The CDR Policy Scoop

In 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 Deich, who initiated and led many of the CDR initiatives the DoE became famous for.

Tune in to find out more.

Links:

• Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and Website
• Sebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website
• Noah Deich: LinkedIn
• Reversing Climate Change Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
• Sebastian’s post about CDR in DoE and follow-up/apology
• X-Prize $100M Prize For Carbon Removal

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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 Sebastian Manhart debate this hot topic where their views don’t always align.

Tune in to find out more.

Links:

• Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and Website
• Sebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website
• Should biochar carbon removal (BCR) be integrated into the EU Emission Trading System?
• Carbon removals in the EU ETS. Good idea? Bad idea?
• Should negative emissions be included in the EU ETS?
• How to include carbon removals in the EU ETS?
• Putting the ‘Net’ in Net Zero: Carbon Removals and the EU Emissions Trading System
• The Balancing Act: Risks and Benefits of Integrating Permanent Carbon Removals into the EU ETS

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In 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 more

Links:

• Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and Website
• Sebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website
• Robert Höglund: LinkedIn, Website and Substack
• Geological Net Zero and the need for disaggregated accounting for carbon sinks
• The hidden risk in net zero targets: why storage durability matters
• How much carbon will we need to remove?

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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 more

Links:

• Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and Website
• Sebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website
• Sebastian’s critique on the report presented during the workshop.
• Official EU page for CDR funding (workshop recording should be uploaded here soon)
• Carbon Gap event on February 18th on CDR Funding in Europe

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Donald 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 absolutely shouldn’t - adopt.

Tune in to find out more.

Links:

• Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and Website
• Sebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website
• Erin Burns: LinkedIn
• Podcast on this topic on Foresight Media
• Analysis on this topic in the Carbonfuture Magazine
• Trump’s executive order on international environmental agreements

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What 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 Website
• Sebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website

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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 the last CDR Policy Scoop of the year, Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart dive into this hot topic, which will likely shape much of 2025’s climate advocacy work in the EU.

Find out more:

• Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and Website
• Sebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website
• EU 2040 Target
• Project Co2ol Down
• The EU’s 2040 Climate Target — context, scope and design

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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 Website
• Sebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website
• Background piece on the CRCF
• Analysis of the October CRCF Expert Workshop
• Will the Carbon Removal Certification Framework count in the race to climate neutrality?

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What 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:

• Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and Website
• Sebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website
• Jason Grillo: LinkedIn and Substack
• Mou-tora: A Dispatch from COP 29 on the Future of Paris in the Trump Era
• Jason Grillo’s analysis of the U.S. election and its impact on CDR

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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 Website
• Sebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website
• Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism
• PACM Standard: Requirements for activities involving removals under the Article 6.4 mechanism
• PACM Standard: Application of the requirements of Chapter V.B (Methodologies) for the development and assessment of Article 6.4 mechanism methodologies

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The 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 Website
• Sebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website

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