We are glad to present our renewed and curated list of 'Top 5 essential videos on carbon' as part of our Carbon Academy.

At illuminem, we take pride in calling ourselves the “Home” of Sustainability and support our community with quality information and resources to improve our climate knowledge and stay updated on the latest sustainability developments.

So, why is it important to understand carbon and its markets?

Carbon emissions are today the most discussed metric in the climate change debate, and carbon knowledge is key to developing business strategies or government policies addressing the environmental crisis. This list provides a comprehensive overview of key aspects in the carbon debate, including: carbon credit integrity, carbon pricing, carbon policy, carbon capture and storage, and the effectiveness of the carbon market in saving the climate. 

1. The carbon cycle is key to understanding climate change

Source: The Economist
Date: June 2020
Knowledge level: Beginner 💨

This evergreen educational video from The Economist introduces what carbon dioxide is, and how human activity has disrupted its balance in the Earth's atmosphere. What can be done to restore it?

2. Watch one year of carbon emissions take over the planet

Source: TIME
Date: June 2023
Knowledge level: Beginner 💨

37 billion tons is the amount of fossil-fuel-related carbon dioxide humans release into the atmosphere every year. This short clip from TIME allows us to see the damage carbon does, everywhere – from heat waves to floods to droughts to wildfires and more.

3. Carbon capture and storage. Inconvenient new data

Source: Just Have a Think
Date: January 2024
Knowledge level: Intermediate 🏭

Is it more cost-effective for humanity to pursue a CCS-heavy or CCS-light trajectory to achieve the 1.5°C target? Ultimately, carbon capture and storage should only be used when no viable emission reduction alternatives are available. In the video, researchers from the University of Oxford provide a contrasting view on the efficiency of carbon capture and storage (CCS) to reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 

4. The Basics of Carbon Markets

Source: Nasdaq
Date: April 2024
Knowledge level: Intermediate 🏭

Carbon markets enable companies to trade carbon credits, representing CO2 reductions, to offset their emissions. Watch this video to understand the division between compliance markets, which are regulated, and voluntary markets, where companies opt to reduce their carbon footprint. Nasdaq also addresses challenges such as lack of transparency in pricing and inefficiencies, emphasizing the need for improved technology and standardization.

5. The carbon capture question | FT Climate Capital

Source: Financial Times
Date: December 2023
Knowledge level: Intermediate 🏭

Can carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies really mitigate climate change? Can oil & gas companies be part of the clean-up when they have been part of the problem? This FT video takes a closer look at how CCS plants function and how they should not justify further extraction of oil & gas. The ultimate question remains – how cheap and how effective can these technologies become? 

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To read more about Carbon from our Sustainability Thought Leaders, click here. To delve deeper into the world of Carbon, visit our carbon capture & storage, carbon market, and carbon removal pages.