Rory Jacobson
Head of Policy
Environmental Science & Policy + Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage (BiCRS) + Direct Air Capture (DAC) + Project Assurance
As Head of Policy at Carbon Direct, Rory leverages his background to design and analyze the impact of energy and agricultural policy from the global scale to project-level. Rory brings extensive expertise on state, national, and international emissions and energy policies to guide successful project investment and ensure regulatory compliance across the carbon management ecosystem.
Rory Jacobson is the Head of Policy at Carbon Direct. Previously, he served as the Director of the Carbon Dioxide Removal program within the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In previous roles at DOE, Jacobson has supported and coordinated FECM’s carbon removal and management programs and projects.
Prior to joining DOE, Jacobson was a Deputy Director of Policy at Carbon180, where he managed the federal policy portfolio for engineered carbon removal pathways. He has led carbon management research and analysis in multiple roles, including with the Natural Resources Defense Council and the World Resources Institute, and Carbon Direct. Jacobson received his master’s in environmental management from the Yale School of Forestry, where he was a Kerry Fellow.
Education
Master of Environmental Management (MEM)
Yale School of Forestry
B.S. Society and Environment, B.A. Rhetoric
University of California, Berkeley
Awards
Kerry Fellowship (2021-2022)
Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs
Secretary’s Honor Award (2023)
U.S. Department of Energy
