The Global Business Summit Accelerating Gigaton-Scale CDR

Carbon Unbound is partnering with Terraset, AirMiners and CDR.fyi to unlock philanthropic capital and catalyse permanent carbon removal. 

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With the top 10 buyers dominating purchases and a growing removals gap, our goal is to change the narrative around CDR purchasing, spotlight some exceptional CDR providers, and leverage the summit to make a quantifiable, tons-removed difference while ensuring transparency and enhancing trust.

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Leveraging Terraset's tax-deductible vehicle for carbon removal, we ask you, the audience, to drive real impact by allocating dollars to a portfolio of incredible CDR companies, which is then used to purchase CDRs.

• The new administration's federal policies are expected to significantly impact carbon removal strategies. What are the CDR key takeaways from the transition period (Feb-May)?
• Numerous carbon removal policies in the US have been passed with bipartisan support. Do we envisage an increase in bills such as the ‘Federal Carbon Dioxide Removal Leadership Act’ and tax credits such as the ‘45Q credit’?
• Carbon removal lacks a pre-existing market, and it is in dire need of DEMAND. With Republicans at the helm, this could change. Can there be (a shift) increase in Public-Private Partnerships? 
• What are the main consequences for the CDR sector if the USA exits the Paris Agreement?

• Carbon removal is an enormous economic opportunity for states, and deploying CDR can also benefit ecosystems and human health. So, what is holding states back? 
• States can pave the way for this sector by developing DEMAND. What have been significant strides forward by states and cities? How has the Federal government influenced local CDR policy activity? 
• The IRA has spurred investments in a large number of Republican congressional districts.. If unspent IRA funds are held back how will affected states and businesses react?
• How can oil -and-gas-dominated states and regions be convinced of the case of Carbon Removal in an era of federal government support? How much can local corporations, communities and officials influence a shift? 
• In the Northern East Coast, New York and Massachusetts are leading on CDR.  Are they influencing neighbouring states and is collaboration on the table?

The key to sustained growth in the CDR market lies in attracting more buyers, scaling DEMAND, and encouraging existing purchasers to increase their investments. This session will provide an update on the number of durable tonnes sold in the first quarter Q1 2025 and also present a high-level approach of highlights and trends since our previous Carbon Unbound West Coast summit, late October 2024.

Rev-up your engines! Investors will be positioned in the breakout room ready to meet start-ups. Start-ups take a seat and have 4 minutes before a bell is rung and people move to the next table.

• Forestry projects dominate the VCM market, the number of available credits is increasing and DEMAND is growing. Methods and geographic concentrations for ‘Improved Forest Management’ (IFM) and ‘Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation’ (ARR) differ greatly. What are the key differences and advantages of IFM and ARR?
• Lack of additionality and permanence have damaged these NBS credits in the past, but it’s been shedding its bad reputation. How important has the role of MRV been and which aspect has been the most significant?
• What are the main drivers for buyers when selecting their forest purchase? What are the show-stoppers?   
• What are the most significant risks and opportunities in scaling different forestry projects?  Are these projects underfunded or undersupplied?

Organizations invite attendees to participate in intimate discussions about critical challenges related to CDR development and increasing DEMAND.

• What has been the demand and supply status in 2024 and are we seeing growth in 2025? 
• Have the existing principles, standards and reporting frameworks been motivating corporations to include (more) removals in their target setting? How has this impacted offset programs such as CORSIA? 
• What implications does Trump’s second term have for the VCM and compliance market, both nationally and internationally? Will state-led initiatives and international trading schemes remain resilient?
• How does Article 6 relate to CDR in the VCM? Which players does it impact the most? 
• Suppliers are trying to maximize the economic upside of carbon credit sales between the VCM and compliance markets. How do they navigate this?

Spotlighting start-up CDR pioneers that utilize carbon to produce materials and products while permanently storing CO2. They showcase their unique solutions in carbon utilization to our panel of experts.

• DEMAND for high-quality CDR is outstripping the supply, and investors need to step forward to realize this potential. The market has been dominated by funds raised by companies in the VCM. How can we expand interest and include new players? 
• What do investors need before they write a check, and is there a shift in funding solutions, such as non-dilutive funding? 
• Can we ‘flip the script’ on Carbon Removal from costly to money-making? How do we convince CFOs that investing in a start-up can yield a return on investment?
• Policy support, data transparency, and innovative business models are key to reducing investment risk.  What has become the most important or are they highly integrated? 
• Several CDR startups have moved from strategy to execution. How can investors be incentivized and motivated to shift to longer-term investing in the CDR market?

• Various funding sources and mechanisms are essential for project developers and investors alike. What are the building blocks of carbon removal project finance for Direct Air Capture? 
• Governments have pioneered CDR policies and financially incentivized the expansion of novel solutions, such as DAC. Will the new US Administration remain the leader in public procurement, or will its involvement change?
• What other hard-tech industries can DAC learn from, and can they cooperate with these sectors to accelerate scaling?
• If DAC had all the money in the world and all the DEMAND in the world, what are the non-monetary challenges with DAC?

10 minutes case setting, 30 minutes breakout discussion, 20 minutes feedback sharing with the audience.

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The lack of DEMAND will remain the key challenge in scaling CDR. This interactive session will outline different pathways for scaling demand and highlight the barriers we need to overcome. Drawing on firsthand accounts, scientific data, and expert insights, we will gather insights from buyers, suppliers, investors, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders and explore how different stakeholders can learn from each other's experiences to increase this much-needed demand. 

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Sharing is caring: the more the CDR community can unify their voices on buying carbon removal, the faster this market will scale.  Join us and share the lessons you have learned with your peers.

• Agricultural carbon credits and land management can potentially create lasting land value. What are the difficulties and untapped potential of these assets? What incentives and education is needed to motivate farmers? 
• ERW and biochar solutions are gaining ground. How do Biochar and ERW carbon credits support farmers, and how important is government support in ensuring the growing DEMAND? 
• Federal policy, especially the Farm Bill, is crucial to transforming the agricultural system. Will funding continue to be available? Will the private sector step up if policies are failing?  
• What is the contrast and potential between different geographies? What can regions globally learn from each other in order to improve the quality of carbon sequestration?

Organizations invite attendees to participate in intimate discussions about critical challenges related to CDR development and increasing DEMAND.

• Which of these industries, concrete/cement, chemicals, steel, or aviation, have made the most progress and what innovative solutions specific to each industry are the most promising?   
• DEMAND for industrial products labelled as ‘green’ needs to increase dramatically. What is driving change quickest and why? 
• Voluntary efforts of large corporations have assisted in a push to get cleaner plants built. How can businesses, as well as coalitions accelerate policy incentives and regulatory frameworks?
• Several major HtA industrials, particularly in Japan and Europe where there is a compliance market,  signal the need for high-quality CDR. Is there enough signal to drive the potential supply need and in a timely manner? 
• Will customers be the ones to bear the additional, near-term decarbonization costs, and in which of the HtA industries will this be most evident?

• The intersection of insurance, legal, and financial frameworks in the carbon removal industry is a dynamic and evolving space. How and at what stage do they support each other? 
• DEMAND for high-quality credits in the VCM is more pressing than ever. How do legislation and insurance schemes adhere to higher standards? 
• How do you create robust legal frameworks in the nascent CDR sector, whilst ensuring they are complimentary to the needs of the finance and insurance sector? 
• Has the risk profile of long-term offtake agreements been reduced? How can we improve trust through legal and insurance schemes?

• How do you include ‘equity justice’ decisions in your business plan? 
• Considering some DAC projects in the US and the deployment DEMAND for environmental justice and just transition principles, what are experiences of the communities in areas with these facilities? 
• What are potential conflicts between developers and communities? Are there different views on the economic, social, and environmental impacts, and if so how can these be aligned? 
• Different parts of the world have different cultures and approaches to ensure there is a ‘social license’ to operate. What have been some success stories?
• How can the environmental and climate justice grant programs and community activities continue their progress if federal support is reduced?

• The growing interest and investment in ocean-based methods (mCDR), combined with uncertainties, stress the need for government assistance. What type of support has been provided and is in the pipeline?
• Several ocean, and river, CDR methods exploring capabilities to scale up ‘carbon sinking’ have created DEMAND. What are the most new promising ‘abiotic’ solutions and what is their potential? And what is the status and potential for ‘biological’ mCDR, such as kelp, seaweed and algae?
• Data transparency is key in trust building and creating growth of mCDR solutions and quantification uncertainty has been challenging. What is the current status of MRV? 
• Many global laws restrict activities in maritime zones, which can complicate using these innovation solutions. What are other factors we should be aware of?

• The CDR market has grown in 2024, but we are still in desperate need to scale DEMAND. Can incentives such as the Global Fortune 1000 CDR Challenge make a sizable dent? 
• Policies and government support is vital for boosting CDR but these have changed in the US and across borders. How has this impacted private engagement?
• Everybody, besides corporations, can join the market and use different purchasing options - such as market places (Terraset with tax benefits :)), coalitions, bilateral deals, buyer clubs  etc. What are buyers using and which options will grow? 
• In the US, 2% of the GDP is from charitable giving. Little goes to CDR, how can we influence the support from this sector? 
• Education, market knowledge, and understanding one's carbon footprint are some factors that hinder new -small and big- players. How do you share knowledge and advise the ultimate decision-makers? 

Carbon Unbound East Coast is proud to host OpenAir’s global student competition finals. The event will illuminate the next generation of CDR pioneers developing cutting-edge solutions. The five finalists will present their groundbreaking solutions to the delegation.

While enjoying a drink, come together to find out how much has been donated to the LIVE Carbon Removal Marketplace! We’ll hear where the money has come from and where it’s going, and make a final call for pledges.