Why focus on responsible carbon removal deployment?

Episode 36 is with Nikki Batchelor of XPRIZE and Ben Rubin of Carbon Business Council.

Carbon removal can be a force for good - not just in creating lasting climate benefits - but in delivering social, economic, and ecological benefits as well. Indeed, the future of carbon removal depends on that promise playing out. But it isn’t a foregone conclusion that large scale carbon removal is uncompromisingly and unequivocally good for people and planet. As we build this new industry - an intentional approach to its responsible deployment is absolutely necessary. Today, Na’im speaks with Nikki Batchelor and Ben Rubin about the recently launched Carbon Dioxide Removal Responsible Deployment Training (CDR RDT).

In this episode, Na’im, Nikki, and Ben discuss:

• Achievements the Carbon Business Council has made since launch;

• The XPRIZE Carbon Removal Competition and the final stage of the competition;

• Findings from XPRIZE’s Carbon Removal Innovation Landscape and the 2024 Outlook report;

• The meaning and importance of deploying carbon removal responsibly;

• Carbon Business Council’s Responsible Deployment Training program;

• Embedding environmental justice and community engagement approaches into XPRIZE competition criteria;

• The adaption of key principles of the training program to a broader global context;

• The implication of the framework for stakeholders beyond carbon removal tech developers; and

• Upcoming announcements and initiatives from XPRIZE and Carbon Business Council.

Relevant Links:

• Breaking Ground: Guidance for Carbon Removal Companies and Funders on Responsible Project Deployment

• CDR Innovation Landscape and 2024 Outlook

• From the Ground Up: Recommendations for Building an Environmentally Just Carbon Removal Industry

• CDR RDT, A Training Course & Suite of Foundational Resources for the Responsible Deployment of Carbon Removal  

• CDR RDT: Carbon Dioxide Removal Responsible Deployment Trainings

• Responsible & Regional Deployment of Carbon Removal: A Pacific Northwest Symposium

• Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR): Issue Brief

• Sources of opposition to renewable energy projects in the United States

About Nikki:

Nikki Batchelor is the Executive Director for the $100M XPRIZE Carbon Removal, a competition supported by the Musk Foundation to drive innovation, market adoption, and responsible deployment of carbon removal solutions. In this capacity she oversees program operations, develops partnerships, and leads strategic initiatives on topics such as environmental justice and investor engagement, including the Circular Carbon Network that provides market insights for the growing carbon tech and carbon removal sectors. Nikki also supports XPRIZE’s work across the Energy & Climate Domain and previously managed operations and impact programs for the $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE from 2015-2021. She also serves on the Carbon Business Council Board of Directors and Puro.Earth Advisory Board.

About XPRIZE:

XPRIZE is an established global leader in designing, launching, and executing large scale competitions to solve humanity’s greatest challenges. The XPRIZE unique model democratizes innovation by incentivizing crowd-sourced, scientifically viable solutions to create a more equitable and abundant future for all.

About Ben:

Ben Rubin is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Carbon Business Council. Ben serves on the Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee at the U.S. Department of Commerce, a federal appointment position. He is a Research Fellow with the Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal. 

Ben has been advancing climate action throughout his career, leading initiatives for companies, accelerators, governments and nonprofits. His work has galvanized billions of dollars in climate infrastructure funding, passed legislation, and reached hundreds of millions of people through media campaigns.

About Carbon Business Council:

Carbon Business Council (CO2BC), a member-driven and tech-neutral trade association of companies unified to restore the climate, is the preeminent industry voice for carbon management innovators. Together, the nonprofit coalition represents more than 100 companies and organizations across six continents with more than $16.5 billion dollars in combined assets.

This episode was created and published by Na’im Merchant. Episode production and content support provided by Tank Chen.

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 is also a policy fellow with Elemental Excelerator. 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.

Tank Chen is a carbon removal advocate based in Taiwan whose focus is on communicating the importance of CDR to policy makers, corporate leaders, and the broader public through education, communications, and policy advocacy.

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