ReGen Ventures reposted this
The concentration of carbon in the air has reached beyond 420 parts per million (ppm), more than ~48 percent higher than pre-industrial levels. Yet, with hard-to-abate industries unable to drive emissions to net zero any time soon, it will be near impossible to achieve the necessary reduction in peak warming by curbing GHGs alone. In reality, we must also remove billions of tons of atmospheric CO2 annually by 2050 to limit warming to 1.5°C and avoid the worst effects of climate change. Doing so requires an arsenal of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies. In particular, ReGen Ventures is increasingly excited about what we call nature-powered CDR - pathways combining the efficiency of advanced engineering with the resilience of natural systems to remove CO2 permanently, restore the balance between fast and slow carbon cycles, regenerate ecosystems, and support biodiversity. Our portfolio company, Banyu Carbon, exemplifies nature-powered CDR with its sunlight-driven process that removes a pure stream of CO2 from seawater while counteracting ocean acidification. Approaches like Banyu’s, which can generate surplus renewable energy as a byproduct, will become increasingly crucial as engineered CDR pathways, such as direct air capture (DAC), face headwinds when it comes to accessing clean energy due to demand from data centers and AI. Check out our post below to learn more.