The Carbon Curve Why carbon removal needs a new story
Episode 62 is with Robert Höglund (Head of Climate Strategy and CDR, Milky Wire; Co-Founder, CDR FYI; CEO, Marginal Carbon).
In this episode, host Na’im Merchant catches up with Robert Höglund to discuss his latest thinking on the carbon removal sector’s trajectory. Robert makes the case that CDR needs a narrative shift away from speed and scale, toward prove and learn. They explore why aviation and shipping are largely ignoring carbon removal in their decarbonization plans, why voluntary demand may outpace compliance demand for the next decade or more, and why the sector should stop treating CDR as a last resort and start positioning it as a legitimate mitigation solution alongside everything else.
Key Topics:
* From “Speed and Scale” to “Prove and Learn”: Focus on driving down costs, proving out methods, and nailing MRV rather than racing toward gigatons by mid-century.
* Voluntary vs. Compliance Demand: Voluntary buyers, led by high-profit, low-emission sectors like tech, could remain the larger demand source for 10 to 15 years.
* Aviation and Shipping’s CDR Blind Spot: Legislation like Refuel EU and Fuel EU Maritime effectively shuts out carbon removal in favor of fuel switching, reflecting an advocacy gap in international forums.
* CDR Is Not a Last Resort: Carbon removal is rate-limited, not stock-limited, and should compete on cost and sustainability alongside other mitigation solutions.
* The Ability to Pay: There are plenty of high-profit, low-emission companies that could be buying CDR today but aren’t yet.
About Robert Höglund:
Robert is the Head of Climate Strategy and CDR at Milky Wire, Co-Founder of CDR FYI, and CEO of Marginal Carbon. He writes reports for Carbon Gap and serves on several advisory groups including the EU Commission’s Expert Group on Carbon Removal and the Science Based Targets Initiative’s Expert Working Group.
Relevant Links:
* The carbon removal sector needs a new story — Robert Hoglund
* Robert Höglund’s LinkedIn Profile
* The Billion Tonne Blueprint — Carbon Removal Canada
* Removals into Revenue — Carbon Removal Canada
* Advance Carbon Removal Coalition
This episode was made possible thanks to the generous support of the Consecon Foundation.
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 on the advisory board of the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative and Terraset, and a former policy fellow with Elemental Impact. 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 the Head of Content and Community at CDR.fyi, a public benefit corporation dedicated to accelerating carbon removal through transparency. He is also the co-founder of CDRjobs, a career platform for the carbon removal industry. Based in Taiwan, Tank is a carbon removal advocate focused on educating policymakers, corporate leaders, and the public on the importance of carbon removal, using data-driven insights to support communication and policy advocacy.
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