# Fixing the messy voluntary carbon market

- Show: [Catalyst](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst)
- Published: 2024-01-04
- Length: 48m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-01-04-fixing-the-messy-voluntary-carbon-market

## Summary

Ryan Orbuch, partner at Lowercarbon Capital, argues that the voluntary carbon market is fixable by shifting from pre-issued avoidance credits to ex-post paid carbon removal credits. He explains that the old system’s bad incentives led to worthless credits and fraud, whereas a new model using modular protocols, like those pioneered by Isometric for Charm Industrial, aligns registry incentives with buyers and provides a feedback loop for suppliers. Orbuch details how this approach handles scientific uncertainty through statistical bounding and modular design to ensure real carbon cycle impact.

## Chapters

- [2:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-01-04-fixing-the-messy-voluntary-carbon-market#t=143) Introduction: The state of the voluntary carbon market
- [5:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-01-04-fixing-the-messy-voluntary-carbon-market#t=302) Shrinking low-quality market vs. growing high-quality removals
- [9:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-01-04-fixing-the-messy-voluntary-carbon-market#t=561) The flaw of 'offsetting' and the Stripe model
- [14:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-01-04-fixing-the-messy-voluntary-carbon-market#t=864) How the old avoidance credit market works and fails
- [22:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-01-04-fixing-the-messy-voluntary-carbon-market#t=1342) Verra, fraud, and misaligned registry incentives
- [30:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-01-04-fixing-the-messy-voluntary-carbon-market#t=1813) Credit rating agencies as a band-aid vs. systemic reform
- [34:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-01-04-fixing-the-messy-voluntary-carbon-market#t=2040) Designing a buyer-centric registry with ex-post payments
- [37:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-01-04-fixing-the-messy-voluntary-carbon-market#t=2274) Isometric’s modular protocols and scientific uncertainty

## Topics

- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Sustainability & circular products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sustainability-and-circularity)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Lowercarbon Capital (company)
- Verra (company)
- Gold Standard (company)
- ACR (company)
- Isometric (company)
- Charm Industrial (company)
- Stripe (company)
- Energy Hub (company)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-01-04-fixing-the-messy-voluntary-carbon-market. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Catalyst.