You are here: °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥ University School of International Service Centers Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal

Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal

Building responsible °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥removal futures

The Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal is a research center in the School of International Service at °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥ University, Washington DC.

What we do

Carbon removal involves the drawdown and durable storage of atmospheric CO2 emissions, increasingly recognized as necessary to meet climate targets. At the Institute, we believe that significant amounts of °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥removal will be needed in the coming decades—but that scaling °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥removal responsibly will require more than demonstrating techno-economic feasibility. Instead, ‘responsible’ scaling of °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥removal means addressing other aspects of what might make °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥removal approaches better or worse for society: what socio-environmental impacts might result? What co-benefits might be provided? Who gets to have a say in how, when, and where °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥removal happens? Who profits from it? Does it exacerbate ongoing emissions, or entrench existing inequalities? Addressing such questions will require research, rules, practices, policies and institutions for ensuring °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥removal gets deployed in ways that actually benefit people and the planet. Current investment into °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥removal deployment is accelerating at an unprecedented pace; this presents many challenges, but also opportunities to create a paradigm shift in how large-scale projects are built and who has a seat at the table to ensure responsible deployment.

Our mission is to build ways of doing °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥removal that are responsible, democratic, just & equitable. To do this, we produce action-oriented research, shape policy and governance facilitating open dialogues and contributing to frameworks, best practices, regulatory frameworks and educate experts and non-experts alike via fellowships, trainings and workshops. Our research, policy and educational work aims to shape decisions being made by decision-makers at all levels, ranging from local communities to federal and international policymakers. In our work, we aim to prioritize the inclusion of oft-excluded groups, and we collaborate with communities, scientists and engineers, technology developers, funders, and others. As independent scholars and thinkers housed at an academic institution, we bring robustness and rigor in all of the work that we do.

Ìý

Meet the team

Our Latest Work

Here you can find the most recent and exciting activity coming out of the Institute.

As °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥removal increasingly plays a major role in response to climate change, the Institute partnered with the National Wildlife Federation to launch this fellowship summer of 2002 whichÌýaimed to center justice and equity considerations in °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥removal policy.

The series focusesÌýon scientific, technological, legal, political, and justice-focused issues associated with °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥dioxide removal.

Find out more

Launched in December 2022, Co-DirectorÌýWil Burns has developed a new ocean CDR focused podcast series. Episodes willÌýfocusÌýon ocean-based climate geoengineering options that seek to reduce incoming solar radiation (solar radiation modification) or remove °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥dioxide from the atmosphere (°¬¿ÉÖ±²¥dioxide removal).

This listing includes all working papers, articles, reports, book and book chapters from our staff at the Institute around topics of °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥dioxide removal.

Find out more

6

years as a leading °¬¿ÉÖ±²¥removal research center