UK government today unveils some new detail on plans to support greenhouse gas removal:



A good step forward for supporting CCS-based removal methods. Still some details to iron out... (1/6)gov.uk/government/pub… Key points:
* the plans follow the "contracts for difference" model which has worked well for scaling renewable power in the UK
* 15 yr contracts
* an approach to defining cost elements eligible for inclusion...

(2/6)

So, what were the developments in carbon removal at #COP27?

A thread picking out some points across equity, innovation, reporting & accounting, and the texts...🧵 Equity:

On the one hand, carbon capture & storage (CCS) was in discussions, pushed mainly by fossil fuel interests. CCS on fossil fuel isn't carbon removal, but the same infrastructure applies. Inherited skepticism is therefore a real issue for removals.

climatechangenews.com/2022/11/13/oil…

UNEP Emissions Gap Report out today.

unep.org/resources/emis…

Headline: the gap is very much still there!

But also... (1/n) Lots of countries have been pledging to go #NetZero in the longer term. This year's report has a chapter zooming in on these #NetZero targets. Here are some key messages...

A thread on one of the new bits in the #NetZeroStrategy: greenhouse gas removals (GGR)... There are many ways to do removal. @GOVUK splits them between biology (e.g. trees and soils, which it puts in the “Natural Resources” part of its strategy) and engineering.

Here I’ll focus on the engineered ones, but the biological ones are worth a thread, too 🌲🌳🟫

The new #NetZeroStrategy from @GOVUK:

gov.uk/government/pub…

Here are all the key commitments in one 🧵... Power

On the day the UK's #NetZero strategy is due out, including a strategy on GHG removal, I'm pleased to share this job opportunity:

bit.ly/3aRAHuY

Come work with us on economic policies and incentives for removals, @TheSmithSchool as part of @CO2REhub It's a 2yr postdoc position, working with the likes of @SamFankhauser, @ElizBaldwin, @abhaney, @camjhep, me and the wider @CO2REhub team...

It was a pleasure to be on the Advisory Group for this report by the National Infrastructure Commission. Well done to the author team!

A few brief thoughts... 🧵

https://twitter.com/NatInfraCom/status/1420653545527857153

While about "engineered removals" this report focusses quite specifically on two approaches: bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS).

So there have been a couple of carbon removal developments in the UK today, although they haven't been spelled out together so here we go... 🧵 First, UKRI has announced a new research programme including a national hub (which I am a part of) and 5 carbon removal demonstrators.

Demos will be on:
* trees 🌲🌳
* peatlands 🏞️
* biochar ◾️
* energy crops 🌿
* enhanced rock weathering 🪨

ukri.org/news/uk-invest…

Lovely to see coverage today of our report on the quantity & quality of #NetZero targets around the world: netzeroclimate.org/innovation-for…

There are excellent threads already by co-authors @_richardblack and @thomasnhale (check them out). Just a few additional thoughts from me...

https://twitter.com/emilygosden/status/1374313012396445697

1. 2050 is a strong anchor date for these targets (not surprising given the IPCC Report on 1.5°C). The huge post-2050 chunk we see for countries is solely down to China. Quite a few states and companies are aiming earlier.

How to manage the inclusion of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) measures in climate targets? I have a comment on it out today in @CommsEarth:

nature.com/articles/s4324…

It's open access, but here's the Twitter-friendly version...🧵 Several papers and reports have flagged that "net-zero" targets allow some level of CDR to balance out residual emissions, and worry that this could dilute action in various ways. They propose that the way to fix this is to keep separate targets for emissions and removals.

🚨 OPPORTUNITY KLAXON 🚨

Do you want to join @OxfordNetZero? We're hiring! Be a key part of our new @oxforduni initiative to research and engage on how we end #globalwarming

jobs.ac.uk/enhanced/linki…

We have seven exciting roles to fill... 🧵 Core to @OxfordNetZero will be four #ONZ Fellows - emerging research leaders & team players in these areas:

* Net Zero Politics in the Global South🌏👨‍👨‍👦‍👦
* Geological Carbon Storage 🪨🌊
* Law & Governance of Net Zero🏦
* Nature-based Solutions🌳🐒

jobs.ac.uk/enhanced/linki…

(2/5)

Today we @UniofOxford have published some principles for #netzero aligned carbon offsetting: smithschool.ox.ac.uk/publications/r…

Here's a summary...

[THREAD] First, some background:

Carbon offsetting is the reduction of your own balance of emissions by gaining credit for certified emission reduction or removal carried out by another actor.

A key @theCCCuk chart on whether the UK is on track.

They may not want to say this, but might the 5th Carbon Budget be in the bag despite the lack of policy progress? (1/n)

theccc.org.uk/publication/re… The projection on the above chart was made in 2018. Very much pre-lockdown. The CCC report notes that estimates for UK 2020 emissions now range from a 2% to a 13% decline on 2019.

(2/n)

Good overview of government's announcement on emissions trading here 👇

https://twitter.com/jbuckland13/status/1267565552618405888

Some interesting stuff about removal technologies in there - government realising they will likely be important for net zero. Not in scope for now but name checked as a topic to come back to in review (as soon as 2023).

Today seems a great day to mention that I, a climate scientist, am leaving the civil service!

(And no, clearly not top 20 😅)

https://twitter.com/James_BG/status/1212831206376689665

In February I am joining Oxford University to start up an exciting new research effort in greenhouse gas removals (#GGR #NETs #CDR...). And no doubt other things around #NetZero, science & policy, etc. @TheSmithSchool @oxmartinschool

It seems you can now buy carbon credits based on directly capturing CO2 in air and then mineralising it in the ground:

climeworks.shop Obviously people have very different views about "offsetting" your carbon emissions, so YMMV. But this seems about as close to a gold standard offset as one can get.

Today is an actual good day in politics: UK Gov commits to net zero emissions by 2050!

gov.uk/government/new…

Some thoughts in between getting kids ready for school... First, this comes of course off the back of the advice from @theCCCuk. Interesting that pretty much all discussion I've seen in policy circles since has taken this report as gospel:

theccc.org.uk/wp-content/upl…

Bumping up two great climate science-policy job opportunities, both with application deadlines on Monday... (1/3) First, joining my team in BEIS to work on carbon stocks in land & forestry: civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi?j… (2/3)

1/ So this is pretty big: @climateactiontr have dropped their 2030 emission projection for India by a billion tonnes climateactiontracker.org/news/278/China… @climateactiontr 2/ And have also dropped their China projection by 1-2 billion tonnes. For scale, UK total emissions each year are 500 million tonnes.

On the topic of "people hate experts", this is timely in @nature: a method to get better answers from crowd wisdom nature.com/news/how-to-fi… Basically ask people for their answer, plus what they think *other* people's answer would be. Ability to predict the crowd encodes expertise

1/ paris-equity-check.org - neat new online tool showing "fair" emissions cuts between nations to reach #ParisAgreement aims 2/ Helps fill an evidence gap noted in our report on UK implications of Paris Agreement (theccc.org.uk/publication/uk…) so thx @meinshausen et al!