The CDR Policy Scoop

What a whirlwind it has been in Europe.Over the last few days, we have seen the Council of the EU and the European Parliament's ENVI Committee agree on their positions on the EU 2040 Climate Target negotiations. From huge amounts of international credits, to a clear mandate for CDR, to a range of vague clauses: there is lots to unpack.Meanwhile, Ursula von der Leyen travelled to COP30 with a 2035 NDC for the European Union. And, finally, the EU Commission held yet another Carbon Removals Expert Group meeting: we are so, so close to the first methodologies / delegated act for permanent removals being adopted.Tune in for Eve’s and Sebastian's take on all these exciting developments.Eve Tamme:LinkedIn and Website - post on this topicSebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website - post on this topicThe Council of the EU's negotiating mandate on the EU’s 2040 Climate TargetEU’s 2035 NDCRecording: 9th meeting of the European Commission’s Carbon Removal Expert Group

It’s that time of year again - COP30 is just around the corner. This year in Belém, Brazil, CDR has stepped up its game and will have its first-ever CDR Pavilion in the blue zone. This was made possible by CDR30, the Global Carbon Dioxide Removal Initiative, consisting of a unified global CDR community of over 60 organisations across the ecosystem. Their mission: elevating CDR’s essential role in climate action at COP30.A physical presence and strong coalition are a signal that carbon removal is finally stepping into the major leagues. But after years of questions about the role of carbon removal in the formal COP agenda, where exactly do we stand? What can we expect and hope for? That’s why we’re delighted to welcome Chris Neidl, Carbon Removal Lead with the High-Level Climate Champions. Among many other things, Chris has been working tirelessly to build support for carbon removal in the programming at COP.Join co-host Eve Tamme as she discusses with Chris what COP30 could mean for CDR and gains exclusive insights from the behind-the-scenes preparations.Links:Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and Website - post on this topicChris Neidl: LinkedIn and High-Level Climate ChampionsCOP30 Action Agenda on Climate Champions website and Brazilian COP30 Presidency websiteCDR30CDR Pavilion at COP30

We all know that climate change is the greatest challenge of our generation, and for many of us, it’s our life’s work. If you’re like us, you spend most of your reading time on non-fiction - whether that’s endless reports, briefs, news, and feeds. We have a refreshing new way to digest some of the heaviest topics in this climate fight. The Carbon Paradox is a fictional book based on facts. Along the way, the characters meet 25 paradoxical issues, which cover the entire controversy from carbon credits to climate finance. And learn why carbon markets will never be perfect.We’re delighted to uncover some of these paradoxes with author Renat Heuberger, CEO at Terra Impact Ventures. Renat is a Swiss climate activist, serial entrepreneur, and impact investor who has spent two decades at the forefront of the VCM. Join co-hosts Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart as they dive into some of their favourite climate paradoxes with Renat.Links:Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and Website - post on this topicSebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website - post on this topicRenat Heuberger: LinkedIn and Terra Impact Ventures - book launch videoCarbon Paradox BlogCarbon Paradox Book

The IMO just paused its carbon price: What’s next for shipping, and will aviation follow suit?Just months after the world celebrated the first-ever global carbon price for the maritime sector, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has now suspended it for one year.This came as a result of heavy pressure from the U.S., with smaller countries reportedly threatened with tariffs, sanctions, and even visa restrictions for UN staff.Shipping and aviation are two of the hardest to decarbonise sectors, which most necessitate clear regulation and - potentially - the use of carbon dioxide removal (CDR).So where does that leave us? What are the policy opportunities - national, regional, and global - that we should be focusing on to tackle hard-to-abate emissions in these two sectors? And is climate multilateralism dead?In this CDR Policy Scoop, the one and only Robert Höglund joins co-host Sebastian Manhart to unpack these questions and make sense of the mess we just witnessed.Links:Sebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website, and posts on IMO news and the potential of CORSIA and CDRRobert Höglund: LinkedIn, Website, and blogs on shipping and aviationConcito report on CDR and aviationPrevious Policy Scoop on CORSIA and the ETS

CDR Policy Scoop is back with a deep dive into one of the most consequential CDR policy reviews to date: the Independent Review of Greenhouse Gas Removals, led by Dr Alan Whitehead and published on October 23rd 2025. Almost 200 pages packed with fascinating insights on the future of UK CDR policy.To unpack what this means, Sebastian Manhart and Eve Tamme are joined by Georgia Berry, CDR Programme Director at the Green Finance Institute and one of the UK’s leading voices on GGRs/CDR.Together they explore:- What “Geological Net Zero” actually means — and why it matters- How the Review’s five headline recommendations could reshape UK CDR- Why the proposed Net Zero Aviation Mandate might be a game-changer- Where nature-based removals still fit in a permanence-driven frameworkTune in to understand the Review everyone in the carbon removal world is talking about - and what it means for the UK’s path to a truly geological net zero future.Links:Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and WebsiteSebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and Website - post on this topicGeorgia Berry: LinkedIn2025 Independent Review of GGRs - Dr. Alan WhiteheadPolicy Scoop: The UK means Business: Examining the GGR Business ModelsPolicy Scoop: Is the UK quietly leading the Charge

CDR Policy Scoop is proud to present the next SHOWDOWN in the first-ever live debate in a hybrid format — on stage and streamed live: Voluntary vs Compliance Markets.The race to scale carbon removal is on – but which market will get us there first? Voluntary buyers are moving billions, experimenting, and taking early risks. Compliance markets promise scale, rigour, and integration into national climate strategies.We are excited to be taking our debate live on stage at Carbon Unbound Europe.In the Voluntary Corner: TITO JANKOWSKI, CEO of the AirMiners, a community and accelerator for carbon removal leaders. Tito needs no introduction: he is known across the industry for his boundless passion for CDR (and for having invented the official CDR greeting).In the Compliance Corner: our very own Eve Tamme, Managing Director of Climate Principles, and one of the leading policy experts for all things carbon markets and CDR. With over two decades of policy work, few understand compliance better than her.Sebastian Manhart moderates as the two sides go head-to-head to keep things punchy, informative, and entertaining.. Links:Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and WebsiteSebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and WebsiteTito Jankowski: LinkedIn, AirMiners

What does the new Article 6.4 Standard on Non-Permanence and Reversals mean for carbon removal projects?It has just been adopted by the Supervisory Body after lengthy deliberations and a huge inflow of stakeholder comments.The new standard remains controversial. Some stakeholders welcome the adopted standard, given its improvements compared to the draft versions. Others highlight the negative impacts on the carbon markets due to pushing decisions on key elements (like the percentage of negligible risk and post-crediting monitoring period) down to the methodology level. How will the new standard impact carbon removal project development and the approval process?We’re excited to welcome Olga Gassan‑zade, a member of the Article 6.4 Supervisory Body, to share personal views on these developments and explore what they mean for carbon removal projects and stakeholders worldwide.Join co‑host Eve Tamme for this deep‑dive on permanence, governance, and the future of carbon removal under the Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism.Links:Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and WebsiteSebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and WebsiteOlga Gassan-zade: LinkedInMeeting documents of the 18th meeting of the Article 6.4 Supervisory Body

The EU carbon removal purchasing programme and potential integration of removals into the ETS have generated plenty of buzz. Yet these could just be a first step in a longer policy sequence.Could a CDR Compliance System be the north star to aim for in the longer term?Carbon Gap has just unveiled its new report looking at how to drive long-term demand for permanent carbon removals across Europe.In it, they examine different options for a Removal Compliance System (RCS), looking at both traditional emissions-based obligations and economy-wide mandates. Could the RCS spark fresh opportunities and big debates? How can Europe develop and design a new mode of compliance?We’re thrilled to welcome special guest Francesca Battersby, Senior Policy Analyst at Carbon Gap and the lead author of the report, to explore this exciting topic together. She brings all the exclusive insights to help dissect the concepts on the table.Join co-hosts Eve Tamme and Sebastian Manhart as they explore with Francesca what makes the RCS a potential game-changer and what issues to watch out for.Links:Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and WebsiteSebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and WebsiteFrancesca Battersby: LinkedIn and Carbon GapFrom Targets to Tonnes: Exploring Compliance Options to Drive Lasting Demand for Carbon Removals in the EU

On 25 September, the European Commission convened its first Technical Workshop on Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) and Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) under the Carbon Removal and Carbon Farming framework (CRCF). This marks the formal beginning of the journey toward EU recognition of these technologies.The context is clear: DACCS, BECCS, and biochar methodologies are soon settled, but permanent removals need more arrows in their quiver. The Commission is now turning to the next set of methods.Key questions remain wide open: – How mature is the science for robust MRV? – How will permanence, leakage, and environmental impacts be addressed? – What pace can we realistically expect for final CRCF methodologies for ERW and OAE?We’re delighted to be joined by Rachel Smith, Policy Director at Cascade Climate. Rachel has been at the forefront of shaping policy pathways for ERW, in particular, and will help us put the workshop discussions into perspective.Join in as co-host Eve Tamme dissects the details, challenges, and opportunities ahead with Rachel.Links:Eve Tamme: LinkedIn and WebsiteSebastian Manhart: LinkedIn and WebsiteRachel Smith: LinkedIn and Cascade ClimateReview papers on ERW and OEA for the workshopERW and OEA workshop recordingFrom Drawdown to Durable Storage: Understanding ERW in EU Carbon Removal PolicyCDR Primer