Zeke Hausfather: Why do we need carbon removal technology?
Mar 11, 2025
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Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist affiliated with Stripe Climate and the IPCC, dives deep into the world of carbon removal technology. He explains the balance of addressing carbon emissions and exploring innovative solutions like direct air capture and advanced rock weathering. Hausfather emphasizes the urgency for investment in these technologies over traditional clean energy approaches and discusses the interplay between AI's energy demands and climate impacts. He also highlights the vital connection between academic research and industry practices for effective climate solutions.
Carbon removal and carbon capture serve distinct purposes in climate action, with the former focusing on extracting CO2 already present in the atmosphere.
Despite its critical role in achieving net-zero emissions, carbon removal technology faces financial barriers hindering investment and development compared to cleaner energy alternatives.
Deep dives
Carbon Capture vs. Carbon Removal
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon removal are often misunderstood as the same concept, but they serve different purposes in addressing climate change. CCS aims to capture carbon dioxide emissions before they enter the atmosphere from sources like power plants, effectively preventing additional CO2 from contributing to global warming. In contrast, carbon removal focuses on actively extracting CO2 already present in the atmosphere to mitigate the effects of climate change. This distinction is crucial as various technologies develop across these fields, emphasizing the need for both to achieve net-zero emissions in the future.
The Role of Carbon Removal Technologies
Carbon removal represents about 10% of the total solution needed to combat climate change, with other solutions like solar energy and vehicle electrification also playing significant roles. Despite its relative importance, carbon removal research and development receives limited financial investment compared to clean energy technologies, indicating a need for increased funding and support. Various methods exist under carbon removal technologies, including tree planting and direct air capture, though many currently lack the durability needed for long-term effectiveness. This calls for exploration of more durable approaches that can provide viable options for future carbon reduction at scale.
The Challenge of Economic Viability
Carbon removal technologies currently face significant financial barriers limiting their widespread adoption, with costs ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars per ton of CO2 removed. This high cost creates challenges in establishing functional markets that encourage investments in these technologies, particularly when compared to cheaper offset options like airline carbon credits. Critics point out that many of these legacy offsets are often easily manipulated, leading to skepticism about their effectiveness. The discussion highlights the importance of creating robust market structures and incentives to cultivate a sustainable carbon removal industry that can thrive independently.
The Future of Carbon Removal and Economic Integration
The future of carbon removal technologies depends on collaboration between ecological innovation and the corporate sector to create effective climate solutions. Companies like Stripe are investing in long-term commitments to carbon removal, signaling a shift towards creating markets that promote the development of these essential technologies. Striking a balance between immediate emissions reductions and long-term carbon removal strategies is vital, as it underscores the need for continued investment in research and scaling of these technologies. Ultimately, the integration of carbon removal efforts with existing climate actions will be crucial for achieving set emission targets while addressing the complexity of global warming.
How much attention should we give to carbon removal technology versus stopping carbon emissions in the first place? Climate scientist Zeke Hausfather discusses the opportunities for carbon removal technologies including advanced rock weathering, direct air capture and ocean storage.
Season two of Solving for Climate is sponsored by Xlinks xlinks.co
Zeke Hausfather, Climate scientist with Stripe Climate, Carbon Brief, the IPCC and Berkeley Earth
Co-hosts
Hannah Ritchie, Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher, Our World in Data @_HannahRitchie
Rob Stewart, Co-founder and Director of Sustainability, Koba