German experts see it necessary to withdraw CO ₂ from the atmosphere to curb climate change

The group of environmental experts advising the German government believes that the objectives of the Paris Agreement will only be achieved if, in addition to dispensing with oil, coal and gas, carbon dioxide (_CO2) is removed from the atmosphere.

The independent Scientific Council for Global Environmental Change (WBGU) presented its report on the efforts to be made by the international community to limit the increase in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius and thus avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change.

The agency says in a statement that to achieve climate goals “the use of fossil fuels must end and strengthen the protection of natural spaces rich in species.”

But it also considers that in order to achieve the long-term and reliable objectives of the Paris Agreement, “in addition to the necessary _CO2 reductions, the removal of _CO2 from the atmosphere must be prepared”.

The recovery of ecosystems – from forests to peatlands and mangroves – contributes to the capture of carbon dioxide. But several technologies to remove _CO2 from the atmosphere have also been tested, not without controversy, although none have been used on a large scale.

Upon receiving the report, Research Minister Anja Karliczek advocated starting as soon as possible “the responsible preparation of methods to remove _CO2 from the atmosphere” and called these technologies an “option for climate stabilization.”

The WBGU further urged states to “steer their long-term climate protection strategies beyond climate neutrality,” the most ambitious goal of some countries at the moment, and focus on pursuing “climate stabilization.”

Germany, for example, aspires to climate neutrality by 2045, while the EU as a whole, the US, South Korea and Japan, want to achieve it by 2050, and China wants to reach this milestone by 2060. Most countries, however, have not set a date.

The expert council also called on the international community to make the issue of implementing long-term climate strategies one of the themes of this year’s Climate Summit in Glasgow (COP26).

The Secretary of State at the Ministry of environment, Jochen Flasbarth, supported this idea and stressed that “many more states must present their strategies to achieve climate neutrality.”

Source: The Energy Newspaper