Future Proof - The Road to Zero Nicolas LeBlanc

Listen to our conversation with Kári Helgason, Head of Research & Innovation at Carbfix.

From his start in astrophysics and work at NASA, Kári chose to tackle a more pressing problem closer to home and go to work in the carbon capture and storage industry in Iceland.

Taking advantage of Iceland’s zero carbon electric grid and porous basalt rock formations, Carbfix is providing some of the lowest if not the lowest cost per ton of CO2 captured and stored.

Looking at deploying their technologies in other areas of the world with similar geology, as well as the construction of a marine terminal to have captured CO2 from Europe shipped to Iceland for storage, Carbfix is working towards its pathway at sequestering a Megaton of CO2 within the next 5 years.

Listen to our conversation with Jason Vallis, Vice President of External Relations for Planetary Tech.

Focusing on drawing down carbon through a process that absorbs carbon from the atmosphere to lock it away in the ocean, as well as decreasing ocean acidity (another impact of increasing atmospheric CO2).  Their Accelerated Carbon Transmission (ACT) Platform is designed to take mine tailings as the feedstock, as well as water and renewable power, to create their antacid (alkaline) compound that is introduced into the ocean.

The by-products of the process are valuable metals and hydrogen which create an additional revenue stream for the process, as well as providing an economic incentive for the treatment of mine tailings.

A growing startup, Planetary Tech’s goal is to remove 1 Billion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere by 2035 through a novel process that resolves several environmental problems with one solution.

Join our conversation with Jim Mann, Founder and CEO of the Future Forest Company.  

Based in Scotland, the Future Forest Company aims to produce long term carbon capture through reforestation, biochar production and enhanced rock weathering (carbon reacting rock dust) to increase the carbon sequestration capacity of agricultural land and forests.  

Currently focusing on how best to deploy these technologies for fastest possible scaling up in order to reach the goal of making a sizable contribution to the need for carbon sequestration.  Targets are for removing 3M tons of CO2 by 2030, with the aim of becoming the first company to achieve a billion tons of carbon removed.  

The company is funded principally by selling verified carbon offsets to enable companies to eliminate the last remaining aspect of their carbon footprint, which represents a potential market of 10 to 20 billion tons of carbon.

Getting his start in the oil industry, Daniel Hoof was inspired by the huge possibilities of seaweed to draw down carbon, stimulate biodiversity and do so in a commercially viable fashion. In 2020 he founded Kelp Blue.

Primarily Focusing on creating products for the bio stimulant market, for use as plant stimulants for the organic agricultural market. Fast growing kelp forest have the ability to lock away carbon into the depth of the ocean as well as providing for increased biodiversity for marine species.

Currently developing a pilot project to be launched within the next year, with a plan to expand soon thereafter. Kelp Blue, looks forward to developing the full potential of kelp farming.

Join us for our conversation with Melissa Barbosa, Head of Sustainability at Ikea Group.

As a major global brand, Ikea has set a goal of being completely zero waste and climate positive (reducing more GHG emissions that it emits) and committed to responsible sourcing.  The timeline they have set to achieve this is 2030.

By 2025 they aim to have zero GHG emissions for their delivery service, and in Canada they have already introduced zero emission delivery and service​ in several markets, as well as producing more power than their operations consume via wind and solar installations.

Well on their way to achieve these targets, Ikea has taken a 100% approach in their goals and as such have looked at every aspect of their business and supply chains to develop their business in a full circular model.

From switching to more sustainable packaging, creating a service to bring back used Ikea furniture for an in-store discount, and even a plant based Swedish meatballs now served in their restaurant service, there is no end to the number of initiatives this industry leader is taking on.

Join our conversation with Rob Bernhardt, an expert in building energy efficiency and policy.

As past CEO of Passive House Canada and someone who has built and sold Passive House buildings, and lives in one, he is familiar with the costs and benefits of highly efficient buildings.

As the most stringent energy efficiency standard in the world, Passive House buildings require up to 90% less heating and cooling energy than conventional buildings in addition to improving affordability, thermal comfort, air quality and noise reduction.

From being a novel building practice a decade ago, millions of square feet of both new and retrofit Passive House projects are being undertaken in Canada alone.  Both components and expertise are now easier to find, offering a promising path to decarbonization of the building sector.