Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) 101
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The Urgency of Carbon Dioxide Removal
Understanding the Carbon Crisis
Since the Industrial Revolution, human activity has released an unprecedented volume of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other practices have led to a relentless buildup of CO2, now the primary driver of global warming. The result: rising temperatures, more frequent and severe weather events, and the accelerating thaw of polar ice.
Under the Paris Agreement, nations have committed to limiting global temperature rise to well below 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. However, this ambition is increasingly out of reach. The pace of decarbonisation has been insufficient, and even if emissions were reduced to zero tomorrow, the legacy of past emissions would still demand corrective action. This is where CDR comes in. To meet the Paris target, we must not only reduce future emissions but actively remove CO2 from the atmosphere to restore a more stable climate.
The role of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)
Carbon Dioxide Removal, or CDR, encompasses a range of strategies designed to extract CO2 from the atmosphere and sequester it in the long term. Unlike mitigation strategies like avoidance or reduction which are focused on preventing new emissions, CDR targets the excess carbon already in the atmosphere. This distinction makes it a vital complement to emissions reductions, with the potential to reverse some of the damage done and help restore the Earth’s climate to a more stable state.
Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Methods and Technologies
CDR encompasses a diverse array of methods and technologies, each with unique mechanisms, benefits, and challenges. Below, we delve into some of the most common CDR approaches today.
Natural solutions
Afforestation and Reforestation
One of the most intuitive and well-established CDR methods is tree planting. Afforestation is the planting of trees in areas that have not previously been forested. Reforestation is the restoration of forests in previously forested areas. Both Afforestation and Reforestation enhance the natural carbon sink provided by forests.
Trees absorb CO2 through photosynthesis, storing it in their biomass and the surrounding soil. These methods offer co-benefits such as biodiversity enhancement and ecosystem restoration. However, trees are only a temporary method of carbon removal and storage due to their limited lifespan.
Additionally, measuring the amount of carbon removed is difficult and wildly inaccurate. This makes planting trees a problematic CDR solution for companies to use when offsetting their hard-to-abate and unavoidable carbon emissions.
Soil Carbon Sequestration
Agricultural practices can be modified to increase carbon storage in soil using techniques such as cover cropping, reduced tillage, and agroforestry. These techniques also enhance soil fertility, increase crop yields and sequester carbon dioxide. Soil carbon sequestration is a win-win strategy for the agricultural sector. It not only removes more carbon but improves long-term yields, making agriculture more sustainable.
Ocean-based approaches
Ocean Fertilisation
Ocean fertilisation involves adding nutrients like iron to ocean waters to stimulate phytoplankton growth. Phytoplankton are microscopic plants that absorb CO2 during photosynthesis. When phytoplankton die, they sink to the ocean floor, sequestering the absorbed carbon. However, this approach is controversial due to potential ecological impacts and the complexity of marine ecosystems.
Alkalinity Enhancement
Boosting the alkalinity of seawater can improve its ability to absorb and retain CO2. This can be accomplished by introducing substances such as crushed olivine or other silicate minerals into the ocean. These substances react with CO2 to create stable bicarbonates and carbonates. This reaction increases the solubility of CO2 in seawater and traps carbon as it transforms into inorganic carbon that remains in the ocean indefinitely.
Enhancing alkalinity also aids in combating ocean acidification, primarily caused by atmospheric carbon dioxide gas dissolving into the ocean. This process reduces the water's pH, making the ocean more acidic and posing a significant risk to marine life.
Technological innovations
Direct Air Capture (DAC)
Direct Air Capture (DAC) is an innovative technology that employs chemical reactions to extract CO2 directly from the air. The collected CO2 can either be stored underground for good or used in different industrial applications.
DAC provides adaptability as it can be utilised in any location. It is also one of the few truly scalable options for removing and storing carbon, with precise techniques for measuring and tracking the quantity of carbon stored throughout its life cycle.
However, due to its lack of scale, it is currently energy-intensive and expensive. Nonetheless, Direct Air Capture is seen as a critical technology for carbon removal, so leading companies in the carbon removal space are investing heavily in developing new projects and buying Carbon Credits that will be retired in the future.
Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS)
BECCS combines bioenergy production with carbon capture and storage. Biomass is used to generate energy, and the resulting CO2 emissions are captured and sequestered underground. BECCS can achieve negative emissions, as the CO2 absorbed by the biomass during its growth exceeds the emissions from energy production.
The path to Carbon Negative and Beyond
Economic and policy considerations
The successful deployment of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) at scale requires significant investment, supportive policies, and market incentives. Governments and private sectors must collaborate to create a conducive environment for further development and the scaling of CDR technologies. Effective carbon pricing, subsidies for research and development, and regulatory frameworks are just some of the essentials to drive innovation and adoption of CDR.
Technological challenges and innovations
While the promise of CDR is vast, there are substantial technical and logistical hurdles to overcome. Many of the technologies—such as DAC and BECCS—are still in the early stages of development and face issues of cost, efficiency, and scalability. Addressing these challenges will require breakthroughs in materials science, renewable energy integration, and engineering. Public and private sectors must significantly increase investment in R&D to accelerate the maturation of these technologies, ensuring that they can be deployed at scale in time to avert the worst effects of climate change.
Environmental and social impacts
CDR strategies, particularly those involving land use or ocean manipulation, come with environmental and social risks. Large-scale tree planting, for example, must be carried out with careful consideration of food security and local land needs. Similarly, ocean-based techniques must be subject to rigorous oversight to prevent harm to marine ecosystems. Any CDR solution must be sustainable and equitable, with clear benefits for local communities, if it is to gain broad support and long-term viability.
The Potential of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)
Climate restoration
The ultimate promise of CDR is not merely to mitigate the impacts of climate change but to restore the Earth’s climate to a more stable, pre-industrial state. Achieving such climate restoration would not only help stabilise temperatures but could also reverse some of the damage to ecosystems and biodiversity while creating economic opportunities. But this is an ambitious goal, requiring the concerted effort of governments, industries, and civil society.
The role of innovation in realising this potential cannot be overstated. The rapid evolution of CDR technologies underscores the power of human ingenuity, but to scale these solutions to the level required, governments must create the right policy environment, and private companies must ramp up investment. Without significant funding and policy support, the vast potential of CDR will remain untapped.
Collaborative efforts
The scale of the climate crisis demands an all-hands-on-deck approach. Governments, industries, academia, and civil society must work together to develop and deploy CDR solutions. International collaboration will be critical for setting global standards, sharing knowledge, and ensuring that the benefits of CDR technologies are realised on a global scale.
Effective monitoring, reporting, and verification systems will also be necessary to track the progress of CDR efforts, ensure accountability, and attract further investment. Without these systems in place, the legitimacy and effectiveness of CDR efforts could be undermined.
Conclusion: Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) 101
Carbon Dioxide Removal offers a compelling solution to one of the most pressing challenges of our time: the urgent need to reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Though its deployment at scale remains an aspiration, the potential of CDR technologies to reverse the course of climate change is undeniable.
With the right investments, policies, and international cooperation, CDR can be a central pillar of the effort to limit global warming and secure a more sustainable future. The path to carbon neutrality is fraught with challenges, but with innovation, collaboration, and determination, a climate-restored world is still within reach.
