The Swiss Carbon Removal Platform – the member organization aiming to empower Switzerland to reach its climate goal, published in September 2023 a CDR Swiss Policy White Paper – an overview of possible policy pathways towards net zero emissions in Switzerland highlighting challenges, opportunities and suggestions for key actions.
The white paper communicates the role carbon dioxide removal has in achieving a sustainable world and avoiding a climate collapse in the long-term. It also points out that there is still a lot to be done before these approaches can live up to the hopes placed in them. Some examples of key actions are the development of a CO2 transport infrastructure and the creation of fair and economically viable incentive systems.
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In the short- and mid-term, there are also some key needs and actions that are identified. The paper presents challenges and policy mixes for three case studies as an example – biochar, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and direct air capture and storage (DACS).
The key identified actions in terms of short-term policy needs are:
- To facilitate interconnected stakeholders
- To establish clear legal frameworks
- To promote CDR RDD&D
- To de-risk first CDR movers and investment in CO2 infrastructure
- To engage in bilateral and multilateral agreements
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According to the announcement, the CDR Swiss Policy White Paper also invites readers to look beyond 2050 and think critically about achieving net-negative greenhouse gas emissions. “To this end, we challenge existing policy paradigms and invite the readership to a speculative journey to 2065, highlighting milestones on the path to a future where more CO2 is removed from the atmosphere than emitted,” states the Swiss Carbon Removal Platform announcement.
