"This week on Carbon Removal Newsroom, we’re starting off with an overview of biochar and discussing the main questions and concerns around this technology, including: How does biochar compare to other Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) methods? There is a lot of interest in making biochar, but does the market exist to use it? What can governments do to help scale up the use of biochar as a carbon removal technique? Are any governments taking action yet? Next, we transition to the CDR policy agenda in the United States. We look at the California Climate Crisis Act (AB 1395), which would Codify California’s commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible and no later than 2045. If passed, this bill will set California on course to design a more comprehensive policy framework for CDR than exists in any state so far."

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Romany M. Webb, Korey Silverman-Roati (2021): Removing Carbon Dioxide Through Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement and Seaweed Cultivation. Legal Challenges and Opportunities. Columbia Law School: Sabin Centre for Climate Change Law. New York. Available online at https://climate.law.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/Webb%20et%20al%20-%20Removing%20CO2%20Through%20Ocean%20Alkalinity%20Enhancement%.

"This paper explores two ocean-based carbon dioxide removal strategies—ocean alkalinity enhancement and seaweed cultivation. Ocean alkalinity enhancement involves adding alkalinity to ocean waters, either by discharging alkaline rocks or through an electrochemical process, which increases ocean pH levels and thereby enables greater uptake of carbon dioxide, as well as reducing the adverse impacts of ocean acidification. Seaweed cultivation involves the growing of kelp and other macroalgae to store carbon in biomass, which can then either be used to replace more greenhouse gas-intensive products or sequestered. This paper examines the international and U.S. legal frameworks that apply to ocean alkalinity enhancement and seaweed cultivation. Depending on where they occur, such activities may be subject to international, national, state, and/or local jurisdiction."

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Rodrigues, Renato; Pietzcker, Robert; Fragkos, Panagiotis; Price, James; McDowall, Will; Siskos, Pelopidas et al. (2021): Narrative-driven alternative roads to achieve mid-century CO2 net neutrality in Europe. In Energy, p. 121908. DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2021.121908.

"The tightened climate mitigation targets of the EU green deal raise an important question: Which strategy should be used to achieve carbon emissions net neutrality? This study explores stakeholder-designed narratives of the future energy system development within the deep decarbonization context. European carbon net-neutrality goals are put under test in a model comparison exercise using state of the art Energy-Environment-Economy (E3) models: ETM-UCL, PRIMES and REMIND."

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"Democrats will soon reveal how the Biden administration’s plans could cut U.S. climate pollution in half this decade. Is that goal even possible?"

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