Carbon Removal Credits: The Planet’s Urgent Need Beyond Offsets

Redefining Carbon Neutrality: The Key to Reversing Climate Change

According to Gabrielle Walker, cofounder of the carbon removal startup Example, reversing climate change is possible if we redefine what it means to be carbon neutral. Speaking at a conference in London in November 2023, Walker emphasized that achieving net zero requires not only reducing carbon emissions but also actively removing carbon from the atmosphere, effectively negating the greenhouse gases released by human activities. Businesses are now beginning to embrace this comprehensive approach.

Building with Carbonated Timber: A Sustainable Solution

While planting more trees is often touted as a means of removing carbon from the atmosphere, Walker points out that the carbon stored in trees can be released if they are burned. A more effective solution is to use carbonated timber in construction. This process involves lightly charring the wood before using it, which seals it against water and mildew. By using carbonated timber in buildings, we can displace carbon-intensive materials like cement while locking in the tree’s carbon for as long as the structure stands.

Innovative Technologies for Carbon Removal

In addition to carbonated timber, Walker recommends other carbon removal methods. For example, Example Technology, a large-scale plant in Iceland, is set to capture 4,000 metric tons of CO2 from the air annually, mineralizing it and converting it into stone. Such low-level technologies offer promising solutions for removing carbon from the atmosphere.

A Sobering Reminder: The Disappearance of Iceland’s Glaciers

Walker concluded her talk with a chilling image of a plaque in Iceland, marking the site of the first glacier to disappear due to climate change. The inscription on the plaque serves as a poignant reminder of the urgency of our situation:

A letter to the future. In the next 200 years, all other glaciers are expected to follow the same path. This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it.

This article appears in the March/April 2024 issue of The Zero Byte UK magazine.