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The interest in carbon dioxide removal (CDR) methods as solutions to mitigate climate change by capturing and sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) received considerable political and public interest in recent years. However, the deployment of these technologies is not without side-effects, involving complex trade-offs and co-benefits impacting on the environment, society, and the economy.
We define any resulting effect of CDR deployment that does not refer to the primary purpose of CDR, namely the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere, as a side-effect. Side-effects can be positive (known as co-benefits) or negative (known as adverse side-effects). We consider Afforestation/Reforestation (AR), BioEnergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), Biochar, Direct Air Capture with Carbon Storage (DACCS), Enhanced Weathering, Soil Carbon Sequestration, Blue Carbon, Ocean based options and option-unspecific information on CDR. Beyond bio-physical side-effects, we also examine factors that might threaten successful CDR deployment such as lacking public acceptance, moral hazard, climate impacts on CDR etc.
The systematic review covers a range of categories and indicators describing side effects on the environment (e.g. air/atmosphere, water, soil, vegetation), energy (use, demand), social aspects (e.g. acceptance, policy, health, employment), economic and ecosystem services. To provide a complete framework, a life cycle assessment approach is applied by considering upstream impacts (e.g. provision of feedstocks) and reporting possible downstream impacts.
The presented methodology aims to provide a comprehensive evidence-based foundation for analysing CDR methods beyond their CDR capability and provide comprehensive knowledge for CDR methods deployment.