Aligning incentives for carbon dioxide removal

Abstract

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) at the scale needed to meet key climate goals will require the development of a massive industry. The development of regulatory architecture and effective incentive structures must proceed in parallel if this industry is to function in a way that is technically rigorous, environmentally conscious, and socially responsible. Most of the current capital flow, overall technological development in CDR, and third-party monitoring and verification are occurring in the private sector. We argue here that this will need to change in order for robust, responsible carbon removal to be brought to scale. In the short term, a focus on removing flawed incentive structures will be a critical ingredient in the transition to a stable, large-scale marketplace for durable carbon removal.

Keywords

• carbon dioxide removal
• climate mitigation
• carbon cycle