Stephanie Arcusa

@worldfuturecouncil.org @longnow.org @cser.bsky.social @coenergyoffice.bsky.social @microsoft.com #FutureGenerations #Carbonremoval

Our conclusion: Societies may decide not to incorporate these principles into their policies. Current state of affairs which allows for short-term storage that is orphaned within decades implicitly has abandoned intergenerational equity at least in the context of climate change and its consequences.

None of this is against short-term storage. Short-term storage can certainly be certified as storing C, but it needs to be understood that it does not eliminate the climate impact of a C emission, it delays it. Short-term storage may still be useful if followed by subsequent storage. buff.ly/jQLZbFR

Beneficiaries: current generation, fossil fuel industry, users, and managers of short-term storage. Losers: future generation, competitors to fossil fuels and managers of long-term reservoirs. Payers: all of us or the fossil industry? Deciders: standardization cycle and advocates for the future.

The lack of standards that embrace such long timescales raises the question of what are the obstacles and how could they be overcome. We look at who benefits and loses from temporary storage, who pays and who decides.

What we really contribute is the articulation of why this matters and to us it boils down to (1) intergenerational equity and (2) the polluter-pays principle. A world that commits to these two principles into the distant future must assure that excess C is stored for climate-relevant timescales.

We consider the climate commitment of excess C, including C released from storage, and repeat the observation made by many that societies will have to decide whether they accept responsibility for the impact on people and the environment, across social groups, geographic regions, and generations.

Note: this is not a dig at Microsoft or Stripe. They are currently one of the largest purchasers of carbon sequestration. Besides, it is hard to tell volunteers they are not doing enough. Permanence defined on climate-relevant timescales is better suited for regulation and compliance regimes.

For example, Microsoft and Stripe received proposals for carbon sequestration totaling 142 million tons in 2020 and 2021. Tallying the length of time indicated by each proposal for how long the operator would look after the storage reveals how quickly the carbon would be orphaned: 50% in 30 years.

We also review a handful of entities for their definition of permanence. FYI this paper goes much more in depth on standards: buff.ly/nDKXj5e We find a large gap between science and standards.

Science tells us (1) excess CO2 is the primary cause of climate change and (2) excess C is a millennial problem. The timescale is at a min several thousand years if we only worry about excess CO2 in the atmosphere and >>10,000 years if we include excess C in the ocean-biosphere-atmosphere system.

I am pleased to share the publication of my newest paper with Dr. Lackner. All carbon sequestration has durability, a storage duration that varies by storage type. There is also a social decision for permanence, or how long is long enough. We explore why it matters and what it means buff.ly/UCoRzSd

As the world grapples with a range of environmental challenges, the intersection of energy and carbon is more important than ever. I’m honored to be joining an incredible lineup of experts at EarthX2025 Conference of Conferences to discuss innovative solutions. Join us! #EarthX2025 #ClimateAction

I’m excited to join EarthX2025 Congress of Conferences hosted by @EarthXorg! April 21-25 in Dallas, we’ll tackle key challenges and opportunities in conservation, energy, and environmental policy. #EarthX2025

This chapter was made possible by the leadership of Josh Burke and Ingrid Schulte in addition to important work by co-authors Leo Mercer and Dianne Hondeborg. #MRV

3) The chapter analyzed the interconnectedness of CDR protocols—who references whom. Most protocols seem to converge, with top references being the 2006 IPCC Guidelines, CDM, ISO 14064-2, WRI GHG Protocol, & Verra (cited by 2/3 of docs). Yet, 1/3 of protocols (mainly compliance) stand alone.

2) An expert assessment of MRV across CDR methods reviewed metrics like quantification accuracy, confidence, research depth, protocols, and regulatory oversight, highlighting varied progress. While insightful, it’s important to note that assessments can be subjective, with differing conclusions.

I was fortunate to co-author a chapter on monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) and reported on the big picture trends. 1) Over the last 20 years, most protocols have been developed for conventional methods, including afforestation, reforestation, and enhancement of land sinks.

Edition 2 Resources — The State of Carbon Dioxide Removal Download full report(PDF)

The State of Carbon Dioxn it comes to all things #CDR. Containing some of the most up comprehensive overviews of the entire industry, it also makes precious data available.

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Read more about carbon storage obligations from Carbon Balance: https://buff.ly/3Wshzfe

Markets and Mandates — Carbon Balance Initiative A report on the role of markets and mandates in UK policy scenarios for future deployment of CCS and GGR.

Thrilled to contribute to this new analysis from @oxfordnetzero.bsky.social & @CarbonBalance on UK carbon storage policy! As part of the academic steering committee, I especially appreciated the deep dive into accounting frameworks & pathways for storage obligations. Read it here:

The evolving CDR certification landscape involves many actors working to prove carbon is being removed to fight climate change. This brings opportunities for innovation, research, and business—but also great responsibility. Robust certification is key to ensuring carbon removal’s success. #CDR

Standards, Methodologies, and Protocols of Durable Carbon Removal CDR.fyi is the reporting platform for the durable carbon removal market.

Tank Chen & Nadine Walsh @cdrfyi.bsky.social provided another update, focusing on "durable" CDR. They documented 35 protocols within this critical sector! Read their insights here: https://buff.ly/4fQrJ0c #CarbonRemoval #DurableStorage

Strengthening MRV standards for greenhouse gas removals to improve climate change governance - Grantham Research Institute on climate change and the environment This report seeks to identify the factors underpinning the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of greenhouse gas removal (GGR) across the spectrum of biological, chemical and geochemical…

Leo Mercer & Josh Burke picked up the torch, publishing this excellent report: https://buff.ly/4fHyYqY 🌱 They later remade the map: https://buff.ly/4fHyXmU 🌍 Now documenting 65 protocol providers across 21 CDR activities! #MRV #NetZero

When I first published the CDR standards landscape, I worried it would be outdated before the ink dried—this space evolves so fast! But I needn’t have worried—others have built on this work, keeping it current and advancing the conversation. 🙌 #CarbonRemoval

Certification of Carbon Dioxide Removal (v2) To stay below 1.5C warming agreed under the Paris Accord and to return the atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration to a safer level, humanity will need to reduce emissions to net-zero and achieve ...

Want to explore the carbon removal standards landscape interactively? Check out this dynamic map: https://buff.ly/400U3qL 🌟 Dive into the complexity of methodologies, activities, and markets! #CDR #ClimateAction

In 2022, I published the first overview of the carbon removal standards landscape in the journal Climate Policy —and it was complex! 🌍 30+ SDOs proposed 125+ methodologies for 23 different CDR activities and offered 27 versions of certification instruments. See it here: https://buff.ly/4h1Ys3h #CDR

Thanks to my talented co-author Emily Hagood for bringing this research to the finish line! See her profile: https://buff.ly/3DDbbeA And read more of the research here: https://buff.ly/3PiGnCp

Curious about our data? 📊 We analyzed 28 international SDOs & 268 carbon removal proposals submitted to Microsoft (2021-2022). Why the wait? 🕒 The paper was ready in mid 2023, but scientific publishing takes time. #Publishing

How do certifiers manage carbon storage durability & loss? 🤔 We found 6 mechanisms for durability & 4 for carbon loss, but choices often lack clear links to CDR methods or markets. Most common: commitment periods, buffer pools, & reversal compensation. #CarbonRemoval