Spiritus, a climate tech company specialising in carbon removal through Direct Air Capture (DAC), is taking action to offset the carbon emissions from Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol’s private jet travel. Following its recent pledge to eliminate the CO2 emissions from Taylor Swift’s jet trip from Tokyo to the Super Bowl, Spiritus is now offering to remove 100 tons of CO2 generated by Niccol’s flights in September in exchange for Starbucks’ iconic Pumpkin Spice Lattes (PSLs). This carbon removal effort is valued at $50,000, which would equate to approximately 10,000 PSLs.
Starbucks’ newly-appointed CEO, Brian Niccol, has been facing criticism after it was revealed that he will commute nearly 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from his family home in Newport Beach, California, to the company’s headquarters in Seattle using a corporate jet.
Spiritus utilises passive sorbent technology that mimics the natural function of human lungs, efficiently capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air. The goal is to reduce DAC costs to under $100 per ton—significantly lower than the current industry average of $600-$1,000 per ton. Just as lungs filter oxygen from the air, Spiritus’ advanced materials selectively capture CO2, allowing the system to “breathe in” polluted air and release cleaner air.
This approach enables Spiritus to offer affordable carbon removal solutions for all types of organisations, from those just beginning to address their carbon footprint to high-profile sources of emissions like private jets.
“We get it, Brian — flying by private jet beats sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. But when your preferred commuting style leads to serious CO2 emissions, Spiritus is here to help. That’s why we’re going to remove your private flight emissions from the air for September. We appreciate you getting the PSL out ahead of schedule, and we can’t wait to enjoy them. We hope you’ll take us up on our offer to pay for your jet’s carbon removal in pumpkin spice lattes. Obviously, we love the PSL,” said Charles Cadieu, CEO of Spiritus.
By linking the removal of 100 tons of CO2 to Niccol’s jet emissions, Spiritus is showcasing how DAC technology can mitigate “hard-to-abate” emissions. In many cases, emissions are unavoidable due to cost or complexity, and this is where carbon removal through DAC becomes essential in combating pollution and reducing global warming.
“The only thing that should be heating up this fall is your latte, not the planet. As we all enjoy our PSLs this fall, let’s challenge corporations to take responsibility for their CO2 emissions and take action with carbon removal,” continued Cadieu.
