Why Direct Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)?

Richard Probst

In this video, Richard explores the critical role of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) in the fight against climate change. He explains how CDR technologies, like Direct Air Capture and nature-based solutions, complement emission reductions to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. He further highlights the urgency of scaling these solutions to address hard-to-abate emissions, prevent climate overshoot, and protect ecosystems.

Carbon Capture and Storage

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Why Direct Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR)?

12 mins 40 secs

Key learning objectives:

Understand the role of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) in achieving net zero and addressing hard-to-abate emissions
Outline the need for urgent scaling of CDR technologies alongside significant emission reductions to prevent climate overshoot
Identify key CDR approaches, including nature-based and engineered solutions, and their potential for scalability
Understand how market demand, innovation, and policy support drive the development and deployment of CDR technologies

Overview:

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is critical for combating climate change by capturing and storing CO2 from the atmosphere. Technologies like Direct Air Capture remove CO2 and store it permanently underground, complementing emission reductions. While achieving net zero by 2050 requires cutting emissions by 90%, CDR addresses the remaining 10% of hard-to-abate emissions. Nature-based and engineered solutions must scale up rapidly to gigaton levels, supported by policy, innovation, and early market commitments. Urgent action is essential to avoid climate overshoot, protect ecosystems, and ensure economic resilience.

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Summary

Why is carbon dioxide removal (CDR) necessary in the fight against climate change?

Human activities have increased atmospheric CO2 levels from 280 ppm in the pre-industrial era to over 426 ppm today, driving severe climate impacts like rising sea levels, extreme weather, and ecosystem collapse. Even with a 90% reduction in emissions by 2050, at least 10%, equivalent to 6 gigatons of CO2, will remain as hard-to-abate emissions.

CDR is essential to bridge this gap by removing excess CO2 and storing it safely, ensuring we achieve net zero emissions and prevent climate overshoot. Scaling and integrating CDR technologies with emissions reductions can stabilise atmospheric CO2 levels, avoid catastrophic consequences, and even achieve negative emissions in the future, reversing past damage and paving the way for long-term climate stability

What is carbon dioxide removal (CDR), how does it work, and what are its key methods and technologies?

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) refers to strategies that extract CO2 from the atmosphere and store it permanently. Nature-based solutions like afforestation, soil carbon sequestration, and wetland restoration rely on natural processes to absorb carbon, while engineered approaches, such as Direct Air Capture, use machines to filter CO2 for underground storage or conversion into materials. Emerging methods like enhanced weathering speed up CO2 mineralisation. Together, these approaches complement emission reductions and help achieve net-zero emissions.

Why is there an urgency to scale up CDR technologies now?

At current emission rates, the carbon budget to stay below 1.5°C of warming will be depleted by 2030. CO2 accumulates in the atmosphere like water in an overflowing bathtub, causing long-term warming. Scaling CDR quickly prevents tipping points like ice sheet collapse or coral reef destruction. Delaying action also increases costs, undermines economic resilience, and reduces the chances of reaching net zero emissions by mid-century.

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Richard Probst

Richard Probst, an economist and lead of Climeworks' Carbon Dioxide Removal Advisory team, assists organisations in developing carbon dioxide removal strategies to achieve net zero targets. He works with sustainability leaders to develop long-term investment strategies for carbon removal solutions, removing emissions that organisations cannot reduce, even after fully utilising all carbon reduction levers. Richard is passionate about the rapidly evolving field and eager to explore carbon dioxide removal solutions with organisations. He began his career in management consulting at the Boston Consulting Group.

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