Cleaner Tech
Climeworks Is Cutting 22% of Staff as US Climate Backlash Hits Carbon Removal
Founded in 2009, Climeworks constructed a pilot plant in Iceland in 2021 followed by a larger version that began operations in 2024 and is still being built out.
Photographer: Heida Helgadottir/BloombergClimeworks AG is laying off 106 people, as startups that aim to reverse global warming face a reckoning with the US government slashing climate incentives and programs.
The Swiss startup was one of the first companies to develop direct-air capture (DAC) technology to suck carbon dioxide from the sky. It was set to start work building its largest to capture as much as 1 million tons of planet-warming carbon dioxide from the air after receiving a $50 million US government grant last year, with the possibility of securing a further $500 million during construction.