As a global society we have been burning fossil fuels to meet our energy and transportation needs since the start of the industrial revolution. Together with emissions from land use change, this has resulted in atmospheric CO2 concentrations much greater than at any other time during the last 2 million years. Although efforts such as renewable energy, improvements in energy efficiency, and carbon capture and storage/utilization will be essential, it is becoming increasingly clear, that these efforts will not be enough to prevent warming beyond 2°C within this century. The current global dependence on fossil fuels to meet energy needs continues to increase. If 2°C warming by 2100 is to be prevented, as a global society, we will need to adopt strategies that not only avoid CO2 emissions, but also allow for the removal of CO2 or other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
It is clear that Negative Emission Technologies (NETs) can never be a wholesale replacement for reducing emissions but may be useful in displacing some energy/emission intensive sectors. It is unlikely that a single NETs proposal can be scaled sufficiently to meet this demand, and a portfolio of approaches may be more feasible. The primary removal methods of focus in this research topic of Frontiers in Climate will include all negative emissions strategies that directly mitigate climate change. This interdisciplinary topic will focus on a variety of technologies and methodologies including:
• Land management to store carbon in above or below ground biomass
• Bioenergy and direct air capture with carbon capture and reliable storage
• Mineral carbonation and enhanced weathering
As a global society we have been burning fossil fuels to meet our energy and transportation needs since the start of the industrial revolution. Together with emissions from land use change, this has resulted in atmospheric CO2 concentrations much greater than at any other time during the last 2 million years. Although efforts such as renewable energy, improvements in energy efficiency, and carbon capture and storage/utilization will be essential, it is becoming increasingly clear, that these efforts will not be enough to prevent warming beyond 2°C within this century. The current global dependence on fossil fuels to meet energy needs continues to increase. If 2°C warming by 2100 is to be prevented, as a global society, we will need to adopt strategies that not only avoid CO2 emissions, but also allow for the removal of CO2 or other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
It is clear that Negative Emission Technologies (NETs) can never be a wholesale replacement for reducing emissions but may be useful in displacing some energy/emission intensive sectors. It is unlikely that a single NETs proposal can be scaled sufficiently to meet this demand, and a portfolio of approaches may be more feasible. The primary removal methods of focus in this research topic of Frontiers in Climate will include all negative emissions strategies that directly mitigate climate change. This interdisciplinary topic will focus on a variety of technologies and methodologies including:
• Land management to store carbon in above or below ground biomass
• Bioenergy and direct air capture with carbon capture and reliable storage
• Mineral carbonation and enhanced weathering
