Carbon Balance Initiative is an independent climate policy NGO working to align the fossil fuel and industrial sectors with geological net zero
Born out of University of Oxford, we combine academic rigour with policy strategy to close the most urgent gaps in climate regulation
A world where bold, effective policy achieves geological net zero and keeps warming well below 2°C, whilst striving to return to 1.5°C
We founded Carbon Balance Initiative at Oxford Net Zero, University of Oxford, to build the kind of climate organisation we couldn’t find: one that has a foot in academia and a foot in government. Our mission then – and now – is to take the most credible ideas in climate science and make them work in policy.
We believe meeting climate goals means confronting an uncomfortable truth: we will produce more CO₂ than Paris-aligned carbon budgets allow. That means we must permanently store the excess, not with offsets or accounting tricks, but with geological-scale carbon storage. This is geological net zero, and it's a non-negotiable part of stopping global warming.
From an idea to an initiative
Our journey began in 2022 with a walk through University Parks in Oxford and a shared frustration: groundbreaking research wasn’t translating into real-world policy and regulation. We pitched the idea of a focused advocacy initiative on producer responsibility and carbon storage mandates. With support from early advisors and funders, Carbon Balance Initiative was launched.
What began as a two-person campaign has grown into a nimble organisation working across multiple jurisdictions. We’ve contributed to UK, EU, and international policy debates, helping shape regulatory frameworks, strengthen targets, and bringing long-term climate and industrial policy into the heart of climate strategies.
Where we are today
Carbon Balance now works at the frontier of policy innovation. Our focus is on making net zero credible and enforceable, particularly in the fossil fuel and industrial sectors. We do this by:
Partnering with governments to shape carbon storage regulation, and ambition
Bridging academia and policymaking with clear, credible research
Challenging fossil exceptionalism through new and strong obligations