A new accelerator helping build the innovation pipeline and ecosystem to scale carbon removal in Europe

Episode 20 of The Carbon Curve is with Marian Krüger, co-lead of the Remove Accelerator and Decarbonization Lead for Sus.Lab at ETH Zürich

Let’s hop over the Atlantic and talk about the carbon removal (or CDR) innovation and policy landscape in Europe. The EU is the world’s third largest economy, and it’s well positioned to have a major impact on the future of carbon removal policy and innovation. I wanted to understand Europe's potential in terms of what's in the innovation pipeline, as well as what systemic gaps need to be addressed to make Europe a carbon removal powerhouse.

Today, Na’im speaks to Marian Krüger, co-lead of the Remove Accelerator and Decarbonization Lead for Sus.Lab at ETH Zürich. Remove is a new accelerator program designed to support carbon removal innovators while strengthening the CDR ecosystem.

Sus.Lab or The Sustainability in Business Lab is a “Think and Do Tank” launched by the Chair for Sustainability and Technology at ETH Zürich. The lab was founded in 2016 with a mission to bring sustainability research into the real world through hands-on industry projects. 

The Remove Accelerator (formerly known as Carbon Removal ClimAccelerator before the rebrand) is Europe’s first and only accelerator program purely focused on CDR startups. Originated as a project at ETH Zurich’s Sustainability in Business Lab, the non-profit, non-equity program has supported more than 60 European early-stage CDR startups since its start in 2021 with coaching, expert matchmaking, ecosystem access and non-dilutive capital.

In this episode, Na’im and Marian discuss:

• The carbon removal work at ETH Zürich’s Sustainability in Business Lab

• The genesis and evolution of the Remove Accelerator (previously the Carbon Removal ClimAccelerator)

• Country-level carbon removal policies in the EU and UK

• EU-level policy progress and gaps

Relevant Links:

•  Sus.Lab at ETH Zürich

  • Carbon removal work

  • DemoUpCARMA & DemoUpStorage

• Remove Accelerator

• EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework

• Luxembourg Negative Emissions Tariff

• The L NET Straw Proposal - A Negative Emissions Tariff for Luxembourg and Beyond

• Sweden’s carbon removal strategy 

  • Is Sweden becoming the world leader on BECCS?

• Switzerland’s long term climate strategy 

• UK greenhouse gas removal (GGR) business models 

About Marian Krüger:

Marian Krüger has spent his whole career in impact entrepreneurship. First as a venture developer at the German green utility, Innogy, before founding his own startup, Ucair, to increase photovoltaic yield using drones and AI data analytics. After its acquisition, he went on to join ETH Zurich’s Sustainability in Business Lab as Decarbonization Lead and co-founded and now leads the Remove Accelerator. Marian holds two Masters degrees, one in education and one in behavioral economics and sustainability from the London School of Economics.

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 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.