Inspiring stories from our community
Our mission is to enable one billion people to take climate action by removing CO₂ from the air. Our Climeworks Pioneers dare to reclaim control of our climate future by taking meaningful action, now.
But each of their journeys is unique, and yours will be too. Hear the voices of Climeworks Pioneers and consider how you and those around you can make an impact.
Together, let's drive the change we need.
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Voices of Climeworks Pioneers
We are so lucky to have the support of passionate people and driven businesses. This community has inspired us every day for over 5 years now! Our goal is to spread this inspiration and commitment to action. We hope that sharing the voices of our Climeworks Pioneers will help others identify and join them!
We’re always collecting more stories, and would love to receive yours! In the meantime, hear the voices of some Climeworks Pioneers below.
Maiko, from Japan
“I purchase Climeworks carbon removal simply as a mother of a child, to give him an eternal gift. Therefore the purchases have been made under his name, and the first purchase was on his birthday in 2021.
One of the wishes that any parent would think of for their children is for them to always be in good health and live in a favorable environment, and this is one thing I can do for him and the future generation.”
What would the future ideally look like to you?
Human activities do not have any further negative impacts, and humans can also act harmoniously as part of the global ecosystem.
Do you have a message for anyone who reads your story?
As far as I know, Climeworks is the main DAC company that lets individuals join the journey of carbon removal. There are many ways to reduce CO₂ emissions, but those are still insufficient to offset what we emit throughout our lives. DAC technologies and Climeworks provide more proactive opportunities for people from anywhere in the world willing to take responsibility for the future climate and environment.
Maiko summarizes her motivations as follows:
Supporting a company and industry I believe in and putting my money to work for the climate with a tangible solution
Feeling better about my unavoidable emissions and lifestyle choices
Maiko does this for:
Her kids/future kids and family
Future generations
Maiko identifies as:
Acting as an individual
Living in a medium-sized city
Stefano, from Italy
“A few years ago, after a project that required multiple flights, I realized that my work was contributing to the very problem I sought to solve. In response, I turned to Climeworks to remove part of my emissions. Despite the costs, I continue to reconcile best I can my commitment to carbon removal and climate action with my professional obligations, knowing that even small steps can make a big difference.”
Everyone can make a difference in their own way. My message is simple: Find what works for you, and help others find out too. There's no one-size-fits-all solution, but we all have a part to play."
Vision for the future:
Stefano envisions a world where governments and corporations lead the fight against the climate crisis. However, I also feel the urgency for individual action, stressing that every effort counts, even if we are "drops in the ocean." He has adjusted his lifestyle and encourages others to find the solutions that work for them.
Stefano summarizes his motivations as:
Supporting a company and industry I believe in
Purchasing carbon removal credits as I track my emissions and offset
Acting as an entrepreneur
Stefano does this for:
Himself
The world
His business
Stefano identifies as:
Male, aged 25—34
Living in a major city
Freelancer and entrepreneur
Matthew, from Switzerland
“It seemed so obvious! The climate challenge we have cannot be attached with any one approach, we need many. My own personal journey has been about reducing my footprint in terms of consumption, installing solar panels, using less direct electricity, and offsetting what I am still generating. In the wider world, reducing consumption is a piece, cleaner generation is a piece and carbon removal MUST be a piece as well. As such, it was an easy decision to support Climeworks - I also sponsor trees in the Amazon.’’
Do what you can. Every little helps. A lot of people contributing small amounts (reducing footprint) adds up to bigger amounts. Buy locally, walk or bike more, buy less clothes, reduce your meat consumption by just a bit, and so on.’’
Vision for the future:
Matthew envisions a world where there is increased unity to shift how we source energy, improve distribution grids and grid storage, better support for micro-generation of power, and less externalization of the true cost of carbon.
Matthew summarizes his motivations as:
Supporting a company and industry I believe in
Feeling better about my unavoidable emissions and lifestyle choices
Matthew does this for future generations and views his purchases as support to a good cause.
More voices from the community
Aria Luna, California
What inspired you to become a climate activist?
My mom. She told me about the plastic pollution of the oceans and I also saw a lot of news about wildfires and floods. So I’m happy to be able to raise awareness with my work. If I ever get a really big platform, I want to raise even more money for good causes.
JP, London
What inspired you to join the Climeworks community?
Climeworks technology is another vital part of what we need to help solve humanity’s greatest existential threat – the overheating of our planet. With my support, I am keen to help Climeworks and many others bring this technology to mass scale and ensure drawdowns contribute a major part to controlling our GHG build up.
Jackson Selby, USA
Tell us a little bit about your project/website.
My website, www.trees4humans.com, was created to help promote awareness of climate change among students and to help bring about a better future for us. This began as a homeschool project which focused on trees and climate change including new technologies and innovative ways to help reduce the impact of CO₂ emissions. I have continued to update the site with exciting advancements in technology and additional websites I have discovered.
Why did you choose to feature Climeworks?
The Climeworks mission is interesting and innovative. I knew I wanted to be a part of it somehow. Given enough time, I believe that the ORCA is a revolutionary design that could – and should - change the world for the better.
What would the future ideally look like to you?
People and nature working in tandem for the benefit of humanity and the planet as a whole. Innovative technologies like Climeworks will become commonplace.
Dirk Paessler, Founder & CEO, Carbon Drawdown Initiative
Every CO₂ molecule taken out of the atmosphere and stored safely in the ground has an immediate cooling effect - while every additionally emitted CO₂ molecule increases warming for decades.
Dan Pulzello, New York
James Johnston, California
Michael Wood, Missoula
Mara Wickerhauser Bún, Queensland
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