Recommendations for the long-term strategy on negative emissions

In February 2024, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action presented key points for a long-term strategy on negative emissions. In a German policy brief, CDR-scientists explain what is important when designing the long-term strategy for negative emissions.

An overview of the key statements in the policy brief: „Empfehlungen für eine deutsche Langfriststrategie zur Kohlendioxidentnahme im großen Maßstab“

1:
Germany will have to remove many millions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the long term if it wants to achieve its climate targets. In order to master this task, a national long-term strategy for CO₂ removal is needed.

From 2045, Germany will generate residual emissions of at least 60 to 130 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalents per year and will have to offset these through targeted CO₂ removal from the atmosphere.

2:
With the help of a national long-term strategy for CO₂ removal, Germany could be one of the first EU member states to integrate a broad portfolio of removal methods into its own climate policy. The government would thus create planning security – both for the period up to 2045 and beyond.

If Germany sets itself ambitious removal targets for the next 20 years and for the period after achieving greenhouse gas neutrality, the country would position itself as a pioneer in CO₂ removal policy.

3:
The long-term strategy must outline how the massive expansion of promising CO₂ removal processes is to succeed and how it could be financed.

Whether the required ramp-up can and should be financed by public funds alone must be discussed and answered in the strategy process.

4:
A national long-term strategy for CO₂ removal will only receive broad public approval if it is developed in cooperation with all relevant social stakeholders. It should also prepare guidelines for a robust set of removal regulations and reliable incentive mechanisms and provide instruments for resolving the associated conflicts of objectives and distribution.

The stakeholder dialog on the joint development of the German carbon management strategy could serve as a template for the upcoming debate on CO₂ removal.

The policy brief on the CDR long term strategy on Zenodo

Click on the green button to download the german CDRterra policy brief “Empfehlungen für eine deutsche Langfriststrategie zur Kohlendioxidentnahme im großen Maßstab” (300 kB)