# The challenges of building a carbon removal portfolio

- Show: [Catalyst](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst)
- Published: 2024-02-29
- Length: 43m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-02-29-the-challenges-of-building-a-carbon-removal-portfolio

## Summary

Stacy Kauk, Head of Sustainability at Shopify, details the company's $55 million investment in 85,000 tons of durable carbon removal, explaining how they manage a venture-capital-style portfolio of early-stage technologies. She highlights the significant delays in credit delivery caused by permitting hurdles, technological pivots, and the infancy of Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) methodologies. Kauk argues that while the market aims for a standardized commodity, current buyers must support a diverse mix of engineered systems like Direct Air Capture (DAC) and natural system enhancements like ocean alkalinity to discover viable cost curves and scalability.

## Chapters

- [0:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-02-29-the-challenges-of-building-a-carbon-removal-portfolio#t=1) Introduction: The Early Carbon Removal Market
- [5:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-02-29-the-challenges-of-building-a-carbon-removal-portfolio#t=319) Shopify’s Portfolio Strategy and Procurement History
- [9:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-02-29-the-challenges-of-building-a-carbon-removal-portfolio#t=567) Delivery Delays and Permitting Challenges
- [12:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-02-29-the-challenges-of-building-a-carbon-removal-portfolio#t=754) Hot Technologies: Natural Systems vs. Engineered Solutions
- [18:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-02-29-the-challenges-of-building-a-carbon-removal-portfolio#t=1109) Portfolio Construction and Technology Diversification
- [27:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-02-29-the-challenges-of-building-a-carbon-removal-portfolio#t=1664) Pricing, Cost Curves, and ROI Expectations
- [34:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-02-29-the-challenges-of-building-a-carbon-removal-portfolio#t=2096) Scalability, Venture Capital, and Future Regulation
- [39:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-02-29-the-challenges-of-building-a-carbon-removal-portfolio#t=2398) MRV, Standards, and Market Maturity

## Topics

- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Certification & compliance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/certification-and-compliance)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Shopify (company)
- Stripe (company)
- Microsoft (company)
- Frontier (company)
- Climeworks (company)
- Running Tide (company)
- Charm Industrial (company)
- Crew Carbon (company)
- Graphite (company)
- Arca (company)
- Direct Air Capture (other)
- Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (other)
- Enhanced Rock Weathering (other)
- Biochar (other)
- Biomass Burial (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Fostering a Circular Carbon Economy with Direct Air Capture: Insights from Rob van Straten of Skytree](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-11-21-fostering-a-circular-carbon-economy-with-direct-air-capture-insights-from-rob-va) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [Using Cooling Towers to Scale Atmospheric CO2 Removal with Silvain Toromanoff, Co-Founder and CTO of NeoCarbon](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-06-08-using-cooling-towers-to-scale-atmospheric-co2-removal-with-silvain-toromanoff-co) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [HIBT Lab! Climeworks: Jan Wurzbacher](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-06-30-hibt-lab-climeworks-jan-wurzbacher) (How I Built This)
- [50th Episode Special: Checking in with early guests Accelerate Wind, Charm Industrial, and Heirloom](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-04-12-50th-episode-special-checking-in-with-early-guests-accelerate-wind-charm-industr) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [Advancing Soil Carbon Measurement for Sustainable Food Systems with Chris Tolles of Yard Stick](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2024-08-29-advancing-soil-carbon-measurement-for-sustainable-food-systems-with-chris-tolles) (Hardware to Save a Planet)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2024-02-29-the-challenges-of-building-a-carbon-removal-portfolio. 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.