The team at Tomorrow's Air is always busy tracking the latest trends and developments from the dynamic sectors of carbon dioxide removal and sustainable aviation fuel. Through our technical supply partners and through the conferences, panel discussions, newsletters and research reports we monitor, Tomorrow's Air keeps abreast of what's happening and offers a monthly digest in our Airrow Bulletin. Here are the highlights from our December, 2023 edition.
Eion Delivery
- Eion, our chosen supplier for enhanced rock weathering carbon removal, announced in late November the successful partial delivery of a large carbon removal order placed by global payments company Stripe. Recall that Eion was also awarded an industry-first patent for their method of directly measuring carbon dioxide removed through their process. In a signal of their continued confidence in Eion, Stripe committed to fund an additional $1 million investment in carbon removal from the company.
State of Climate Action 2023 from WRI
- The World Resources Institute published its State of Climate Action 2023 report along with an interactive tool that shows climate action progress toward reaching 2030 goals. The tool shows progress in key sectors such as power, buildings, industry, transport, forests and land, food, finance and technological carbon removal. It is great to see technological carbon removal tracked alongside other these sectors. Flip that card and see to see we’re doing!
COP 28 Ongoing
- The United Nations annual climate meeting - COP28 - convened November 30 in Dubai. It runs until December 12. The location of the meeting in the UAE and the fact that it is presided over by the chief executive of the UAE state-owned oil company Adnoc, Sultan al-Jaber, has caused people many to wonder how effective the gathering will be at advancing the goals of the Paris Agreement. On Monday, December 4, Sultan al-Jaber drew criticism for comments he made in a recent panel discussion about the “lack of science” on the need to phase out oil production. He was quoted as saying: “There is no science out there, or no scenario out there, that says the phaseout of fossil fuel is what’s going to achieve 1.5,” drawing fierce criticism from activists and policymakers around the world.
UNEP Releases "Broken Record" Report
- Travel businesses looking to add carbon removal into their strategies in 2024 might find the latest report from the U.N. Environment Program - beautifully titled Broken Record!! - helpful. The section on carbon removal begins on page 48 and includes a useful chart on the different types of carbon removal, their characteristics and progress to scale. It is also encouraging to read the report’s support for voluntary purchases “niche markets, such as voluntary purchase for removals, are providing the early support for novel CDR demand, with the possibility of initiating a positive feedback process of learning in which adoption begets cost reductions and performance improvements.” Let’s keep at it!
Project Roadrunner SAF Plant
- A new facility for producing sustainable aviation fuel is the works in Texas and American Airlines has agreed to purchase sustainable aviation fuel from the facility, known as Project Roadrunner. The company behind the project, Infinium, is converting a former natural gas refinery into a commercial “eFuels” plant where it will make jet fuel and diesel from “waste carbon dioxide” and green hydrogen. Infinium did not say where it would source the carbon dioxide - this matters because both capturing the carbon, and producing green hydrogen, typically require significant energy.
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