Inside Verdant Global: How Algae Is Powering the Carbon Removal Revolution in the race to tackle the climate emergency.

On 1st May 2025, London recorded its hottest ever start to May a searing 293°C. Though many may have welcomed the warmth, the record temperature is a red flag for climate scientists and a sobering reminder of why urgent progress toward net zero is non-negotiable. This is not simply weather it’s a manifestation of a system in breakdown.

In tandem, the UK’s farming community faces another drought-threatened season, following an unseasonably dry April. Farmers are voicing growing concern over soil degradation, water stress, and unpredictable crop cycles. These are not isolated disruptions but indicators of a systemic shift with implications for food security, rural economies, and ecological stability.

Addressing these issues demands more than emissions reductions it requires collective innovation, systemic thinking, and courageous leadership capable of uniting sectors, stakeholders, and strategies alongside a conglomerate of innovators to drive change and tackle the climate emergency head on.

Algae Is Powering the Carbon Removal: Why Climate Events Are Critical Catalysts

In this context, global climate forums such as Innovation Zero, the Blue Earth Summit, and the upcoming London Climate Action Week (LCAW) have never been more essential. These convenings are not just about showcasing new technologies they are about building shared direction, trust, and momentum around net zero delivery within a focused community.

At Innovation Zero, leaders from government, business, and science gathered to explore how to move beyond pledges to scalable, science-aligned implementation. The focus extended beyond energy and industry decarbonisation, carbon capture, carbon removals to encompass circular economies, and finance mechanisms capable of driving change at pace.

The Blue Earth Summit challenged attendees to think boldly, highlighting the role of climate entrepreneurs, cross-sector alliances, and nature-tech synergies. Its central message was clear: achieving net zero cannot be done solo. It is a collective effort requiring new forms of collaboration and accountability.

As one of the largest independent climate events globally, LCAW further integrates these efforts by linking policy design, private investment, and community-led action. The value of these events lies in their ability to convert insight into initiative, and discussion into measurable delivery.

Verdant Carbon Zero is proud to engage in this ecosystem contributing expertise from the frontier of carbon removal while forming new partnerships that advance both technological innovation and global equity.

Strategic Continuity and New Leadership

Amid this critical juncture, Verdant Carbon Zero is proud to announce the promotion of Christopher Wood to Chief Executive Officer. Formerly Chief Strategy Officer at our parent company Verdant Global Limited, Christopher brings a depth of experience that bridges climate science, innovation strategy, and corporate leadership to propel verdant Global to the next level.

During his tenure as CSO, Christopher spearheaded Verdant’s bioengineering innovations, championed our flagship microalgae-based direct air capture systems, and helped forge strategic partnerships across carbon removal, renewable energy, and circular economy domains.

Now, as CEO, Christopher assumes responsibility for Verdant Carbon Zero’s next growth phase including the deployment of Phase II carbon removal systems, which offer improved energy optimisation, enhanced absorption rates, and next-generation dMRV (digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification) capabilities.

His leadership marks a strategic evolution for Verdant Carbon Zero: one that reinforces our commitment to long-term climate impact, internal development, and global collaboration. As our Chair Mr Wicks noted, “The ability to align long-term business value with environmental responsibility is exactly what this next chapter requires.”

Building a Credible Carbon Removal Economy

The science is unequivocal: if we are to limit global warming to the current 1.5°C or even 2°C, we must not only reduce emissions but also remove vast volumes of CO₂ already in the atmosphere. This makes high-integrity carbon removal an essential not optional pillar of the climate transition.

Yet the voluntary carbon market remains fragmented, with inconsistent standards and variable quality. At Verdant Carbon Zero, we are working to establish a new benchmark. We:

• Deploy highly robust calibrated instrumented measurement systems for real-time carbon capture validation data

  
  

• Deploy AI-led environmental systems to economise system operations

  
  

• Ensure every credit is underpinned by transparency, permanence, and traceability

  
  

• Design solutions that complement nature-based systems, rather than replace them

These principles underpin our technology, but they also guide our partnerships. From infrastructure developers to academic collaborators, we work across borders and disciplines because climate change is global and so must be the solutions.

The Path Ahead: Shared Purpose, Shared Action

The climate crisis will not be solved by any one company, sector, or government. But what is increasingly clear is that collective innovation, grounded in trust and science, offers our best path forward.

From record-breaking heat to agricultural uncertainty, the urgency is escalating. But so is our capacity to act. Events like Innovation Zero and Blue Earth Summit and the global collaboration embodied by LCAW show us that the tools and alliances we need are already emerging.

Under Christopher Wood’s leadership, Verdant Carbon Zero will continue to deliver evidence-based carbon removal at scale, while supporting a broader agenda of technological integrity, climate equity, and cross-sector innovation.

We are proud to be part of a green community that does not wait for change but builds it, together.

Learn more about how our algae Is powering the carbon removal landscape at www.verdantcarbonzero.co.uk

Follow the journey and connect with Christopher Wood on LinkedIn.