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As the carbon dioxide removal sector accelerates toward large-scale deployment, new policy dynamics, emerging technologies, and shifting climate priorities are reshaping the conversation. At Carbon Unbound East Coast, these questions will take center stage. Ahead of the summit, we spoke with Carbon Direct’s Head of Policy, Rory Jacobson, about the topics he expects to spark the biggest debate, why the rise of AI and data centers could reshape the CDR landscape, and the overlooked role superpollutant mitigation could play alongside carbon removal.
What are you most excited to see on the agenda this year?
Carbon Direct’s team is eager to both reflect on the policy challenges and hurdles we’ve seen at the federal level here in the US, while also highlighting emerging opportunities in other jurisdictions and international frameworks.
Which topic do you expect to be the most highly debated this year?
Carbon Direct’s longstanding leadership and expertise in emissions accounting and the community impacts dimensions of carbon removal necessitated that we closely track the growth of data centers and AI. We expect that attendees may have very different expectations for how the data center boom and integration of AI in CDR scale-up will impact the field and market.
Which topic do you think attendees will walk into the room underestimating, but will leave thinking very differently about?
Carbon Direct has been rapidly accelerating our team's research and analysis in the space of superpollutants mititgation, and generally found that the CDR field may not fully appreciate the climate mitigation synergies between superpollutant management and CDR deployment.
What’s one outcome you hope this year’s summit will accelerate, rather than just discuss?
The Carbon Direct team is optimistic that Carbon Unbound can serve as an opportunity to build consensus across technology developers, buyers, and investors on the policies needed to bring CDR deployment to gigaton impact.
What’s one word that sums up the agenda perfectly this year?
Diverse
Thank you Rory for sharing your thoughts on this year's Carbon Unbound East Coast Agenda. You can hear more from Rory and other leaders in the CDR space this May 19 & 20 in New York at Carbon Unbound East Coast.
