8.3 Carbon Sequestration and Mitigation Strategies

Carbon sequestration is a crucial strategy in the fight against climate change. It involves capturing and storing atmospheric CO2 to reduce its concentration, utilizing both natural carbon sinks like forests and oceans, and human-made methods like direct air capture.

Measuring the effectiveness of carbon sequestration is key to achieving global climate goals. Factors like storage capacity, permanence, energy requirements, and cost-effectiveness are considered when evaluating different methods, from geological injection to biological approaches like reforestation.

Carbon sequestration for climate change

Natural and anthropogenic carbon sequestration

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• Carbon sequestration captures and stores atmospheric carbon dioxide to reduce its concentration and mitigate climate change effects
• Natural carbon sinks absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
  • Forests (terrestrial ecosystems)
  • Oceans (marine ecosystems)
  • Soil (pedosphere)
• Anthropogenic carbon sequestration methods enhance natural processes or create artificial storage systems
  • Enhanced weathering
  • Direct air capture
  • Biochar production

Measuring and implementing carbon sequestration

• Potential for climate change mitigation measured in gigatons of CO2 removed and stored over specific time periods
• Key strategy in achieving global climate goals outlined in the Paris Agreement
• Complements emissions reduction efforts
• Effectiveness depends on multiple factors
  • Storage capacity (volume of CO2 that can be sequestered)
  • Permanence of storage (duration of CO2 retention)
  • Energy requirements for implementation (energy intensity of the process)
  • Cost-effectiveness (economic viability of the method)

Carbon sequestration methods: geological vs biological

Geological sequestration techniques

• Injects CO2 into underground rock formations
  • Depleted oil and gas reservoirs
  • Deep saline aquifers
• Offers large storage capacity and long-term stability
• Requires careful site selection and monitoring to prevent leakage
• Mineral carbonation converts CO2 into stable carbonate minerals through chemical reactions with metal oxides
  • Provides permanent storage
  • Energy-intensive process
  • Currently not economically viable at large scales

Biological sequestration approaches

• Utilizes natural processes in plants and soils to absorb and store carbon dioxide
• Afforestation establishes new forests on previously non-forested land
• Reforestation replants trees in deforested areas
• Enhancing soil carbon content through agricultural practices
  • No-till farming
  • Cover cropping
  • Crop rotation
• Ocean sequestration methods stimulate natural carbon absorption
  • Iron fertilization promotes phytoplankton growth
  • Direct injection of CO2 into deep ocean waters
• Controversial due to potential ecological impacts and uncertainties in long-term effectiveness

Hybrid sequestration methods

• Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) combines biomass energy production with geological sequestration
  • Potential for negative emissions (removes more CO2 than it produces)
  • Faces challenges in land use competition and technological scalability
• Enhanced weathering accelerates natural CO2 absorption by rocks
  • Shows promise for large-scale sequestration
  • Requires extensive research on environmental impacts

Carbon mitigation strategy effectiveness

Evaluation criteria for mitigation strategies

• CO2 removal capacity measures the volume of carbon dioxide a strategy can sequester
• Cost-effectiveness considers the economic feasibility of implementation and operation
• Technological readiness assesses the maturity and scalability of the approach
• Potential environmental impacts evaluate the ecological consequences of the strategy
• Life cycle emissions account for the total carbon footprint of the mitigation method
• Unintended consequences on ecosystems or human communities must be considered

Comparison of specific mitigation strategies

• Direct Air Capture (DAC) removes CO2 directly from the atmosphere
  • Energy-intensive process
  • Currently expensive to implement at scale
  • Potential for significant CO2 removal if powered by renewable energy
• Afforestation and reforestation offer relatively low-cost and readily implementable strategies
  • May face limitations in available land
  • Vulnerable to future climate changes (wildfires, droughts)
  • Provide additional ecosystem services (biodiversity, soil conservation)
• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) in industrial processes reduces emissions from large point sources
  • Challenges in transportation infrastructure
  • Requires suitable storage site availability
  • Can significantly reduce emissions from hard-to-abate sectors (cement, steel)
• Soil carbon sequestration through improved agricultural practices
  • Offers co-benefits for soil health and food security
  • May have limited long-term storage capacity
  • Relatively low-cost and widely applicable

Policy and technology for carbon sequestration

International agreements and national policies

• Paris Agreement provides frameworks for national commitments to reduce emissions and implement sequestration measures
• Carbon pricing mechanisms incentivize adoption of sequestration technologies and practices
  • Carbon taxes impose a fee on carbon emissions
  • Cap-and-trade systems set emission limits and allow trading of allowances
• Government funding for research and development advances carbon sequestration technologies
  • Reduces implementation costs
  • Improves efficiency and effectiveness of sequestration methods
• Regulatory frameworks ensure safety and effectiveness of sequestration projects
  • Particularly important for geological storage and ocean-based approaches
  • Establishes monitoring and verification protocols

Technology development and implementation

• Technology transfer facilitates global implementation of carbon sequestration strategies
  • Sharing of knowledge and expertise between countries
  • Adaptation of technologies to local conditions
• Capacity building initiatives enhance skills and infrastructure for sequestration projects
  • Training programs for local communities
  • Development of technical expertise in developing countries
• Cross-sectoral collaboration aligns carbon sequestration with other sustainable development goals
  • Integration with renewable energy deployment
  • Synergies with sustainable agriculture and forestry practices
• Policy measures promote biological sequestration methods
  • Land-use regulations protect and expand natural carbon sinks
  • Agricultural subsidies incentivize sustainable land management practices