CDR Accelerator Interview - Carbon Removal Day

'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 Jack Sullivan , Founder of Carbon Removal Day, and Chairman & Founder of RedCarbon.

What inspired the creation of Carbon Removal Day, and why is the 3rd of October the chosen date?

Our best climate science tells us that carbon removal is no longer optional. We’ve waited too long. Reductions alone may have been sufficient if we had started decarbonising our world aggressively back in the 80s, but we didn’t. Now we’re late in the game and the Earth is showing signs of distress after being warmed 1.5C in 2023-24. Insufficient action (our current overshoot pathway) will mean $30+ Trillion in climate damage annually by 2050 (Potsdam Institute). Yet the messaging around Carbon Removal still prioritises it as an afterthought. Carbon Removal Day is hoping to help change that.

Regarding the date – it reflects our sense of urgency. It’s important to begin changing the narrative around carbon removal as soon as possible.

How does the concept of hope influence the overall message of Carbon Removal Day?

Innovating our Carbon Removal capability “IS” our hope! All our decarbonisation efforts over the last 35 years produced (in 2023) the highest atmospheric CO2 concentration humanity has ever experienced. It’s time to be honest with ourselves. When considering our slow pace of change, the urgency we now face, and the unanimity of climate modelling, it’s clear Removals AND Reductions are both required if we’re to have any chance of saving ourselves. A hopeful future human civilisation now requires we rapidly scale Carbon Removal “too”.

Given insights from climate scientists, why is focusing on carbon removal, in addition to reduction, crucial right now?

From a climate standpoint, the science is unanimous:

• Every model that keeps warming below 1.5C relies on removing billions of tons of carbon from the atmosphere annually by about 2050.
• These same models say limiting warming to 1.5C requires billions of tons of CO2 removal annually within a similar timeframe.
• Finally, climate science says humanity must eventually remove the thousand billion tons of extra CO2 we’ve already put in the atmosphere.

Some generation, at some point, must develop this skill! The risk grows if we wait. Developing this capability requires the rapid scaling of an industry as fast as what humanity accomplished with the rise of semiconductors and photovoltaics. So achievable but daunting! To reiterate, the global cost of insufficient action (our current path) is $30+ Trillion, annually, by 2050. Much more expensive than the most expensive form of Carbon Removal.

How can businesses and individuals leverage their networks to elevate and expand the message and support Carbon Removal Day?

For individuals - we’ll be distributing a few core messages (text) across various platforms on the 3rd of October – along with links to video and audio clips that reinforce our message. One of attaching Carbon Removal with a hopeful future. If you receive one of these messages, please follow the instructions and forward it to your network. Then, consider posting some of our pre-written text throughout Carbon Removal Day (we’ll send you detailed instructions). For companies, promote your employee’s active participation. Our “cumulative voice” matters.

What is the most significant barrier to increasing public awareness about carbon removal efforts?

We succeed in our effort to elevate the climate act of Carbon Removal by sharing a common message of hope. If we all set aside one hour on Carbon Removal Day to do just this, our cumulative voice will become impactful.

What’s the plan for maintaining momentum and engagement following Carbon Removal Day?

A spark can light a fire. We’ll maintain our website, continue accepting/posting relevant content (send us personal videos of why carbon removal gives you hope) and seek to turn Carbon Removal Day into a global celebration next year!

To chat with others promoting the elevation of Carbon Removal as a core part of our hopeful future, please join us virtually on Thursday 3rd October for a social gathering to loosely discuss ideas about growing this effort over the coming months and years - Register Here.

You founded RedCarbon in 2019 to develop technology that uses light to convert gaseous CO2 into graphite, rapidly reducing atmospheric carbon. Could you tell us more about how this works?

The green-wavelength light research is promising but didn’t make it out of the lab. My future efforts around a rebranded RedCarbon will embrace the same vision of using and sequestering carbon simultaneously in a grid-scale battery. Launching later this year, I’ll be recruiting a team to advance existing lab research developing a dual-graphite battery architecture. If we achieve 80% graphite by volume, we can sequester gigatons of carbon by ourselves, with a 20% share of the grid-scale battery market by 2050. That’s the vision.

How Can People Help?

• Email carbonremovalday@gmail.com and tell us you’d like to participate. Allocate 1 hour on the 3rd of October to share our message with your network. Here’s your chance to do something impactful about climate change. Find out more about the initiative though the audio clip here.

Unbound Summits' mission focuses on unrivalled connections, unmatched insights and unbound CDR opportunities. You can learn more about how you can get involved with Carbon Removal Day here.