This so-called mitigation deterrence occurs when there is an overreliance on CDR available now or that could be generated in the future or when it is used to offset emissions. Allowing countries or corporations to hide emissions behind potential large-scale carbon removals in their climate strategies enable polluters to delay or postpone the rapid and real emissions reductions the world urgently needs if it is to avert the worst outcomes of the climate emergency. Deep, fast and sustained emission reductions are the priority for climate action, and removals cannot be allowed to distract from that.
When it comes to carbon removals potential for deterring climate action, Carbon Market Watch focuses on:
“CDR should not be used to deter climate action. Offsetting continued emissions with removals must be a non-starter. Instead, CDR must also contribute to protecting biodiversity, ecosystems and local communities rather than harm them. Enhancing the land sink is important from a climate perspective, but the real focus should be on the wider environmental and social benefits of such activities: carbon should be relegated to a ‘co-benefit’.”
Wijnand Stoefs
Lead expert on carbon removals
“CDR should not be used to deter climate action. Offsetting continued emissions with removals must be a non-starter. Instead, CDR must also contribute to protecting biodiversity, ecosystems and local communities rather than harm them. Enhancing the land sink is important from a climate perspective, but the real focus should be on the wider environmental and social benefits of such activities: carbon should be relegated to a ‘co-benefit’.”
Wijnand Stoefs
Lead expert on carbon removals
Focusing on rapid and deep emissions reductions
Banning the use of carbon removals for offsetting purposes
Prohibiting exaggerated green claims that rely heavily on CDR, such as carbon or climate neutral
The first phase of Carbon Market Watch’s carbon removals co-creation process, “CO2ol Down”, is almost over. Fabiola De Simone explains how this cool project aims to heat up EU action on the bloc’s 2040 target and upcoming legislative process
Our investigation into Occidental Petroleum’s heavy investment, including taxpayers’ money, in untested direct air capture reveals the huge dangers involved in misusing carbon removals as a substitute for genuine climate action.
Maintaining the incentive to decarbonise should be the guiding principle of the UK ETS, ensuring covered emissions go to zero or near zero. The integration of carbon removals in the
wijnand.stoefs[at]carbonmarketwatch.org
fabiola.desimone[at]carbonmarketwatch.org
marlene.ramon[at]carbonmarketwatch.org
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