As the world faces the urgent challenge of removing billions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, groundbreaking innovation is essential to expanding solutions quickly enough to meet global climate targets. In this episode of Earth911 Sustainability of your earsDiscover the groundbreaking results of $100 million Xprize carbon removal race4-year competition between 1,300 teams from 88 countries representing one of the most ambitious efforts to catalyze carbon removal innovations. Nikki Batchelor, executive director of Xprize Carbon Removal, and Michael Leitch, a senior technology lead in the competition, are taking part in discussing what could be one of the most consequential moments of carbon removal innovation to date. They discuss how the $100 million range of competition and multi-year timeline attracted groundbreaking solutions and overview plans for ongoing engagement with the winning team, while expanding innovation.
Based in Kenya Matty Carbon He claimed a $50 million grand prize for his strengthened rock weathering approach that spreads finely ground volcanic rocks across farmland, and at the same time earned atmospheric carbon while improving the soil health of local farmers. Matty Carbon’s victory wasn’t just technical innovation. It demonstrated a cost-effective approach that offers multiple benefits in smallholder farming communities in Kenya and India. Three runner-ups –Netzero, Arched deepand I’ll restore it-Received $5 million for a unique approach ranging from biochar production, underground carbon storage and large-scale mineral diffusion. In 2024 alone, humans released 41.6 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, increasing to about 1.5 trillion tons of emissions since the Industrial Revolution. Current carbon removal projects operate on a kiloton scale and need to rapidly expand to millions of tons a year. The goal is not just to offset new emissions. Despite being slow, we have achieved net negative emissions to reverse the climate damage that has already been made. XprizeCarbon Removal Competition and Other Magnificent Challenges Xprize.org. Watch the documentary series about competition and winners Xprize carbon removal YouTube channel.
