Nature based solutions to climate change

May 1, 2020

Conservation agriculture: farming carbon into soils?

Conservation agriculture builds up carbon in soil. It can sequester 3-15 bn tons of CO2 per year, generating carbon credits, while restoring loss-making farmlands to exceptional profitability. Fertilizer demand would be decimated. This 17-page report outlines the opportunity, costs, CO2-removal, winners and losers.

Restoring soil carbon: the economics?

We model the economics for conservation agriculture to restore soil carbon. 5-30T of CO2 can be sequestered per acre per year, while deflating farm costs by 36-73% and raising yields 10-20%. This would transform crop-growing economics from marginal to material.

March 12, 2020

How to structure a decarbonized gas value chain?

Gas value chains are the largest and lowest cost decarbonization opportunity on the planet, commercialising zero carbon energy for an incremental cost below $1/mcfe ($17/ton of CO2). This compares with end gas prices of $4-14/mcf and other CO2 mitigation options up to $800/ton. This 15-page note outlines how to structure a decarbonized gas value chain,…

Carbon Funds to Decarbonize Natural Gas

Natural gas can be decarbonized for a $1/mcf premium, which is used to seed new forests. Attractive cash flows and economics are modelled here. c50% of the carbon premia are dedicated to a carbon fund. It guarantees future CO2 obligations, optimizes emissions reductions, and finally disburses remaining funds.

Should fuel retail stations sell carbon credits: the economics?

A fuel-retail station can uplift its FCF and valuation by c15-25% by offering CO2-offsets at the point of sale, alongside selling fuel. Gross profits from selling $50/ton carbon credits may be around 3x the typical EBIT margins of retail stations, hence we explore a particular sales model that can double fuel retail NPVs.

Carbon Offsets vs Renewable Diesel?

Could the rise of reforestation initiatives erode the value of renewable diesel? This data-file calculates purchasing CO2-credits to decarbonise diesel could cost 60-90% less than purchasing renewable diesel, at current pricing. Economically justified premia for biofuels are calculated.