CO2 removal technology in the climate discussion

Good morning,

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies are one of the hottest – and most controversial – areas of today's climate research and discussion. They provide different means of sucking carbon out of the atmosphere. 

These are the most common forms of Carbon dioxide removal:

• "Scrubbers" remove chemically carbon dioxide from the air

• "Biochar" creates fertilizer from burning wood waste without oxygen

• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) refers to a process where carbon dioxide is liquefied and pumped into underground geological formations

The debate on CDR technologies revolves around their role in climate policy discussion. Scientists and policymakers are divided, as some stress that the technology must be the immediate priority for research.

Others – such as the US climate envoy John Kerry – urge caution, warning against putting faith in untested technology before we have deployed all the reliable low-carbon technologies we already have, such as renewable energy.

The latest IPCC report sees that CDR technologies, although expensive at the moment, can play a role in trying to halt global warming. It would require a massive scale-up during the next couple of decades to have growing carbon removal in line with the panel's vision.

Although CDR technologies have a great potential in providing helpful tools for climate mitigation, putting too much trust in them can create a false sense of security. Excessive techno-optimism also risks hindering the ambition of 'traditional' climate policy: reducing emission sources and halting biodiversity loss. In this regard, CDR technology is a good servant but a bad master.

EU's Carbon Allowance (ETS) price development

UK's Carbon Allowance (ETS) price development

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Reuters | Rich nations to meet overdue $100 billion climate pledge this year. Wealthy nations are on track this year to meet their overdue $100-billion climate finance pledge to developing countries. The donor countries have made a pledge back in 2009 to transfer $100 billion per year from 2020 to vulnerable states hit by increasingly severe climate change impacts.

The Guardian | Many Europeans want climate action – but less so if it changes their lifestyle -poll. The responses, from the UK, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Spain and Italy, suggested many people were happy with measures that would not greatly affect the way they lead their lives, but bigger steps that may be necessary were unpopular.

European Commission | REACH committee votes to restrict intentional microplastics. It is estimated that over 20 years, the proposed restriction would prevent the release in the environment of about half a million tonnes of microplastics, at an estimated total cost of up to €19 billion. 

The Guardian | Next UN climate summit to consider health issues in-depth for the first time. The next summit will take place in Dubai this November, and the Cop28 president Sultan Al Jaber announced to dedicate a day to health. The climate crisis is likely to place further burdens on already overstretched global health systems.

Reuters | Famine still stalks Somalia. East Africa's worst drought in 40 years has forced millions of Somalis to leave their homes. Five consecutive failed rainy seasons pushed the fragile nation to the brink of famine, and this year is unlikely to be much different.

BBC | BP faces green protest over new climate goals. Some of the UK's biggest pension funds have voted against reappointing BP's chairman over a decision to weaken its climate plans, but the majority of shareholders backed Helge Lund.

HS | Nuclear power, biogas, and compensation from voluntary conservation – here's the future Finnish government's prospects on climate policy. The preliminary discussion does not mention mandatory protection or limitations on logging.

WWF | WWF joins oil spill control efforts in Joutseno. Last month, 1 100 liters of oil leaked into Lake Saimaa after an equipment failure at Kemira's lye plant.

Yle | Kaivopuisto park was covered in rubbish after the May Day celebration - voluntary cleaners fear plastic debris could end up in the sea.

Euronews | Denmark is a leader in renewables use and emissions reductions. Last year Denmark had the highest share of renewables - more than 60 percent- in its electricity mix out of 78 different countries. Denmark has also committed to reducing its emissions by 70 percent by 2030 compared with 1990 levels - a far more ambitious target than the EU’s goal of 55 percent.

Tekniikka&Talous | New 1 GWh battery plant to be built in Norway. The plant, named Batterifabrikk 1, is a pilot in Norwegian battery manufacturing industry. 

Dagens Nyheter | Denmark's new government is tightening its climate policy. Greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 50-54 percent by 2025 compared to 1990; by 2030, emissions must be reduced by 70 percent in the country that has now established three distinct ministerial positions responsible for different sectors of climate and environmental policy.

Reuters | Carbon capture project in Norway temporarily halted by high costs. A project to capture carbon emissions from a waste plant in the Norwegian capital Oslo has been paused for a year amid projections of large cost overruns, potentially dealing a blow to wider Norwegian plans to foster the fledgling technology.

Reuters | The Asian Development Bank (ABD) announces a funding plan for Asian efforts to combat climate change. The new funding plan is the first mechanism of its kind to be developed by a development bank, reflecting the pressure that such lenders face from shareholders to innovate to tackle a climate crisis that has hit Asia hard.

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STT | Wasaline got praised for its sustainable practices. Wasaline's work for environmentally friendly transport and shipping in the Northern Quark received an honorable mention at Svensk Sjöfart annual seminar in Stockholm.

STT | Rinki survey: Finns show interest in material flows of the packaging industry. According to Rinki, Finns would sort more if they had more information on how packaging is recycled into new products.

Macroclimate data overestimate range shifts of plants in response to climate change. Current conservation policy has been shaped by the expectation that, for many species, places with suitable climate will lie outside their current range, thus leading to predictions of numerous extinctions. Here we show that the magnitude of range shifts is often overestimated as climate data used do not reflect the microclimatic conditions that many organisms experience. Researchers model the historic (1977–1995) distributions of 244 heathland and grassland plant taxa using both macro- and microclimate data and project these distributions to present day (2003–2021). Whereas macroclimate models predicted major range shifts (median 14 km shift), microclimate models predicted localized shifts, generally of less than 1 km, into favourable microclimates that more closely match observed patterns of establishment and extirpation. Thus, improving protection of refugial populations within species’ existing geographic range may, for species living in environments exposed to sunlight, be more effective than assisted translocations and overhaul of protected area networks. (Nature)

The most at-risk regions in the world for high-impact heatwaves. Heatwaves are becoming more frequent under climate change and can lead to thousands of excess deaths. Adaptation to extreme weather events often occurs in response to an event, with communities learning fast following unexpectedly impactful events. Using extreme value statistics, researchers show where regional temperature records are statistically likely to be exceeded, and therefore communities might be more at-risk. In 31% of regions examined, the observed daily maximum temperature record is exceptional. Climate models suggest that similar behaviour can occur in any region. In some regions, such as Afghanistan and parts of Central America, this is a particular problem - not only have they the potential for far more extreme heatwaves than experienced, but their population is growing and increasingly exposed because of limited healthcare and energy resources. The researchers urge policy makers in vulnerable regions to consider if heat action plans are sufficient for what might come. (Nature Communications)

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