Carbon Removal, Climate Impacts, and Equity: Insights From Expert Elicitation

Abstract Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) often spurs concerns about equity and justice. At the same time, many analysts believe CDR is necessary to achieve United Nations temperature targets and thereby help address broader equity concerns about impacts from climate change. We conducted two recent expert-elicitation surveys that shed light on these issues. In the first survey, experts on climate economics estimate that climate damages will increase inequality both between and within countries. In the second survey, experts on CDR highlight three major equity-related issues that will need to be addressed for CDR to provide an effective and just option for limiting climate damages: moral hazard, the use of removed CO2 for enhanced oil recovery, and concerns about negative social/environmental impacts. Targeted policy changes and increased stakeholder input could theoretically help address each of these challenges and help make CDR a more viable and equitable climate strategy.