CO₂-removal News

Peer-reviewed Publications

Li & Liu (2024): Legal pathways for China’s blue carbon conservation: a perspective of synergizing ocean and climate rule of law

Haitang Li, Yu Liu IN: Frontiers in Marine Sciences 11, 1497767, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1497767

This study first elucidates the importance of blue carbon conservation and its basis in international law, and then analyzes the progress and shortcomings of China’s efforts in blue carbon protection in the areas of legislation, enforcement, and judicial practices related to ocean governance and climate change mitigation. Finally, from the perspective of coordinating ocean and climate governance, this paper proposes legal pathways to improve blue carbon conservation. 

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Xie et al. (2024): Negative emissions technologies in energy system models and mitigation scenarios – a systematic review

Weipeng Xie, Vahid Aryanpur, Paul Deane, Hannah E. Daly IN: Applied Energy 380, 125064, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2024.125064

Modelled scenarios within Integrated Assessment Models and Energy Systems Models indicate that limiting global temperature rise to safe levels will require some dependence on negative emissions technologies. However, the representation of NETs varies significantly across models, leading to differences in their roles across mitigation scenarios. BECCS and DACCS are two possible solutions that are directly related to the energy system. Here, we perform a systematic review of the representation of BECCS and DACCS within ESMs and IAMs, exploring their roles in decarbonisation scenarios and identifying how NETs contribute to energy system transition pathways.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Apergi et al. (2024): Productive in disagreement: stakeholder deliberation insights on carbon dioxide removal in Germany

Maria Apergi, Mary Hellmich, Samuel Eberenz, Matthias Honegger, Sabine Reinecke, Dennis Tänzler IN: Frontiers in Climate 6, 145613, https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2024.1465613

Attention to carbon dioxide removal in climate policy is growing, and many CDR methods such as direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS) are controversial. As such, broadening knowledge creation to include stakeholder perspectives upstream of policy is important. This exploratory study provides insights into the stakeholder engagement process of a transdisciplinary research project and its findings regarding co-creative CDR policy design and evaluation.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

McQueen & Drennan (2024): The use of warehouse automation technology for scalable and low-cost direct air capture

Noah McQueen, David Drennan IN: Frontiers in Climate 6, 1415642, https://doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2024.1415642

In this study, the authors discuss Heirloom’s approach to DAC, which uses naturally occurring minerals, namely, calcium carbonate (CaCO3), in a cyclic process that leverages warehouse automation systems previously developed for large warehouses. The integration of DAC with warehouse automation systems unlocks a degree of manufacturability, scalability, operational efficiency, and financial viability. For successful scaling, DAC technologies and project developers must think through key scalability constraints, including modularity, constructability, supply chains, and leveraging existing infrastructure.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Nature – Wei et al. (2024): A 2-year pure biochar addition enhances soil carbon sequestration and reduces aggregate stability in understory conditions

Jiabin Wei, Youqing Li, Juan Li, Wei Yan, Qi Yin, Hongwei Jiang, Zongling Li, Jinyu Jiang, Yu Li, Yu Yao, Lang Zhang IN: Scientific Reports 14, 30122, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-81232-1

The enhancement of soil aggregate size and stability is crucial for mitigating climate change and improving carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems. Biochar, derived from rice husks, has been suggested as an effective mean to increase soil carbon storage. However, isolating biochar’s specific effects on soil aggregate formation and carbon sink capacity can be complex due to the overlapping influences of fertilization and understory vegetation cultivation. In this study these variables were circumvented by incorporating different amounts of biochar into plantation soil without any additional cultivation or fertilization, conducting a detailed two–year field experiment. 

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Da Costa et al. (2024): A comparative analysis of GHG inventories and ecosystems carbon absorption in Brazil

Luis Miguel da Costa, Aaron Davitt, Gabriela Volpato, Gislaine Costa de Mendonça, Alan Rodrigo Panosso, Newton La Scala Jr IN: Science of The Total Environment, 958, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177932

While the overall global increase in emissions is due to fossil fuel operations, Brazil has as its primary emitter from forestry and land use, and agriculture sectors. Though these sectors can emit, both can play an important role in mitigating global warming, due to the natural ecosystem and agroecosystem capability of carbon absorption. The authors aimed to understand the impact of carbon removal on Brazil’s national inventory. For that, they compared two GHG inventories – Climate TRACE and SEEG – and explored how precipitation and photosynthesis impact their estimates to determine how the inventories capture seasonal variability.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Yuan et al. (2024): Biochar effects on aggregation and carbon-nitrogen retention in different-sized aggregates of clay and loam soils: A meta-analysi

Xiaomai Yuan, Guichen Ban, Yibao Luo, Jinrong Wang, Dingjiao Peng, Run Liang, Tieguang He, Ziting Wang IN: Soil and Tillage Research, 247, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2024.106365

Biochar offers environmental benefits, such as enhanced soil aggregation and carbon sequestration. However, its effect on soil aggregation and organic carbon and nitrogen sequestration across soil textures remains unclear. In this systematic review, the results of 534 experiments reported in 100 peer-reviewed articles were analyzed.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Science – Sánchez  et al. (2024): Plankton food web structure and productivity under ocean alkalinity enhancement

Nicolás Sánchez, Silvan U. Goldenberg, Daniel Brüggemann, Cornelia Jaspers, Jan Taucher, Ulf Riebesell IN: Science Advances, 10, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ado0264

The authors tested a CO2-equilibrated ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) deployment in a close-to-natural community using in situ mesocosms in the oligotrophic subtropical North Atlantic and assessed metazoan zooplankton to inform about food web stability, structure, and production. In addition, a literature review complemented experimental results by summarizing physiological responses of marine animals to decreasing proton concentrations, or increased pH.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Julia Pongratz et al. (2024): The state of carbon dioxide removal through afforestation and reforestation

Julia Pongratz, Clemens Schwingshackl, Thomas Gasser, Andrea Castanho, Giacomo Grassi IN: Proceedings of the 11th International Carbon Dioxide Conference

Here the authors present new estimates of CDR by A/R based on multiple bookkeeping models (those also used in GCP’s 2023 global carbon budget). They compare these with estimates of A/R and forest management based on the NGHGIs after correcting for natural fluxes. CDR through A/R amounts to 1,860 MtCO2 (1,160-2,230 MtCO2; full range across models) per year globally, averaged over 2013-2022. CDR in managed forests based on NGHGIs is 2000 MtCO2 per year over the same period.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Harrington et al. (2024). Current rates of CO2 removal due to rock weathering in the UK

Kirsty J Harrington, Gideon M Henderson, Robert G Hilton IN: Science of the Total Environment DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177458

In the United Kingdom, the variable bedrock geology and long-legacy of anthropogenic land use provide challenges to isolating carbonate and silicate mineral weathering, meaning the we lack constraint on an important flux in the UK’s carbon cycle. Here the authors use river chemistry data collected over 40 years for 52 catchments across the UK and apply a geochemical inversion model (MEANDIR) to assess the silicate and carbonate contributions to UK river chemistry, and to estimate the CO2 consumption from natural weathering.

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