UPTAKE Webinar Series: Durability of carbon dioxide removal: Physical and governance issues

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Durability of Carbon Dioxide Removal: Physical and Governance Issues

The next webinar of the recently launched series on the latest published papers on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) research will focus two papers.

:studio_microphone: Speakers:

Dr. Cyril Brunner, ETH Zurich, “Durability of carbon dioxide removal is critical for Paris climate goals”

Dr. Felix Schenuit, Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik and Josh Burke, LSE, ‘Conditional fungibility: sequencing permanent removals into emissions trading systems’

:studio_microphone: Panelist: Robert Höglund, Head of CDR, Milkywire; Co-founder, CDR.fyi

:studio_microphone: Moderator: Paweł Wiejski, Senior Public Policy Analyst, Reform Institute

:spiral_calendar: 12 March 2025, 2 pm - 3 pm I ZOOM, online

Register in advance :point_right: here.

:mag_right: The webinar format will consist of a 20-minute presentation and a 10-minute discussion with an invited expert stakeholder, followed by a 30-minute open discussion (1 hour total).

Durability of carbon dioxide removal_ Physical and governance issues (1)
Durability of carbon dioxide removal_ Physical and governance issues (1)960×540 62.9 KB

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Missed our last webinar? Full recording now available :point_down:

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Key takeaways:

  • Cyril Brunner presented the paper that he co-authored with other scholars. He showed that the ambiguity around the required durability of CDR represents a growing threat to robust net zero frameworks and limiting warming to the levels agreed in the 2015 Paris Agreement. In their study, they argue that storage integrity of fewer than 1000 years is insufficient in the targeted climate-neutral case, i.e., net zero CO2 emissions, as it still leads to continuous warming. At the same time, they demonstrate that lower durability removals are valuable, too, if done in addition to durable CDR or when replacing any re-release with new CDR.
  • Presenting the paper that they co-authored, Josh Burke and Felix Schenuit highlighted the issues related to the durability of CO2 storage when it comes to regulating and governing CDR. They presented five different sets of measures identified in the literature (MRV, liability, de-risking, permanence, fungibility) and how different sets of policies can help address the different permanence of CDR methodologies. They also highlighted the need for limited fungibility between different clusters of CDR methods (intra- and inter-fungibility). With regard to the potential integration of permanent CDRs into compliance markets, they highlighted the need for a sequencing strategy with three main stages: stage 1: certifying removals, stage 2: managing reversal risks and stage 3: creating tradeability.
  • Pawel Wiejski moderated the discussion and asked questions to the panelist, Robert Hoglund, regarding issues such as ‘the role played by permanence and durability in obtaining private financing for different CDR methods, data on how CO2 can be stored within concrete or other products for millennia and the role of CDR in preventing temperature overshoot.’
  • Robert Hoglund stressed that ‘if CO2 is in concrete it is very unlikely to be released.’ In addition, he added that ‘there are a few companies that operate in the durable CDR market as there is no consensus regarding the need for permanent CDR for offsetting fossil emissions.’ With respect to the prevention of temperature overshoot, he highlighted that ‘the EU would have an additional carbon accountability of around 70 gigatons if we are to address historic emissions that go beyond our fair share to be able to bring temperatures back to 1.5 °C.’
    20250312_UPTAKE_CDR_durability (1).pdf (3.5 MB)
    2025_UPTAKE Webinar_conditional fungibility_v4 (1).pdf (2.1 MB)