Every dialogue starts with a great question. Over the next few months, Carbon Gap will be discussing some of the biggest questions surrounding the responsible scale up of carbon dioxide removal. How can it be scaled up as science indicates is necessary, without doing ecological or social harm? How to ensure that it doesn’t detract from urgent emission cuts? What safeguards are needed to prevent bad faith actors using it as a smokescreen for climate inaction? Should soil carbon be commodified in the pursuit of net zero? Who should pay for carbon dioxide removal? Are voluntary global carbon markets the answer?
Every month we will examine one topic in depth, creating a platform for perspectives from activists, scientists, analysts, policymakers and government representatives in a series of webinars and publications, with the aim of moving the conversation forward, towards solutions.
September – Mitigation Deterrence
Steep emission cuts are the number one priority in fighting climate change but science says that large-scale carbon dioxide removal will also needed to meet global climate targets. However, in some cases, its deployment may risk delaying or stopping emissions reductions. Such cases are commonly referred to as “mitigation deterrence” or “moral hazard”. This September we’re looking into what can be done to ensure that carbon removal does not carry this risk.
We will be exploring this topic in depth in a discussion paper, which will be published in late September, and during a webinar on 26 September, 16:30-17:30 CET.
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October – Soil Carbon
Given the entwinement of soil and climate, the stakes are high for Europe to choose wisely on how to prioritise soil-related policy measures, spanning regulatory to more market-oriented approaches. In October we will be exploring the topic of soil carbon and carbon farming, and the things policies should safeguard against when it comes to soil carbon and climate action, to avoid greenwashing and negative consequences for biodiversity.