Abstract
With the signature of the Paris Agreement in 2015 and the rise of solution-oriented global environmental assessments, the question of the feasibility of ‘climate solutions’ has come to the fore. Climate solutions include a wide range of measures and technologies to decarbonise energy systems as well as to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in land or water – known Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). Feasibility assessments are expected to guide policymakers navigate the multi-faceted question of whether a solution is technically viable, whether its deployment has adverse environmental impacts, whether political institutions and processes are in place to effectively govern it and whether it will be acceptable to affected stakeholders. In this paper, we study the rise of feasibility assessments on ocean CDR, which include a range of options, notably iron fertilisation, ocean alkalinity enhancement, blue carbon (i.e. macro-algae production for use in bioenergy with subsequent CCS or to sink directly as biomass, mangrove restoration, seagrass meadow enhancement), etc. We in particular focus on the recent assessments produced by GESAMP (2019), the IPCC (2019 and 2021-2022), Gatusso et al. (2021) and NASEM (2021). Using discourse analysis techniques and interviews, we analyse these assessments focusing on two aspects: the process that underpinned their production (the mandate, the disciplinary background of the experts and the assessment methodology) and the content of the assessment (the criteria used to produce the assessment and the recommendations made). The object of the paper is twofold: on the one hand, it shows the social construction of feasibility assessments by taking stock of the different processes that underpin their production. On the other hand, it draws lessons for ongoing and future feasibility assessments, in particular how to facilitate more inclusive modes of marine carbon removal assessment.
Original language | English |
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Publication status | Published - Oct 2022 |
Event | 2022 Toronto Conference on Earth System Governance: Governing accelerated transitions: justice, creativity, and power in a transforming world - Toronto, Canada Duration: 20 Oct 2022 → 24 Oct 2022 |
Conference
Conference | 2022 Toronto Conference on Earth System Governance |
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Country/Territory | Canada |
City | Toronto |
Period | 20/10/22 → 24/10/22 |