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Carbon dioxide removal: A source of ambition or of delays? Examining expectations for CDR in Swiss climate policy

von Rothkirch, Juanita; Ejderyan, Olivier and Stauffacher, Michael (2024) Carbon dioxide removal: A source of ambition or of delays? Examining expectations for CDR in Swiss climate policy. Environmental Science & Policy, 153 (103659), pp. 1-10.

[thumbnail of von-Rothkirch-eatl-2024-EnvironmentalSciPolicy-Vol153-No103659-p1-10.pdf] PDF - Published Version - English
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Document available online at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901123003088


Summary in the original language of the document

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is recognized as an important tool for addressing residual emissions and achieving net-zero emission targets. While some have cautioned that a focus on CDR in policy processes may lead to delayed efforts to mitigate emissions, others have argued that such concerns are unwarranted. Nevertheless, the circumstances under which CDR could help or delay emissions mitigation in given contexts remain unclear. This paper explores the emerging discourse on CDR in Switzerland. We examined how the CDR community legitimizes CDR and limits its scope, and what the implications are for emissions mitigation. Switzerland is home to growing businesses in CDR and has pioneered the implementation of international offsetting projects under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. We found that numerous promises help legitimize and attract interest in CDR. Actors use discursive strategies and rules to limit CDR and avoid disappointment in its contribution to climate mitigation. The idea that emission reduction should prevail over removal is promoted accordingly, which ironically helps legitimize the CDR idea yet dodges the question of how much removal is possible and for balancing which emissions. Superficial engagement with the issue is reinforced by the normalization of inflated promises and the sentiment that the mitigation deterrence rhetoric erodes trust in CDR. We argue that this can contribute to mitigation delays by evading the debate on what it is possible to remove and taking resources from alternative measures. We recommend a thorough discussion to examine the risks and the implementation of rules that minimize them.


EPrint Type:Journal paper
Keywords:Carbon dioxide removal, Mitigation deterrence, Sociology of expectations, Residual emissions
Agrovoc keywords:
Language
Value
URI
English
carbon dioxide
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_1302
English
mitigation
http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_10a6fbd8
Subjects: Environmental aspects > Air and water emissions
Food systems > Policy environments and social economy
"Organics" in general > Countries and regions > Switzerland
Research affiliation: Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Society > Agri-food policy
Switzerland > FiBL - Research Institute of Organic Agriculture Switzerland > Sustainability > Climate
Switzerland > Zürich University
DOI:10.1016/j.envsci.2023.103659
Deposited By: Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau, FiBL
ID Code:53053
Deposited On:28 Mar 2024 09:06
Last Modified:28 Mar 2024 09:06
Document Language:English
Status:Published
Refereed:Peer-reviewed and accepted

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