11.55 Our climate dream team James and Casey explained why carbon removal is such a big deal for this year’s TR10 list of breakthrough technologies.
The hope is that building more and larger plants like these to capture carbon from the air will help companies figure out how to optimize operations, drive down the costs, and realize economies of scale.
11.50 If we want to have a tenable world order where temperatures aren’t destroying large swathes of the population, we need to actively remove that CO2 from the atmosphere, says Kolster. Even reforesting all of the deforested trees wouldn’t be enough, she adds. But she’s heartened by the flux of talent into the sector, including experienced Big Tech workers leaving the established FANG companies heading into startups.
“There are hundreds, if not close to a thousand teams working on carbon removal today, that’s mind blowing. Just a few years ago, it was a handful.”
11.45 While removing existing carbon is necessary, we also need to actively reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being pumped into the atmosphere, says Kolster. The company is excited by the brand new businesses working to reduce the amount of emissions in their air that are springing up.
Lots of people assume carbon removal revolves solely around direct air capture, which involves sucking emissions directly from the air, adds Dumas, but there are plenty of different approaches. Now, there are billions of dollars in play to fund carbon removal, but there are plenty of firms that are “still in stealth” at the industry’s forefront that you won’t have heard of, he adds.
11.40 Thats all from Roberts, great stuff. Next up, David is speaking to Clay Dumas, and Clea Kolster, who are both partners at Lowercarbon Capital, which funds research and invests in technologies to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere.
Dumas invests in startups and research organizations developing technology to reduce emissions, suck carbon out of the air, and cool the planet, while Kolster is also head of science and leads the firm’s technical research, development, diligence, and scientific strategy efforts.
11.25 Roberts is excited about the opportunities to do more with water, adding that Source Global, which makes clean drinking water from sunlight and air, is a great example of how people are motivated to innovate from tough conditions (in this case, Arizona).
“When you think about it, if you were ever to solve a problem, the ones solving the problem are the most greatly impacted,” he says. “Because they’re motivated.
11.20 When looking to invest in someone, the individual has to have something special about them, says Roberts, an insight into how to address the problem they’re looking to solve. It’s important to have the right attitude, as well as the required expertise, he adds.
“The one thing that is a key ingredient is optimism,” he says. “The problems that we solve are hard, and they’re going to be around in some form for the rest of the people in this audiences lifetime.” It’s crucial to believe you can make a difference.
It’s crazy that we’re still surprised by a hurricane or other natural disaster, he points out. “The only thing to be surprised about is when it comes,” he adds, rather than the fact it’s actually happening.
11.16 James Temple, our senior climate change and energy editor, profiled some of Breakthrough Energy Ventures‘s very first investments back in 2018, covering everything from geothermal and grid storage to biofuels.
11.12 We’re back! Our editor at large, David Rotman, is now onstage with Carmichael Roberts, a investment partner at Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a mission-oriented group committed to changing the world by creating and building companies that address the threat of climate change and long-term sustainability of the planet. The company was founded by a little-known entrepreneur called Bill Gates in 2015.