EPISODE · Apr 10, 2026 · 39 MIN
236. The Man Who Put Carbon Back Underground with Peter Reinhardt
from A Climate Change with Matt Matern · host Matthew Matern
Today, Matt speaks with Peter Reinhardt, co-founder and CEO of Charm Industrial, about one of the most ambitious bets in climate tech: putting carbon back underground permanently. Peter explains how Charm takes wood from wildfire thinning projects in the Colorado Rockies, converts it into bio-oil through a process called pyrolysis, and injects that carbon-rich liquid deep into sandstone formations in Louisiana — where it stays for millennia. They discuss the cost curve challenge, why most carbon offsets are ineffective, what it actually takes to scale carbon removal, and the bipartisan legislation that could unlock wildfire biomass as a climate solution. Peter also shares why California’s regulatory environment has been a barrier, how AI is helping Charm’s frontline teams, and where he sees the industry heading by 2030. Learn more about Charm Industrial at charmindustrial.com Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. Peter’s Bio: Peter Reinhardt is the co-founder and CEO of Charm Industrial, a carbon removal company with a simple but ambitious mission: put carbon back underground permanently. After co-founding Segment — a customer data platform acquired by Twilio for $3.2 billion in 2020 — Peter pivoted to climate, founding Charm in 2018. The idea: take agricultural waste that would otherwise rot or burn and release CO₂, convert it into a stable liquid, and inject it deep underground where it stays forever. With customers including Stripe, Microsoft, Google, JPMorgan Chase, and TD Bank, Charm has delivered more permanent carbon removals than the rest of the direct air capture industry combined. Peter holds a degree in aerospace engineering from MIT. Episode Resources Charm Industrial website: charmindustrial.com Matt Matern on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ACClinkedin A Climate Change on Apple: https://bit.ly/accapplepodcast A Climate Change on Spotify: https://bit.ly/accspotifypodcast A Climate Change on YouTube: https://bit.ly/ACCvids
What this episode covers
Peter Reinhardt sold his data company Segment to Twilio for $3.2 billion — then turned his attention to the climate crisis. Now, as CEO of Charm Industrial, he’s converting wildfire waste into a liquid that gets injected permanently underground. Matt and Peter dig into the science, the scale challenge, and why the carbon offset market was broken from the start.
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236. The Man Who Put Carbon Back Underground with Peter Reinhardt
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