Countries’ carbon removal plans not enough for 1.5C warming limit, study warns

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🗞️ Driving the news: Countries' current plans for carbon dioxide removal are significantly insufficient to meet the global target of limiting warming to 1.5°C, according to a new study published in Nature Climate Change
• This research mirrors the UN's approach of assessing gaps in emissions and applies it to carbon removal strategies

🔭 The context: The study analyzed national plans and compared them with the required scenarios to limit warming, highlighting a substantial gap in planned carbon removal efforts
• Methods include afforestation, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (Beccs), and direct air capture technologies

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Effective carbon removal is crucial for achieving net zero emissions and combating climate change's severe impacts, such as heatwaves and rising sea levels
• However, current efforts are inadequate and could risk the efficacy of global strategies to mitigate climate effects

⏭️ What's next: The study calls for increased awareness and action in scaling up carbon dioxide removal techniques
• It stresses that without substantial enhancement in these efforts, combined with drastic emission reductions, meeting the Paris Agreement's goals remains a formidable challenge

💬 One quote: "Carbon dioxide removal methods have a small but vital role to play in achieving net zero and limiting the impacts of climate change," said Dr. Naomi Vaughan, co-author and researcher at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research

📈 One stat: There is a projected gap of up to 3.2 billion tonnes of CO2 between the current plans and what is necessary by 2050 to limit global warming effectively

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