Rethinking Removals is a collaborative programme that acts as an integrator, accelerator and initiator to ensure that high-quality carbon removals reach the scale required to have impact by 2030.
We provide tools and support to foster a more coherent and aligned ecosystem that can develop solutions to enable exponential growth and high quality.
The programme is led by Valence Solutions, in partnership with the UNFCCC Climate Change Champions, South Pole, Climate Action Platform – Africa and supported by many others.
We want to amplify the efforts of the amazing people working to make carbon removals a reality. Get in touch – we love to talk!
We need a pipeline of high-quality carbon removal projects and sufficient human capital in place in multiple locations in the global North and South to enable the exponential growth required to reach the UNFCCC target of 100 Mt per year removal capacity by 2030 and to mature to continue exponential growth to 2050.
We need interested governments in both the global South and global North to “learn by doing” how to identify and implement policies, incentives, regulations and targets to get high-quality removals started, demonstrating their reality to others, while working through issues around both accountability and benefits.
Rethinking Removals is a neutral platform, funded by philanthropy and supported by pro bono contributions from Valence Solutions, the UNFCCC Climate Champions, South Pole
and Climate Action Platform – Africa
Gabrielle has been working on climate for almost 30 years. She founded Rethinking Removals when she realised that the topic was not on the mainstream climate agenda, despite a growing body of science that shows it is necessary. Gabrielle gives keynote addresses on climate to corporate audiences around the world, moderates high-level debates and works as an advisor at boardroom level. She has presented dozens of TV and radio programs for the BBC, was Climate Change editor at Nature and Features Editor at New Scientist. Gabrielle has a PhD from Cambridge University and is the author of four books.
Steve has more than 25 years’ experience of working for financial institutions, energy companies, governments and NGOs in a variety of strategic, operational and policy roles.He has considerable experience designing and facilitating conversations between a wide range of corporate and non-governmental sectors that help to create a shared understanding of challenges and innovative collaborative solutions to challenges around the energy and climate transition.
Delia provides thought-provoking content in written, spoken and interactive form to a broad range of global organizations, bringing clarity and fresh thinking to complex problems. At Rethinking Removals, she is developing the ecosystem map, designing conversations and working on content. She worked at The Economist Group for 20 years, launched a magazine on Eastern Europe, and led an emerging markets peer group for senior executives at global companies. She has worked on narratives and strategy with many global organisations, most recently with the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, the Wall St Journal, Northern Lights and Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Alex leads on technology and innovation for the UNFCCC Climate Champions – working under Nigel Topping, the UN High Level Champion for Climate Action. His work covers topics such as venture investing, commodity and carbon markets, cryptocurrencies, and novel carbon removal solutions. He was previously Chief of Staff for a rapidly growing AI business, and spent 5 years at McKinsey & Company, leading projects across the public, tech, and private equity sectors.
Ewa has close to 20 years’ experience working in large corporates in the energy and automotive industries, across four continents in various commercial, strategy and sustainability roles. She is an economist by training and holds an MBA. She spent the last decade designing and leading global sustainability programs (energy, transport, water and waste, resilient cities) and assessing impacts of climate change and energy transitions on the oil & gas business for Royal Dutch Shell. She is currently working with the Sustainable Markets Initiative to stimulate demand for low carbon products.
Sharon’s itchy feet and love of learning have led her down a non-linear path. She has been a graphic designer, English teacher, translator, researcher and a Shiatsu therapist. She has produced research instruments specifically for use with children in Mexico and the UK, and translated psychotherapy books and numerous academic articles on tourism and development. As a result of her wandering, Sharon has gained a wide range of creative, organisational and communications skills. She she can design a logo, arrange a diary, proofread articles, update a website and help ease your backache all in the same day, all with a unique combination of professionalism and humour.
Eli Mitchell-Larson leads the team at Carbon Gap, a new independent and philanthropically-funded carbon removal advocacy NGO in Europe. At Oxford Net Zero, he develops policies and frameworks to deliver enduring net zero emissions. Recent work includes the Oxford Offsetting Principles and advising Fortune 500 companies on carbon removal procurement at Carbon Direct. Previously, he worked as an impact investor (New Island Capital) and off-grid solar entrepreneur (SunFarmer).
Christiaan has over 10 years experience working on climate issues. He currently works as Senior Manager for Carbon Removal Platforms at South Pole, a global sustainability consultancy. He delivers high-quality consultancy mandates related to engineered carbon dioxide removal methods and conventional carbon capture and storage, with a focus on managing multi-stakeholder action platforms. Christiaan has a public affairs background in EU energy and climate policy and industrial decarbonisation issues in the Benelux region.
Carlijn Nouwen is a co-founders of Climate Action Platform – Africa, a novel platform that works to help unlock Africa’s potential as a global hub for climate action that underpins a new climate smart model of economic growth and inclusive livelihoods. The platform’s work is informed by the realisation that Africa’s demographics, growth trajectory and natural resource endowments, coupled with its extremely low levels of current carbon emissions, allow the continent to aspire to not just net-zero but a substantial net-negative carbon footprint sooner than any other part of the world. Carlijn has focused on CAP-A full-time since October 2021, leading its data and analytics work and shaping both CAP-A’s strategy and its various programmes.
Carlijn’s work focuses on competitiveness, inclusive industrialisation and inclusive business and investment in Africa. Prior to founding CAP-A, she spent nearly a decade as a partner with Dalberg Advisors in Africa, leading Dalberg’s inclusive business work. In this role, she developed and pioneered Dalberg’s toolkit on competitiveness assessment and investment prioritisation, leading tens of projects in this space across sectors and countries for public, private and social sector clients. Prior to Dalberg, Carlijn spent 7 years at McKinsey and Company in the Netherlands and worked for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She holds a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Science (cum laude) from the Eindhoven University of Technology.
Dylan is a climate investment specialist at South Pole, a global sustainability consultancy. Working on climate innovation, impact funds and action platforms, his focus is currently on establishing carbon removals as a credible instrument in the voluntary climate market and beyond. Previously, he was developing climate change adaptation and mitigation projects for funding by the GCF and GEF. Dylan has an MSc in Climate Change, Development and Policy from the Institute of Development Studies.
As Carbon Removals Lead, Ashleigh seeks to increase international ambition and action towards just and effective carbon removals at the giga ton scale. She emphasises using systems thinking to understand and unpack the linkages between nature, government, markets and communities to ensure success. In addition to her role in the UNFCCC Climate Champions Team, Ashleigh is a Senior Consultant in Deloitte Venture’s Climate Change & Environment Studio. The studio originates technology-based sustainability opportunities with clients and start-ups at an exciting time for climate action. She has a MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management from the University of Oxford.
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