New 'carbon removal budget' suggests massive removal shortfall

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🗞️ Driving the news: A new "carbon removal budget" from University of Oxford researchers reveals a looming shortfall in global carbon removal efforts, highlighting the urgent need to scale up these technologies to meet climate goals
• The study projects a deficit of 49 gigatons of CO2 removal needed to keep warming below 1.5°C by 2100, signaling that current strategies are insufficient

🔭 The context: Carbon removal, essential for achieving net-zero emissions, involves both natural methods like reforestation and technological solutions such as direct air capture
• Despite their importance, these methods face significant economic, technological, and physical limitations, leading to concerns about their scalability

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The shortfall in carbon removal could jeopardize efforts to limit global warming, potentially leading to more severe climate impacts
• As removal capacity is limited, prioritizing emission reductions is crucial to avoid over-reliance on these technologies

⏭️ What's next: Industries capable of reducing emissions should maximize these efforts, reserving carbon removal for sectors with fewer alternatives
• Continued investment and innovation in carbon capture technologies are necessary to bridge the removal gap

💬 One quote: "Carbon removals are like the new gold...they’re highly valuable, are scarce and need to be reserved for only a select number of use cases." — Injy Johnstone

📈 One stat: The study predicts a 49 gigaton CO2 removal shortfall by 2100 to maintain 1.5°C warming, assuming a minimum cost of $100 per ton of carbon removed

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