This week’s publication highlights relate to a number of issues pertaining to the EU CDR strategy, land-based CDR in the US, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, direct air capture and enhanced rock weathering.
Assessing Potential Implication of the EU’s Carbon Dioxide removal strategy on Brazil’s land ecosystems and local communities
Abstract
The European Union (EU)'s commitment to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 relies significantly on Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) strategies, yet implications of such approaches for the Global South remain unclear. Here we reflect on how land-based CDR ambitions in the EU—particularly BECCS—may generate disproportionate pressures on ecosystems and communities in countries like Brazil, which have become a focal point for climate mitigation due to their biophysical potential and geopolitical ties. Although Brazil is not formally committed to providing land-based offsets to the EU, its significant potential to host large-scale afforestation and BECCS projects renders it a useful case study for exploring these dynamics. Under a stylised exploratory scenario in which Brazil accommodates the full external land demand for BECCS, we estimate that up to 10.2 million hectares (Mha) would be needed by 2030, and between 100.3 and 152.5 Mha by 2050. This level of land use could lead to substantial socioenvironmental risks, including deforestation, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and the displacement of local and indigenous communities. Drawing on past experiences with extractive green initiatives, we identify risks associated with predatory green projects—such as land use conflicts, food insecurity, and the erosion of Indigenous rights and knowledge—which raise concerns aligned with notions of green neo-colonialism. Furthermore, this increased demand for land could jeopardise Brazil’s capacity to achieve its net-zero GHG pledge by 2050, which relies heavily on nature-based solutions, such as ending deforestation and promoting large-scale native vegetation restoration. We recommend a set of integrated and participatory policy approaches that prioritise procedural justice, ensure transparent international cooperation, and mitigate the unintended impacts of global CDR strategies on vulnerable ecosystems and communities. This work advances the conceptual understanding of the multi-layer environmental and social implications of the EU’s CDR strategy, highlighting its transboundary effects and potential tensions between Global North priorities and Global South equity considerations.
Pereira, J. et al. (2025) Assessing Potential Implication of the EU’s Carbon Dioxide removal strategy on Brazil’s land ecosystems and local communities 171 (104154) Environmental Science & Policy.
Read the full paper here: Assessing Potential Implication of the EU’s Carbon Dioxide removal strategy on Brazil’s land ecosystems and local communities I Environmental Science & Policy.
Land-based resources for engineered carbon dioxide removal in the United States exceed the expected needs
Abstract
Gigatonne-scale atmospheric carbon dioxide removal (CDR), alongside deep emission cuts, is critical to stabilizing the climate. However, some of the most scalable CDR technologies are also the most land intensive. Here, we examine whether adequate land resources exist in the contiguous United States to meet CDR targets when prioritizing grid emissions reduction, food production, and the protection of sensitive ecosystems. We focus on biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS) and direct air capture and storage (DACS) and show that suitable lands exceed the expected needs: 37.6 million hectares of land are available for BiCRS, resulting in 0.26 GtCO2 of CDR/year, and 34 million hectares are suitable for wind- and solar-powered DACS, resulting in 4.8 GtCO2 of CDR/year if facilities are co-located with geologic CO2 storage. We identify biomass and energy supply hotspots to meet CDR targets while ensuring land protection and minimizing land competition.
Dai, T. et al. (2025) Land-based resources for engineered carbon dioxide removal in the United States exceed the expected needs. 101349 One Earth.
Read the full paper here: Land-based resources for engineered carbon dioxide removal in the United States exceed the expected needs I One Earth.
Exploring the Development Path of Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage for Achieving Carbon Neutrality in China: A systematic Review
Abstract
Bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is essential for achieving carbon neutrality targets, whereas relevant demonstration projects have not yet been prioritized in China. This study attempts to investigate the development path of BECCS in China through mapping out a spatial and temporal development path considering practice advantages and underlying difficulties. It suggests that small-scale demonstration projects should be implemented before 2030 when biomass technologies should evolve from fuel substitution to material substitution. Between 2030 and 2040, large-scale biomass co-firing related BECCS projects can be deployed as a result of the maturation of biomass pretreatment technologies and second-generation capture technology, potentially leading to an emissions reduction of 80–100 Mt/a. In light of the challenges in source-sink matching, the early projects characterized with vertical integration and joint venture business models may be concentrated in the Northeast, North and East areas. Beyond 2040, advancements in combined fuel & material substitution and other integrated zero or negative carbon technologies are likely to facilitate pure biomass burning-related BECCS projects with emission reduction ranging from 300 to 600 Mt/a. By then, the flexible BECCS operator and transport operator business models can be promoted. Notably, if CO2 utilization technologies and offshore storage technologies are proven feasible, large-scale deployment can be achieved in the biomass-rich southwest and southeast Coastal areas. However, the northwest area may face restrictions due to limited scarce biomass resources. Additionally, intensive biomass collection mode, potential environmental damages (e.g. water consumption), global cooperation mechanism, etc. should also be highly regarded.
Read the full paper here: Exploring the Development Path of Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Storage for Achieving Carbon Neutrality in China: A systematic Review I Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
Life Cycle Assessment of Electrochemical pH-Swing Direct Air Capture
Abstract
Electrochemical pH-swing processes show significant potential as a direct air capture (DAC) technology for decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries and achieving net-negative emissions by mid-century. While several studies have explored its energetic and economic viability, major concerns persist regarding its environmental impact. In this paper, we present a quantitative cradle-to-grave life-cycle assessment of this approach and analyze its environmental implications across various stages, from plant construction to end-of-life treatment, under a large-scale CO2 capture of 1MtCO2 per year. To provide a thorough analysis, we consider two cradle-to-grave scenarios: (i) CO2 and H2 to storage and (ii) CO2 and H2 towards methanol synthesis. The findings show that the pH-swing technology can achieve carbon-negative global warming (GW) impacts in the first scenario, provided that cleaner electricity sources with a carbon footprint lower than 0.3 kgCO2eq/kWh are used. Moreover, the pH-swing is found to outperform the conventional High-Temperature Aqueous (HT-Aq) DAC technology by up to 20 % in the GW category when the latter is powered with natural-gas based electricity sources. However, despite these GW advantages, the pH-swing technology shows limited benefits in other impact categories, such as land use, water scarcity, and material resources. These limitations are primarily attributed to its high demand for water and noble metals, along with the significant land footprint associated with renewable energy sources. On the other hand, the methanol utilization scenario leads to a net positive GW impact (0.7151 kgCO2eq/ kgCO2c), except in case where only part of the required CO2 captured by the pH-swing process is employed for the synthesis of methanol (−0.3321 kgCO2eq/kgCO2c), while the remaining CO2 excess is sequestered underground.
Bouaboula, H. et al. (2025) Life cycle assessment of electrochemical pH-swing direct air capture 342 (120134) Energy Conversion and Management.
Read the full paper here: Life cycle assessment of electrochemical pH-swing direct air capture I Energy Conversion and Management.
Leveraging Ecosystems Responses to Enhanced Rock Weathering in Mitigation Scenarios
Abstract
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is deemed necessary to attain the Paris Agreement’s climate objectives. While bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) has generated substantial attention, sustainability concerns have led to increased examination of alternative strategies, including enhanced rock weathering (EW). We analyse the role of EW under cost-effective mitigation pathways, by including the CDR potential of basalt applications from silicate weathering (geochemical CDR) and enhanced ecosystem growth and carbon storage in response to phosphorus released by basalt (biotic CDR). Using an integrated carbon cycle, climate and energy system model, we show that the application of basalt to forests could triple the level of carbon sequestration induced by EW compared to an application restricted to croplands. EW also reduces the costs of achieving the Paris Agreement targets as well as the reliance on BECCS. Further understanding requires improved knowledge of weathering rates and basalt side-effects through field testing.
Gaucher, Y. et al. (2025) Leveraging Ecosystems Responses to Enhanced Rock Weathering in Mitigation Scenarios 16 (3021) Nature Communications
Read the full paper here: Leveraging Ecosystems Responses to Enhanced Rock Weathering in Mitigation Scenarios I Nature Communications