On July 20, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) hosted its first-ever Carbon Negative Shot Summit. With more than 1,700 people from 39 countries in attendance, and 39 total speakers across our keynote sessions and panel discussions, the day brought together leading innovators, advocates, stakeholders, and policymakers to discuss how to advance commercially viable, just, and sustainable carbon dioxide removal in the United States.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm set the tone for the day with her remarks on how we can no longer meet our climate goals through lowering emissions alone; we must redouble our efforts to reduce current emissions and work to remove carbon dioxide that has already accumulated in the atmosphere. “Carbon dioxide removal is key to restoring our climate—so these extreme weather events don’t just keep getting worse, and so our communities can be safer and healthier.”
“Carbon dioxide removal is key to restoring our climate—so these extreme weather events don’t just keep getting worse, and so our communities can be safer and healthier.”
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm
One theme that was emphasized repeatedly throughout the day: this push to advance carbon dioxide removal will not be limited to a single approach. Carbon Negative Shot is by necessity an all-hands-on-deck call to action. “If we hope to limit planetary warming, there will not be a silver bullet, one single technology, that solves the climate problem,” shared Ko Barrett, Senior Advisor for Climate with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in her keynote address on the role carbon dioxide removal should play in our current climate context. “We must research, innovate, and harness every solution available to us and deploy those solutions rapidly, responsibly, and equitably.”
Shalanda Baker, DOE’s Director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity, expanded on the theme of equity in her remarks about climate and environmental justice. “The work you are here to discuss—tackling the climate crisis by focusing on technical solutions—is fundamentally about justice,” she said. Baker went on to explain that communities on the front lines of climate change should receive tangible benefits from our collective efforts to avert catastrophic climate change.
The Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management’s Assistant Secretary Brad Crabtree and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Dr. Jennifer Wilcox both highlighted the significance of the $3.6 billion allocated for direct air capture under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the largest example of government support for this technology to date. “Thanks to [this legislation], we’re well-positioned to have globally transformative carbon dioxide removal projects in the pipeline,” said Crabtree. “And, for the first time, the infrastructure law significantly expands traditional research and development to encompass large-scale demonstration and deployment, taking them out of the lab and into society and the market.”
Watch our highlight reel for a two-minute recap of these and other key moments from the Carbon Negative Shot Summit:
You can also watch the full recording of the Summit on DOE’s YouTube channel.
This work is already underway, but there’s much more to do! We’re hosting more events, including another Carbon Negative Shot Summit, across the coming months to directly engage with our stakeholders and continue these important conversations.
Want to join the carbon dioxide removal movement? Subscribe now to receive updates on FECM’s Carbon Negative Shot efforts and to be sure you hear first about future events. You can also check out our new resources—the Carbon Matchmaker Tool and Carbon Management Interactive Diagram—to learn about new carbon management provisions and funding opportunities.
Original source can be found here.
