Developing a Portfolio of Negative Emissions Technologies

From Point-Source to Direct Air Capture

Abstract

The only way we can achieve the IPCC’s goal of limiting warming to 1.5ºC is through a massive expansion of negative emissions technologies (NETs), chiefly carbon dioxide removal (CDR). To date, point-source carbon capture has been the most widely recognized and deployed form of CDR, but it is limited in its efficacy in achieving negative emissions. Direct air capture (DAC), a newer form of CDR, captures excess CO2 in the lower atmosphere, as opposed to capturing CO2 directly from the emission source. If the captured CO2 is stored or sequestered, the process involved in DAC allows for true negative emissions, as opposed to point-source CDR which can only achieve carbon neutrality at best. The potential for DAC presents significant opportunities for large-scale CDR, but point-source carbon capture will still be essential and applicable in sectors where decarbonization is difficult. As the global community ratchets up decarbonization efforts, a combination of DAC and point-source will prevent even further catastrophic climate change in the future.