Interview with our CEO Glenn Morley

"Europe needs carbon removal and carbon removal needs Europe. Carbon Gap’s mission is to make Europe a global leader."

-Glenn Morley, CEO

What brought you to carbon removal and leading Carbon Gap?

I had spent almost a decade working in impact, after leaving finance and management consulting to apply myself to real world problems. I was frustrated with the failure to translate talk on climate into effective action, at the speed and scale necessary. The challenge is fixable if we organise. Carbon Gap’s mission is to support the development of carbon removal capacity in Europe, one of the largest organisation challenges Europe will ever face. I was drawn to this challenge.

How would you explain Carbon Gap’s mission to people outside the Climate ecosystem?

It is very simple. Carbon removal is the missing critical component in net zero pledges. Europe needs carbon removal and carbon removal needs Europe. Carbon Gap’s mission is to make Europe a global leader.

What does success look like for Carbon Gap in, say, 5 years?

Effective, safe and ethical carbon removal is accepted as a core pillar of climate action. Carbon Gap will build broad support for carbon removal in Europe, necessary to deliver exponential growth in removal capacity.

Why does Carbon Gap focus exclusively on carbon removal? Why focus on Europe?

Carbon Gap was born out of the need for an organisation that could focus exclusively on accelerating the development of carbon removal in Europe. There is no organisation dedicated exclusively to all scientifically viable forms of carbon removal in Europe. Carbon Gap exists to address this need, by supporting the creation of a rich carbon removal ecosystem and securing the necessary policy support. We will participate in the global carbon removal conversation and leverage this to advance carbon removal in Europe on a continental and individual state level. We are building a European platform to do this and have established a policy centre in Brussels.

What do you think are the biggest challenges for carbon removal?

The belief that you can delay development of solutions and capacity until after you have reduced or removed emissions.

How do you personally strive to make a difference?

My contribution will be translating the mission into precisely targeted action and an organisation that can deliver it.

What have been the best moments of your experience at Carbon Gap?

There have been two: the launch of our first major European policy advocacy campaign on CRC-F [certification] and seeing the response from stakeholders; and bringing our team together for the first time in-person. My role has been to bring together a team of committed mission allies, and build the platform that allows them to do their best work. I am here to serve the needs of the ecosystem and support policymakers and other stakeholders to make the best choices for the climate.

What qualities and values are you looking for to build the team?

Alignment with our carbon removal mission. Commitment. Ambition. Agility. Resilience. Kindness.