Negative Emissions Technologies

Abstract

Negative emissions technologies (NETs) have been proposed for removing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere in order to moderate global warming. This entry describes the different ideas that exist under the category and traces the origins of the concept before examining their potential contribution to keeping global warming below 1.5°C, their technical readiness, and estimated costs. It then discusses some of the risks that NETs may pose and two common governance concerns about NETs research, development, demonstration, and deployment: that research may be a “slippery slope” to undesirable deployment, and that research and/or actual deployment of NETs may create a “moral hazard” whereby the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is either delayed or deterred. The entry then reflects on how geography as a discipline has thus far only rarely engaged with NETs, and sets out some directions for productive geographical research into the topic.