CO2-removal News

Peer-reviewed Publications

Nature – Ampah et al. (2025): Scaling carbon removal without delaying emission reductions

Jeffrey Dankwa Ampah, Chao Jin, Haifeng Liu, Felix Schenuit, Sandylove Afrane, Humphrey Adun, David T. Ho, David Morrow, Yang Ou, Xuan Zhang & Haewon McJeon, IN: Nature Reviews Clean Technology, https://doi.org/10.1038/s44359-025-00081-x

Depending on policy design, carbon dioxide removal could either perpetuate fossil fuel consumption and slow emission reductions or, if paired with rapid emission reductions, accelerate net-zero attainment and minimize overshoot periods. Policies that simultaneously and separately mandate emission reductions and near-term carbon dioxide removals could help to prevent mitigation deterrence, while supporting the upscaling of carbon dioxide removal.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Almukainah et al. (2025): Effects of Long-Term CO₂ Storage on Carbonate Rock Stability

Hani Almukainah, Abdulameer Almalichy, Mohamed Mahmoud, Murtada Saleh Aljawad, Ahmed Farid Ibrahim, Mustafa Al-Ramadan, Ahmed Al-Yaseri, IN: Energy & Fuels, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5c01974

Carbon geostorage (CGS) is a proven technique for reducing anthropogenic CO₂ emissions and mitigating global warming by injecting CO₂ into deep geologic formations like saline aquifers or reservoirs. However, long-term exposure to CO₂-rich brine can alter the petrophysical properties and impact the storage integrity. This study examines the impact of CO₂ sequestration on the limestone core sample integrity, focusing on porosity, wormhole formation, and geometric tortuosity. Four limestone samples of 1.5-in. in diameter and 3-in. in length were aged in live brine at 60 °C and 2000 psi for 60 days to simulate sequestration conditions.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Nature – McHenry et al. (2025): A blueprint for national assessments of the blue carbon capacity of kelp forests applied to Canada’s coastline

Jennifer McHenry, Daniel K. Okamoto, Karen Filbee-Dexter, Kira A. Krumhansl, Kathleen A. MacGregor, Margot Hessing-Lewis, Brian Timmer, Philippe Archambault, Claire M. Attridge, Delphine Cottier, Maycira Costa, Matthew Csordas, Ladd E. Johnson, Joanne Lessard, Alejandra Mora-Soto, Anna Metaxas, Christopher K. Neufeld, Ondine Pontier, Luba Reshitnyk, Samuel Starko, Jennifer Yakimishyn & Julia K. Baum, IN: NPJ Ocean Sustainability, https://doi.org/10.1038/s44183-025-00125-6

Kelp forests offer substantial carbon fixation, with the potential to contribute to natural climate solutions (NCS). However, to be included in national NCS inventories, governments must first quantify the kelp-derived carbon stocks and fluxes leading to carbon sequestration. Here, the authors present a blueprint for assessing the national blue carbon capacity of kelp forests in which data synthesis and Bayesian hierarchical modeling enable estimates of kelp carbon production, storage, and export capacity from limited data. Applying this blueprint to Canada’s extensive coastline, they estimate kelps hold 0.6 to 2.8 Tg C in short-term biomass, producing 1.1 to 6.2 Tg C yr⁻¹, of which 0.04 to 0.4 Tg C yr⁻¹ could be exported to the deep ocean.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Nature – Merfort et al. (2025): Separating CO₂ emission from removal targets comes with limited cost impacts

Anne Merfort, Jessica Strefler, Gabriel Abrahão, Nico Bauer, Tabea Dorndorf, Elmar Kriegler, Gunnar Luderer, Leon Merfort & Ottmar Edenhofer, IN: Nature Communications, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60606-7

Net-zero commitments have become the focal point for countries to communicate long-term climate targets. However, to this point it is not clear to what extent conventional emissions reductions and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) will contribute to net-zero. An integrated market for emissions and removals with a uniform carbon price delivers the economically efficient contribution of CDR to net-zero. Yet it might not fully internalise sustainability risks of CDR and hence could lead to its overuse. In this study, the authors explore the implications of separating targets for emissions and for removals delivered by novel CDR in global net-zero emissions pathways with the Integrated Assessment Model REMIND.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Boukhris et al. (2025): TimberTracer: a comprehensive framework for the evaluation of carbon sequestration by forest management and substitution of harvested wood products

I. Boukhris, A. Collalti, S. Lahssini, D. Dalmonech, F. Nakhle, R. Testolin, M. V. Chiriacò, M. Santini & R. Valentini, IN: Carbon Balance and Management, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13021-025-00296-2

Harvested wood products (HWPs) have a pivotal role in climate change mitigation, a recognition solidified in many Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Integrating HWPs’ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals into accounting requirements relies on typical decision-oriented tools known as wood product models (WPMs). The study introduces the TimberTracer (TT) framework, designed to simulate HWP carbon stock, substitution effects, and emissions from wood decay and bioenergy.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Uzoagba & Onwualu (2025): Unlocking the Potential of Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Sequestrations in Africa

Chidiebele EJ Uzoagba, Azikiwe Peter Onwualu, IN: ResearchGate, https://doi.org/10.7759/s44388-025-03339-z

This review paper provides a comprehensive overview of BECCS technology, the role of BECCS in sustainable development, mitigating climate change, national policies, prospects, challenges, and pathways for developing a BECCS market in Africa. It discusses the technical, economic, and policy dimensions of BECCS, identifies the key biomass resources available in Africa, and explores strategies for overcoming barriers to implementation.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Liu et al. (2025): Co-existence strategies and carbon sequestration contributions of bacterial generalists and specialists in natural wetlands under land use and land cover change

Jiayuan Liu, Ning Zhang, Sen Zhang, Hailong Wu, Fude Liu, IN: Environmental Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.122107

The function of natural wetlands (NW) as carbon sinks or sources is largely determined by the bacterial community structure, diversity, and function metabolism. However, the responses of generalists and specialists to changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) from NWs undergoing land use and/or land cover change (LULCC) remain unclear. In this study, using 1124 amplicon samples and associated environmental parameters for NWs and corresponding LULCC types globally, the distribution patterns of generalists and specialists, species coexistence, assembly processes, and responses to SOC were evaluated.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Streck et al. (2025): Considering durability in carbon dioxide removal strategies for climate change mitigation

Charlotte Streck, Sara Minoli, Stephanie Roe, Christian Barry, Matthew Brander, Solene Chiquier, Garrett Cullity, Peter Ellis, Jason Funk, Matthew J. Gidden, Matthias Honegger, Tracy Johns, Deborah Lawrence, Eve Tamme & Daniel Zarin,IN: Climate Policy, https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2025.2501267

This Perspective describes the various dimensions of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) durability and interprets them in the context of current policy making.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Sovacool et al. (2025): Exploring global climate intervention experiments: sociotechnical promises, innovation dynamics, and perceived co-impacts across 20 projects and pilots

Benjamin K. Sovacool, Chad M. Baum, Livia Fritz & Sean Low, IN: Sustainability Science, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-025-01696-6

Using techniques commonly applied in participatory action research and ethnography, the authors examine 20 specific cases of experimentation for a selection of carbon removal and solar radiation modification interventions. These experiments include engineering-based approaches such as stratospheric aerosol injection, cloud brightening, carbon–neutral cement, biochar, direct air capture, and enhanced rock weathering alongside ecosystems-based approaches such as afforestation, seagrass restoration, and coral reef protection. Based on extensive original research of these 20 experimental projects—including 118 semi-structured research interviews and naturalistic site-based observation—the authors explore four questions. Firstly, what are the actor coalitions surrounding each experiment? Secondly, what promises and expectations do those actors generate? Thirdly, what innovation dynamics and styles are emergent and evident here? Finally, what perceived co-impacts are expected (by actors) to occur with widespread prospective deployment?

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Bohn et al. (2025): CarbonFiberStone: A new carbon negative and cost-effective alternative to conventional building materials by fusing three different CDR technologies

Friedrich J. Bohn, Uwe Arnold, Ömer Bucak, Erik Frank, Leonie Schrafstetter and Kolja Kuse, IN: Environmental Research Letters, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/addfed

This study introduces CarbonFiberStone (CFS), a novel lightweight construction material, and assesses its carbon footprint in a specific buiding application. CFS is defined as a millimetre-thin bio-based carbon fiber fabric bonded to compression-resistant stone slabs using an adhesive. CFS is extremely resistant to compression and tension. The resulting stone powder from the stone cutting process is used for enhanced weathering. The wall element presented here incorporates a layer of biochar for insulation purposes. Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA), the authors compare five CFS-based building blocks with two conventional reinforced concrete blocks in single and multi-storey residential buildings.

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