Lamont Paleoclimatologist Maureen Raymo Receives the 2026 Nemmers Prize – State of the Planet

Abatify Summary

Nature & Climate Perspective

**Paleoclimatological insights provide the critical historical baseline necessary for validating the permanence and additionality of modern nature-based sequestration projects. **

Deep-time climate modeling informs LULUCF benchmarks by distinguishing anthropogenic carbon fluxes from natural orbital and geological variability.
Maureen Raymo's research into sea-level history provides the empirical foundation for assessing the long-term viability and risk of Blue Carbon initiatives under future warming scenarios.
Historical CO2 feedback loops identified through paleoclimatology are essential for defining the 'Permanence' criteria within the ICVCM Core Carbon Principles, ensuring sequestered carbon remains out of the atmosphere.

Market & Policy Outlook

**Scientific leadership in Earth systems grounds carbon market regulations like Article 6. 4 in empirical geological evidence, reducing the risk of over-crediting.**

The integration of historical climate data into financial models improves the robust quantification of carbon credits, directly aligning with ICVCM requirements for high-integrity market standards.
Recognition of academic pioneers accelerates the professionalization of climate risk reporting within SBTi and TCFD-aligned corporate compliance frameworks.
Advancements in Earth system sciences facilitate more accurate long-term pricing for high-durability Technical Carbon Removals by better predicting future earth-system responses to mitigation.

Raymo received the award for her pioneering development of hypotheses that explain climate change across Earth’s history, and her educational leadership in the Earth system sciences.

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Read full article at news.climate.columbia.edu

Article 6.4 LULUCF ICVCM SBTi Blue Carbon