Greenhouse Gas Removal Technologies

A book review by Kiri Rodgers
University of the West of Scotland
[email protected]
ECG Bulletin January 2025

This book provides the most up to date information on Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR), with a focus on the removal of atmospheric CO₂. It explores approaches needed to meet climate change mitigation strategies across multiple disciplines.

This comprehensive volume addresses a critical aspect of climate change mitigation - greenhouse gas removal (GGR) technologies. The book brings together expert perspectives on various technological approaches to removing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. GGR technologies will be essential in limiting global warning to temperatures below 1.5°C (targets by the IPCC and COP21) and will be required to achieve deep reductions in atmospheric CO₂ concentration. In the context of recent legally binding legislation requiring the transition to a net zero emissions economy by 2050, GGR technologies are broadly recognised as being indispensable.

The book emphasises the urgent need to meet climate change targets. It highlights that conventional mitigation methods, such as fuel switching, renewable energy, nuclear power, and CO₂ capture and storage, must be rapidly developed to achieve the necessary gigatonne-scale CO₂ removal.

The book is structured into several chapters, each focusing on different aspects of GGR. It covers a wide range of technologies, where each chapter is authored by experts in the field, ensuring that the content is both authoritative and up to date. Content includes:

Afforestation and Reforestation: Planting new forests and restoring degraded ones to absorb CO₂.

Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS): Growing biomass, producing energy, and capturing and storing the CO₂ .

Direct Air Capture (DAC): Using chemical processes to capture CO₂ directly from the air and storing it underground.

Soil Carbon Sequestration: Enhancing the ability of soil to capture and store CO₂ through agricultural practices.

Enhanced Weathering: Accelerating natural processes that remove CO₂ from the atmosphere through mineral reactions.

Ocean-based Methods: E.g. ocean fertilisation to increase the absorbance of CO₂.

The book provides scientifically rigorous analyses of each technology's potential, limitations, and current development stage. Despite the technical depth the writing remains accessible, making complex scientific concepts comprehensible to readers with a basic scientific background. In addition, a standout feature of this book is its holistic approach. It not only discusses the technical aspects of each GGR technology but also addresses the political, economic, and social challenges associated with their deployment. This makes it an invaluable resource for policymakers, researchers, and industry professionals who are working towards achieving net-zero emissions.

A potentially new concept is explored across chapters 3 (Negative emissions: the role and response of the climate system. Author: Chris D Jones), 4 (Accounting negative emissions. How difficult could it be? Author: Andrea Ramirez Ramirez), and 7 (Geochemical negative emission technologies. Author: Olivia Hawrot, James Campbell, Frances Buckingham, and Phil Renforth). This is “negative emission” technologies, the process of removing more CO₂ emissions than are being created.

Overall, the 502 pages of this book provide a thorough and balanced examination of the various GGR technologies, their potential to mitigate climate change, and the challenges that need to be addressed to achieve widespread deployment. It is an essential resource for anyone interested in the science and policy of climate change mitigation.

Reference
Greenhouse Gas Removal Technologies, ed. M. Bui and N. Mac Dowell, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1039/9781839165245