The first national carbon removal association, named Deutscher Verband für negative Emissionen e.V. (DVNE), was founded in Germany with the main goal of turning Germany into the global leader for carbon removal and helping the country achieve net-zero by 2045, according to the DVNE LinkedIn page.
Being the largest economy in Europe, and the 4th largest in the world, and a hub of scientific and industrial excellence with a history of leadership on environmental policy, Germany has the potential to play a central role in fighting climate change, according to the statement.
DVNE is a multi-stakeholder platform which will facilitate collaboration and the development of policies in Germany with the aim of realizing net-zero by 2045 (or sooner) and net-negative thereafter.
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The association will seek to inform the public about negative emissions and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and serve as a “coordinated and powerful voice” for the “flourishing CDR ecosystem in Germany”.
DVNE has 31 founding members who held the inaugural general assembly on Wednesday during which the statutes were passed, and a board of directors was elected.
Sebastian Manhart, Senior Policy Advisor at Carbonfuture, will be Chair of the Board, and Lisa Mangertseder, venture capitalist at Carbon Removal Partners, will be Vice-Chair.
The other board members include Stephanie Bischof from Airfix, Carolin Güthenke from Fachverband Pflanzenkohle e.V., Alexander Zeihe from Ecosystem Value Association e.V., Magnus Drewelies from CEEZER, and Christoph Beuttler from Climeworks.
As the German government is drafting several key policy packages, DVNE’s next steps this year include officially registering the association in Berlin and launching its website, starting outreach to stakeholders including the public, scientific institutions, and policy makers, and onboarding a team (executive director, policy manager, and comms manager).
By the end of the year, the association will also apply for charitable status and host its official launch event in Berlin, while continuing to recruit members and funders.
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