Last week, the second edition of the Alt Futures Summit successfully wrapped in India, following three days of events and panels that reflected on the notable carbon dioxide removal (CDR) momentum this region has built during the past year.
Held in both Bengaluru and Darjeeling, the summit was organized with support from its partners that include remove, Mitsubishi Corporation, Ashoka University, Shastra VC, and the Indian Institute of Science.
This year’s Alt Futures summit focused on topics and discussions revolving around the idea of making the global south the leading frontier for climate action.
The event attracted international experts, banks, startups, investors, philanthropists, scientists, and government representatives, who convened together to discuss opportunities and pathways for further advancing the field of carbon removal in South Asia.
In a recent publication, remove recounts that one of the focal points of discussions was the power of philanthropic and concessionary capital for funding early-stage CDR pathways, noting as a major takeaway that developers shouldn’t just 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘺 investors should fund them, but rather explain how such funding would benefit the entire pathway.
The three-day summit also held a buyer’s panel moderated by remove co-founder Hans Westerhof, where speakers and the audience delved into the subject of turning one-off CDR purchases into long-term and more impactful carbon removal commitments.
During the event, remove also took the chance to announce its second India Accelerator Cohort, through which the company will continue to support innovative carbon removal startups across India, providing them with technical guidance, industry networking, and dedicated mentorship.
Relevant: remove India Accelerator Program Announcement: Carbon Startups Invited To Apply
On the last day of the event, attendees had the chance to visit Alt Carbon’s site in Darjeeling, where the company has deployed a carbon removal project that helps revitalize the climate change-impacted tea fields in this region while also improving the livelihoods of local farmers.
As shared by remove, this visit included trips to basalt spreading sites and the collection of soil and water samples, where participants got a firsthand experience of the local operations.
According to Hans Westerhof, during the trip, visitors got to see the Darjeeling Climate Action Lab, as well as attend the inauguration of the Renaissance biochar plant, both of which were built in 𝘢 record, few months time by the Alt Carbon team.
Read more: Alt Carbon Secures $12M In Seed Funding To Scale ERW In The Global South
