Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR), or Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies remove CO2 from the atmosphere. GGR/CDR mean we can achieve net zero emissions and potentially net negative emissions because they don’t just prevent CO2 reaching the atmosphere, they also remove CO2 that was already there. This is crucial for mitigating climate change by counteracting the warming effects of past and ongoing emissions.
DACCS: Direct air capture units use advanced filtration systems to separate and remove CO₂ directly from the atmosphere, which is then geologically stored deep underground.
BECCS: The process of capturing and permanently storing CO₂ captured from the combustion of biomass (such as sustainable wood chips and plant matter), for renewable energy generation. Plants absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere during their growth which would be released back into the atmosphere if plant waste was left to biodegrade. BECCS plants combust this waste material and capture the CO2 from this process which prevents it re-release into the atmosphere (permanently removing it) whilst also generating electricity.
WECCS: Energy from waste facilities incinerate non-recycled waste to generate electricity, preventing it from going into landfill. Around 50% of this waste is biogenic in origin (derived from organic/plant matter), so capture of this CO2 prevents it re-release into the atmosphere, removing it as with BECCS above.