(This page is under construction; photos and more information will be added.)
2023 Grantees:
Arctic Reflections, bv (AR, arcticreflections.earth) is a Dutch start-up aimed at restoring Arctic ice. AR seeks to counter sea ice loss employing a technique known as ice thickening. The thickness of existing ice is increased during winter months by pumping seawater onto the surface. Thicker ice is expected to last longer during the following summer months and increase solar radiation reflection, thereby reducing warming. CIEIF’s funding will assist AR in conducting a full assessment of impacts of an initial small-scale field test slated for the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard in early 2024, as well as retaining a consulting firm for predicting impacts of the technique at potential test sites in Nunavut, Canada.
Captura Corp. (capturacorp.com) is an American ocean carbon capture company. It has innovated an electrochemical technology for low-cost and scalable Direct Ocean Capture (DOC), which removes CO2 directly from seawater. The CO2-depleted seawater then is returned to the ocean with the regenerated capacity to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere. Captura’s long-term goal is to remove CO2 at gigaton scale by leveraging the ocean’s natural ability to absorb and store atmospheric CO2. CIEIF’s funding will support a holistic assessment, employing independent experts, of the potential biological and ecosystem impacts of the discharge plume from Captura’s 100-ton pilot operation located at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California.
International Biochar Initiative (IBI, biochar-international.org) is a global non-profit association working to scale biochar, which is a form of charcoal made from organic biomass, as a viable climate change solution and carbon removal technology. IBI has launched a project in Pakistan to assess how utilizing biochar can build resilience in Punjab province communities that are already at high risk from the impacts of climate change. Open burning of crop residues is common in Punjab and surrounding regions and it causes severe adverse effects on public health nationally. Making biochar of those residues should reduce greenhouse gas emissions and offer a solution to the health impacts, while also aiding economic development for local farmers through the potential for carbon removal credits, as biochar is an IPCC-recognized carbon dioxide removal technology. CIEIF will support a top-notch team of IBI researchers as well as local experts to initiate the Punjab field test while conducting environmental impact assessment, life cycle assessment, and public health impact analysis for it. CIEIF’s funding also has allowed IBI to obtain a matching grant from the Indus Climate Fund for a parallel project in Sindh province.
If you are interested in applying for a 2024 grant, see Guidelines for Grant Applications.