Towards just, responsible, and socially viable carbon removal: lessons from offshore DACCS research for early-stage carbon removal projects

Abstract

Increasingly, the removal and durable storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide is understood as necessary to meeting targets to limit climate change. While research on technologies for ‘carbon removal’ or ‘negative emissions’ is growing, little of that work has attended to the social implications of these technologies, such as how carbon removal initiatives might be formulated in ways that align with public values and principles of justice and just transitions. In this paper, we draw upon involvement in early-stage research on offshore direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS) to reflect upon these questions. We argue that (1) carbon removal’s links and associations with extractive industries must be anticipated and that issues of distrust and operational oversight be addressed; (2) employment of ‘climate solutions’ and ‘climate urgency’ narratives require care and reflexivity so as not to overwhelm other considerations; (3) despite the apparent absence of people, offshore contexts must be understood and treated as social contexts with impacts to people and communities; (4) both onshore and offshore contexts require recognition of Indigenous jurisdiction, rights and title in project planning and design; (5) discussions of a just transition for carbon removal must go beyond attention to employment to address questions of infrastructure ownership, monitoring and governance. Drawing on these reflections, we offer a set of recommendations for early-stage carbon removal projects. Together, these suggestions offer a starting place for making carbon removal research and deployment more just and aligned with broader societal priorities.