
📰WEB POSTS
Is ocean iron fertilization back from the dead as a CO₂ removal tool? (Mongabay)
Air Contactor for “As Passive as Possible”, Methane Powered DAC (Circular Carbon Innovations)
‘Like a 40-metre pizza’: the seaweed farms that could feed us all – at a cost (The Guardian)
Biodiversity and ecosystem services: greenhouse gas removal by forests (GOV.UK)
New technology could capture carbon and water out of thin air (Business Mirror)
Scaling carbon capture and carbon removals does not mean business-as-usual for the fossil fuel industry (Energy Transition Commission)
Cellular Goods subsidiary King Tide Carbon successfully creates kelp-derived biochar (Proactive Investors)
Kenya gears up for direct air capture push in ‘Great Carbon Valley’ (Reuters)
The Lego-like way to get CO2 out of the atmosphere—A company says that it has found a way to remove CO2 from the air for less than $100 per ton (The Washington Post)
UK sued for counting wood burning with carbon capture as ‘negative emissions’ (Euractive)
Plantd Finds First Farmer for Perennial Grass (ProBuilder)
It’s Time to Get Serious About Carbon Removal (Wired)
How to build a robust framework for the certification of high-quality carbon removals? (Carbon Gap)
A Startup Using Crushed Rocks to Capture Carbon Has Delivered Its First Removals (Bloomberg)
Release: Carbon Removals At COP28 Launches Coalition-led Program In Advance Of Dubai Conference (Carbon Removals at COP)
Analysis: why biomass removals credits like biochar are luring investors (Reuters)
Unlocking the challenges of Monitoring, Reporting and Verification in GGR: Insights from CO2RE’s workshop (CO2RE)
Fifth National Climate Assessment, Chapter: Mitigation (NCA5)
The anti-GHG portfolio grows (Terraset)
An Update On Carbon Removal & Direct Air Capture (Breakthrough Energy)
2024+ Durable CDR Market Outlook Survey (cdr.fyi)
NCP Industries And Carbon Limit Make Commercial CCS Concrete Line (Carbon Herald)
The convergence of the voluntary and compliance carbon markets (Illuminem)
📑REPORTS
Activities involving removals under the Article 6.4 mechanism (UNFCCC)
📗THESIS
Biochar: Analysis And Economic Potential With A Focus on European Producers
🧰CDR FIRMS
Groundwork BioAg
High Hopes
Circonomy
📆UPCOMING EVENTS
A New Paradigm for Managing Risk and Quality in the Voluntary Carbon Markets by Cloverly | 20 November 2023
(NEW) Harnessing Nature: Exploring BECCs and BiCARS by Patch | 21 November 2023
Quantifying Biochar Carbon Removal's Global and Country-Level Impact by Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy | 21 November 2023
Need for Speed: The Race to Scaling Carbon Removal Solutions for Business | 22 November 2023
(NEW) Accelerating Development of Research-Based Cleantech in Canada by Innovate Calgary | 22 November 2023
(NEW) Understanding The Science: Why Do We Need Removals? by Carbon Removals @ COP | 28 November 2023
Last NYCDR Happy Hour of 2023!!! by OpenAir and Carbon Business Council | 29 November 2023
CDR Capital Flow Chapter meeting | Zurich Roundtable by Negative Emissions Platform | 23 November and 30 November 2023
Measuring, Reporting and Verifying Soil Carbon Sequestration: Measurement or Modeling? (STC -Webinar) | 27 November 2023
The European Bioenergy Future 2023 (EBF2023) | 28 November - 30 November 2023
MRV for Ocean-Based CDR: Spotlight on CDR Suppliers by Ocean-Climate Solutions Innovation Exchange | 30 November 2023
(NEW) IETA LIVE Carbon Markets - The EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework: a look into the past year and what’s to come | 30 November 2023
Carbon to Value Initiative Year 3 Final Showcase by Greentown Labs | 30 November 2023
(NEW) Assessing Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement as a Climate Solution and Resilience Tool by Carbon Business Council | 02 December 2023
(NEW) Raising The Bar: Delivering High-integrity Carbon Removals for the Voluntary Carbon Market by DraxGroup | 04 December 2023
(NEW) Scaling Durable Carbon Removals: Mapping Global Opportunities and Obligations by Carbo Culture, Puro.earth, Rethinking Removals | 04 December 2023
(NEW) Mobilising Biomass Sustainably for Meeting Global Climate Goals by WBA | 05 December 2023
This Is CDR Epxx: Rewind -- Terrestrial Biomass Sinking in Anoxic Zones by OpenAir Collective | 12 December 2023
CDR Capital Flow Chapter meeting | Paris Roundtable by Negative Emissions Platform | 11 January and 18 January 2024
(NEW) 2024 Call for Proposals—The importance of robust science-based innovation in the drive for rapid implementation by Carbon Technology Research Foundation | 16 January 2023
Science Communication Training on Ocean Carbon Dioxide Removal by Compass | Session 1: 1-2 February 2024, Session 2: 18 February 2024
CDR Capital Flow Chapter meeting | London Roundtable by Negative Emissions Platform | 01 February and 08 February 2024
Biochar 2024: The North American Conference on Climate Action with Biochar for Economic and Ecosystem Resilience by US Biochar Initiative (USBI) | 12-15 February 2024
(NEW) The Leading Carbon Removal Business Summit by Carbon UnboundUSA | 22-23 May 2024
Negative CO₂ Emissions hosted at the University of Oxford by CO₂RE - The Greenhouse Gas Removal Hub, with financial support from UKRI | 18-21 June 2024
💼JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Soil Biogeochemist - Postdoctoral Researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) | Livermore, CA, USA
“We have an opening for a Postdoctoral Researcher to study the interaction between agricultural soil management approaches that promote CO2 drawdown and sustainable water use (enhanced rock weathering, organic amendments, perennial mixtures, agrivoltaics), and their effects on soil carbon cycling. You will be part of a large, multi-disciplinary team investigating soil-based carbon removal through two new LLNL projects, including an LLNL Strategic Initiative grant (‘Farming Carbon’) and a DOE Energy Earthshot Research Center (‘Terraforming Soil’). In this position, you will conduct research across a network of soil field trials, primarily in California. You will conduct field work, measuring mineral weathering through a variety of approaches (isotope mass balance, alkalinity, etc.), soil GHG fluxes, and soil carbon dynamics – especially the response and composition of the mineral-associated organic carbon fraction, analyzing both time and depth-dependent effects. This role will involve collaboration across several academic institutions, as well as growers and land managers overseeing the field trials. This position is in the Environmental Isotope Systems group of the Nuclear and Chemical Sciences Division.”
Postdoctoral Fellowship at Planetary Technologies | Vancouver, British Columbia (Hybrid)
“Planetary Technologies’ vision is to protect and restore the ocean and climate for generations to come. We do this by enhancing the ocean’s natural ability to fight climate change through carbon dioxide removal and storage. Our team combines expertise in ocean science, metallurgy and geochemistry to safely and effectively scale up ocean-based CO2 management solutions. Working collaboratively with all of our stakeholders, we develop a cost effective and sustainable set of tools aimed at protecting and restoring our oceans and climate, ultimately doing carbon dioxide removal and storage at gigatonne scale.”
Postdoc position in weathering geochemistry at The Helmholtz Centre Potsdam – GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences
“We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated postdoctoral researcher with experience in weathering geochemistry to help strengthen the expertise in the section. You will independently lead a project related to the long-term carbon budget of mountain catchments that will exploit time-series of samples of river waters and sediments from different catchments in the Himalaya. You will develop and apply metal isotope tools, in combination with major and trace element geochemistry, to help partition solute sources and draw conclusions about the efficiency of CO2 drawdown by silicate weathering.”
Director of People and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging & Justice (DEIBJ) at Carbon180
“Carbon180 is a new breed of climate NGO on a mission to reverse two centuries of carbon emissions.”
Various Job Openings at Inplanet
“Inplanet works with regenerative agriculture to remove carbon from the atmosphere, for a liveable planet.”
Various Job Openings at CUR8:
“CUR8 build platinum standard portfolios to draw down CO2 from the atmosphere and store it away for over 100 years. We combine the most powerful approaches available to achieve timely, durable drawdown with additional co-benefits.”
Lead Mechanical Engineer at Captur Tower | Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
“Captur Tower is a cutting-edge startup focused on removing CO2 from the atmosphere through Direct Air Capture. Further we develop a DAC technology that seamlessly integrates with existing cooling towers, harnessing industrial infrastructure and waste heat to capture and remove CO2 directly from the atmosphere.”
Associate Marketing & Communications Director at Carbon Gap | EUR, Brussels
“Carbon Gap's mission: Carbon removal, alongside emissions reductions, is absolutely essential to preserving a stable climate. We’re focused on addressing the knowledge, policy, and ambition gaps that are holding us back from a carbon removal ecosystem that delivers real progress on climate change.”
🎙️PODCASTS
Green Futures: Scaling Carbon Removal with Simon Bager of Klimate.co | Carbon Conversations
“Simon Bager is the Co-founder and Chief Impact Officer at Klimate.co. In his role at Klimate, Simon is tasked with overseeing the company's carbon removal offerings. He is instrumental in the development of products tailored for clients and the selection of projects and technologies to engage with. His work involves a collaborative effort with suppliers, partners, and clients to procure the most effective carbon removal projects. These projects are then incorporated into Klimate's carbon removal asset management platform, which is utilized by companies to handle carbon removal credits essential to their sustainability endeavors.”
"Not just sticks of carbon" - how growing trees for the climate must also benefit biodiversity | Radio Davos
“When Professor Tom Crowther published research into the massive potential of trees to absorb more carbon than previously thought, he helped spur the Trillion Trees movement to plant, restore and conserve forests. But it also caused massive debate.
As he publishes updated research, Crowther tells Radio Davos that growing trees must increase biodiversity, and not lead to monoculture plantations, and that it must never be an excuse to slow the drive to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.”
Literally unearthing a climate solution with Cody Finke of Brimstone | How I Built This with Guy Raz
“When it comes to carbon emissions, there’s a major culprit you might not have heard about: cement. The production of cement emits almost as much carbon dioxide as cars do - but Brimstone CEO and co-founder Cody Finke says they’ve found a way to change that.
This week on How I Built This Lab, Cody explains where all that carbon dioxide is coming from, and how swapping out a key ingredient in the production of cement could take it from carbon-intensive … to carbon-negative.”
Carbon removal’s magic number | Zero: The Climate Race
“If reducing emissions from industry is the first step for carbon capture, then drawing down excess CO2 to reverse climate change is the next. This week Akshat speaks to Dr. Jennifer Wilcox, head of the US Department of Energy’s office that is funding two gigantic carbon removal hubs and many small demonstration projects. They talk about why carbon removal is so complicated, crucial, and hitting the magic number $100. This is the second in a two part series about carbon management.”
🎥YOUTUBE VIDEOS
Green Futures: Scaling Carbon Removal with Simon Bager of Klimate.co | Biochar Life
“Simon Bager is the Co-founder and Chief Impact Officer at Klimate.co. In his role at Klimate, Simon is tasked with overseeing the company's carbon removal offerings. He is instrumental in the development of products tailored for clients and the selection of projects and technologies to engage with. His work involves a collaborative effort with suppliers, partners, and clients to procure the most effective carbon removal projects. These projects are then incorporated into Klimate's carbon removal asset management platform, which is utilized by companies to handle carbon removal credits essential to their sustainability endeavors.”
2024 Carbon Removal Challenge Info Session w/ Frontier and RMI! | OpenAir
“This a recording of the first info session/webinar for the 2024 Carbon Removal Challenge!
We started with OpenAir co-founder Matt Parker who will provide an overview of the Challenge, then went over benefits and prizes, and timeline.
Next, we were joined by Frauke Kracke from Frontier and Cara Maesano from RMI to learn more about Frontier's Carbon Removal Knowledge Gaps Database, a new addition to the CRC that will help student's identify areas of need in the carbon removal landscape!
Finally, we a Q&A session with attendees who asked additional questions about the Challenge and the Carbon Removal.”
Living Carbon | InnoVision Awards
Invideo ai 720 Angel Sharks XPRIZE AI for Ocean Carbon 2023 | Angel Sharks XPRIZE Carbon Team
“In this video, I used AI to construct the Angel Sharks XPRIZE CARBON REMOVAL Concept video. I left on all the ISTOCK and STORYBLOCK watermarks to illustrate the power of AI in creating this Video for nearly free in under 10 minutes or 30 minutes of my focus. Actual final Videos will be produced before February 1, 2024 Deadline to give credit to out sponsors as time permits.”
Carbon Unbound: The World's Leading Carbon Dioxide Removal Business Summit | Carbon Unbound
“Summit Mission:One Gigaton of Carbon Removed from Earth’s Atmosphere.
The dust has settled on the inaugural Carbon Unbound Europe summit, which took place in London in October 2023. More than 350 business leaders, scientists, investors, buyers, policymakers, and advocates from across the world of CDR joined to meet the monumental Global Warming threat head-on.”
Climeworks is helping companies get to net zero with its direct air capture technology | New York Stock Exchange
“Climeworks is helping companies get to net zero with its direct air capture technology. CFO Andreas Aepli joins Judy Khan Shaw at the NYSE Tech Summit and shares how its high-quality and integrity standards in carbon removal builds trust in Climeworks' technology.”
Epiphyte "Hello World" Prototype Tour | OpenAir
Third Annual Carbon Dioxide Removal Law & Policy Conference - Session Four | Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy
“This panel delved into the role of international treaty regimes in regulating CDR research and deployment, legal reforms to advance ocean CDR research in U.S. waters, navigating the regulatory landscape for early-stage carbon removal companies and a systematic framework for assessing CDR policies.”
This Is CDR Ep. 87: Vycarb with Dr. Garrett Boudinot, CEO | OpenAir
“OpenAir is excited to present This Is CDR, an online event series that explores the wide range of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) solutions currently being researched, developed, and deployed, and discusses them in the context of CDR policies OpenAir seeks to formulate and advance at every level of government in the U.S., as well as in national and subnational jurisdictions globally.
This week we are pleased to welcome Vycarb Founder and CEO Dr. Garrett Boudinot back to the program to discuss the company's innovative approach to decentralized carbon removal through real-time, autonomous, and direct measurement of CO2 in water.”
Joe Romm: Why DAC Isn't Scalable & Net Zero is a Dangerous Myth | Climate Chat Club
“Climate Chat host Dan Miller interviews climate communications host Joe Romm about his recent white paper, "Why direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS) is not scalable and ‘net zero’ is a dangerous myth" Here is a link to the paper:https://bpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/web.sas.upenn.edu/dist/0/896/files/2023/11/DACCS5.0-11-8-23_RommJ.pdf”
🚨DEADLINES
US Biochar Initiative and International Biochar Initiative recently launched the first annual global biochar survey | Deadline: 28 November 2023
#POLLEN24 – Call for papers on “Political Ecologies of carbon removal, net zero and climate delay” | Deadline to Submit Abstracts: 01 December 2023
Submit abstracts for the International Negative CO2 Emissions Conference until 15 December 2023
Electrochemical Processes for Carbon Dioxide Removal and Long-Term Storage | Manuscript Submission Deadline: 31 January 2024
Extension: Biogeosciences Special Issue on OAE Environmental Impacts | 31 March 2024
Environmental Research Letter (ERL) - Focus Issue on Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) | Article Submission Deadline: 24 May 2024