Carbon dioxide removal (CDR), including carbon capture and sequestration, was once derided as little more than a corporate ploy to prolong reliance on fossil fuels. But CDR is now recognized by leading global authorities as essential to any effort to accomplish Paris Agreement objectives. Notwithstanding this recognition, many authorities caution that the world may be too late to sufficiently scale and deploy CDR strategies at the magnitude necessary for the existing challenge to reduce carbon emissions necessary to avoid irreversible climate impacts—and they could be correct.
This article assesses these claims; puts in context the magnitude of CDR that climate advocates argue is necessary relative to its current utilization; outlines the existing regulatory, economic and political barriers and incentives to broad-scale CDR viability and deployment; and recommends strategies to accomplish the necessary ramp-up. While such scaling is unlikely to be feasible within the timeline urged by the Paris Agreement, CDR represents a vital step in the overall effort to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.
This article was originally published in Foundation of the Energy Law Journal. Read the full article here.
For further information on CDR and the necessity of efforts to meet Paris Agreement objectives, please contact David Smith.