We’re on a mission to design and champion equitable, science-based policies that bring carbon removal solutions to gigaton scale.
When Carbon180 was founded back in 2015, pulling carbon out of the sky at gigaton scale sounded like an impossible idea. Now, it’s not just an idea — it’s a fast-growing field and we’re here to lead the way.
Our work is never done, but we’re proud of the progress we’ve made in such a short time. Here’s a look at how we got here.
2015-2016: Giana Amador and Noah Deich teamed up to launch the Center for Carbon Removal at UC Berkeley in 2015. By 2016, we’d formed our 501(c)(3) and secured $10 million in pooled funding for carbon removal, putting this field on the map.
2016-2020: Our early years focused on illuminating the opportunity and increasing investment in carbon removal. Foundational research agendas, market sizing reports, and testimony in front of Congress helped us secure millions more in federal funding for carbon removal — all from our new headquarters in Washington, DC.
2020-Now: We’ve been building momentum for the carbon removal movement, incubating promising CDR startups, setting a roadmap for scaling carbon removal well, and helping businesses and the federal government establish leadership on carbon removal.
We envision a world free of legacy carbon emissions — a livable climate in which current and future generations can thrive.
With our work, we have the rare opportunity to help reshape the world we live in. As we do, we’re guided by our core beliefs.
Climate change is unjust
Excess carbon in the atmosphere drives a fundamental injustice: those least responsible for climate change feel its impacts the most.
Our carbon legacy must be eliminated
Carbon removal should be deployed to eliminate legacy carbon emissions already in our atmosphere; it’s not an excuse to keep using fossil fuels in the US.
Significant reductions need to happen right now
The climate science calls for us to reduce and remove emissions simultaneously. Carbon removal can’t slow efforts to rapidly decarbonize or be used to justify more pollution.
Community participation is essential
Solutions only work if they work for the most vulnerable communities. Project developers need to listen to and meaningfully address local community priorities through every step of their project.
Carbon removal can do more than address the climate crisis
If we do this right, carbon removal should be a source of both economic and environmental prosperity, bringing a range of benefits beyond climate.
Meet the people behind our progress
Carbon180 teammates with USDA scientists
We are policy experts and PhDs, community builders, and advocates brought together to tackle one of the world’s most pressing challenges. The diversity of ideas and experiences that this group brings makes for a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts and an organization unlike any other.
We’re doing the NGO thing differently. Historically, they’re rooted in harmful norms — we’re revolutionizing what a nonprofit can be and should be.
Treshia BarcliftManaging Director of Strategy and Operations
Join us on our journey
It’s going to take all of us and each of us working together to scale up the carbon removal movement. Whether you’re a new friend or you’ve been with us from the beginning, we’re grateful for your support.
Treshia BarcliftManaging Director of Strategy and Operations