University graduate scoops $5m prize for a world-leading idea

A FORMER Durham University student with a world-leading carbon capture idea has secured a $5m international prize thanks to support from Newcastle University students.

- TOM KEIGHLEY

Jim Mann, an ecology graduate, says he wants his business, Undo, to become the world's largest carbon remove company.

Northumberland fieldwork carried out in collaboration with Newcastle University has helped give credibility to Undo's process of spreading volcanic dust on farmland - a material that captures a vast amount of carbon from the air and can increase crop yields.

This week, Mr Mann travelled to New York where he received the $5m award from the internationally renowned Xprize competition to scale up the business.

Thanks to Undo's work with Newcastle University, the process known as enhanced rock weathering was shown to make farmland more productive, reduce the amount of harmful phosphates flowing into streams and rivers and capture carbon.