Generations of inaction to address climate change have left current and future policymakers with little choice but to pursue actions that rapidly accelerate emissions reductions while also removing past emissions from the atmosphere to achieve net-zero emissions and ultimately net-negative emissions. As we detail in this report, carbon removal can be accomplished through a wide variety of approaches, and it is critical that policies such as the American Jobs Plan and congressional infrastructure legislation focus on advancing many different strategies in tandem. 

Policies to jumpstart a new carbon economy must also build upon the principles of the Green New Deal — unlike the vision of carbon removal advanced by oil and gas giants, a progressive net-negative emissions platform would not extend the lifetime of fossil fuels. Instead, it would create well-paying, unionized jobs and benefit the communities that have borne the brunt of climate and environmental destruction: communities of color, Indigenous communities, poor communities, blue-collar workers, and fenceline communities. Our progressive platform also lays the groundwork for carbon removal as a public utility rather than a private enterprise, underscoring the U.S. government’s responsibility to address its long legacy of climate-warming emissions.

Here, we offer guiding principles, policy recommendations for lawmakers, and polling to underpin a progressive approach to carbon removal as part of a comprehensive plan to reach net-zero emissions.

COMPONENTS

Policy Memo: Guiding Principles 

In this memo, we lay the foundation for a progressive carbon removal strategy by defining what does and does not constitute a progressive carbon removal strategy and establishing guiding principles for progressive carbon removal policymaking.

Policy Memo: Federal Action Plan

This report reviews existing legislative building blocks for progressive carbon removal innovation and deployment, and lays out recommendations for American leadership in this critical and underdeveloped area of climate policy

Policy Brief: Summary for Policymakers

This summary highlights the key elements of a progressive net-negative emissions strategy and outlines the goals that Congress and the White House must take to enact these proposals.

Polling Memo: Voters Support Investments in Carbon Removal Legislation

Despite unfamiliarity with carbon removal technologies and practices, especially relative to other prevalent energy sources, voters across party lines still agree that the government should be doing more to remove carbon from the atmosphere and widely support federal investments in carbon removal research and development.