Stephen Hall

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Stephen Hall is Head of Awards at Ashden and the author of the Spatial Contract. He delivers sustainability consulting for public and private clients.

Stephen Hall

Aug 24 2022

Progressive Place-based Politics for Carbon Dioxide Removal

Illuminem Voices

Environmental Sustainability · Carbon Removal

Authoritative climate modelling shows we need to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. This post explores how carbon dioxide removal (CDR – also known as ‘negative emissions’) can find a progressive politics. We are motivated to write this because of multiple engagements with researchers, NGOs and climate activists, for whom the words ‘negative emissions’ or Carbon Dioxide Removal’ evoke a politics of delaying climate action, re-enforcing corporate power, and techno fixing of climate change while leaving bio-diversity and other sustainability crises alone. We recognise and deal with these here and connect CDR to the wider politics of labour and land. Removing CO2 from the atmosphere means planting trees, restoring ecosystems, increasing carbon stored in soils, storing carbon from burned bioenergy and capturing carbon directly from the air.