Even if humanity heroically meets the mark for emissions cuts in our first five objectives, we’ll be only about 80 percent of the way toward our net zero goal. We’ll still be emitting 14 billion tons of greenhouse gases each year. To extract, absorb, and contain these stubborn leftovers, we’ll need a portfolio of carbon removal solutions.
The heaviest lifting will need to be done by some of nature’s fundamental building blocks–by capturing more carbon in new forests, healthier farmsoils, grasslands, and wetlands.
Another piece of the puzzle lies in alkaline rocks, which naturally bind to carbon dioxide and can capture it for millions of years. By crushing these rocks to expand their surface area and CO2 uptake, we can increase the ocean’s alkalinity.
The third component of carbon removal is the engineered variety. From direct air capture plants to systems that scrub CO2 from oceans, innovators are striving to make these durable options cheaper, cleaner, and faster.
Some forward-thinking companies are making advanced purchases to begin to bring down costs. At present, though, what we’re actually removing can be counted in the kilotons; the potential of this sector far outstrips the reality to date. Carbon removal at planetary scale will require a huge government commitment, either through a high price on carbon or massive subsidies or both.