CDR Association Interview - Carbon Business Council

'Unbound Showcase' is a globe-spanning series of interviews with pioneers of carbon dioxide removal (CDR). We’re questioning innovators, business leaders, policymakers, academics, buyers and investors taking on the challenge of our lifetime - gigaton-scale carbon removal from the earth's atmosphere.

Today’s interview is with Ben Rubin , Founder of the Carbon Business Council .

“What is the Carbon Business Council?”

The Carbon Business Council is a coalition of more than 100 companies across six continents unified to restore the climate responsibly. We’re working together to make a gigaton-scale impact. 

The Carbon Business Council comprises leading carbon removal growth companies working to reverse climate change. Our companies are diverse in their approach but united in their resolve to create a safer and more prosperous world. Together, we serve as a resource for our members, lawmakers, the energy industry, and the environmental community to advocate for the responsible growth of the carbon removal and management industry.

"What initially inspired you to create the Carbon Business Council?”

The Carbon Business Council is driven by a core belief that a rising tide lifts all ships as we work to reach gigaton-scale carbon removal. By fostering collaboration among companies, we can maximize our impact to advocate for carbon removal policies, spur more investment, and create opportunities. The rapid growth of our coalition is a signal of how much the carbon removal community values this collaboration. I’m especially energized by the entrepreneurial spirit of our coalition. Entrepreneurs have a long history of solving big challenges from the printing press to penicillin. The Carbon Business Council is an association of today’s innovators who are leading the charge to restore our climate.

"What are some of the most exciting future trends or breakthroughs you anticipate for the carbon removal industry in the coming years?"

We have a lot to look forward to as carbon removal scales from where it is today to the gigatons of removals that are needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. The conversations about the co-benefits of carbon removal are especially exciting. Carbon removal does the important work of taking CO2 out of the atmosphere, but it also offers so much more. From local community benefits from where projects are located to wide-ranging ecological benefits, we’ll hear much more about co-benefits in the months and years ahead. The Carbon Business Council is tech-neutral because we believe a level playing field will lead to game-changing breakthroughs. Expect to see innovations that lower the cost of existing forms of removals and new novel carbon removals scaling. 

While the science is clear that carbon removal is crucial, the science is also clear that removals must work in tandem with the important work of reducing emissions. I think we’ll see a trend of more twin targets being set in net zero pledges – so there is clarity about the amount of emissions being reduced and removed.  

"How can the CBC help bridge the gap between the vast funding required for carbon removal and the current investment landscape?"

Investment in carbon removal is scaling rapidly, but more investment is needed. Support for carbon removal is important from both the public and private sectors. As a coalition, the Carbon Business Council has been able to convene and facilitate crucial dialogues with buyers and investors about what can be done to accelerate the removals market. We help educate buyers, investors, and others about how to engage in carbon removal. 

On the policy front, we also advocate for increased support for carbon removal. Stay tuned for a publication we’ll be releasing soon about how demand-side policies, like government procurement of removals, can help to scale removals and unlock more private sector capital. 

"Decarbonization requires a multi-pronged approach. How is the Carbon Business Council facilitating collaboration between the private sector, policymakers, and research institutions?"

The Carbon Business Council represents a deep network including carbon removal suppliers, carbon removal buyers, marketplaces, investors, nonprofits, academics, and more. Our policy working groups convene leading companies with academics, nonprofits, and other key parties. Facilitating conversations and bringing people together at conferences like Carbon Unbound also helps to facilitate this multi-pronged approach. We’re excited to see so much collaboration taking place in the sector, and our coalition is honoured to serve as a convenor. 

“What, from an industry perspective, should we be aware of in the next 18 months to see the scale necessary to hit 2030 targets? It’s just 24 business quarters away.” 

Keep an eye out for more carbon removal purchasing commitments, breakthroughs in carbon removal pathways, new policies, and more as we all follow and engage in the journey to gigaton-scale removals.