CDRterra

How effective is carbon dioxide removal (CDR) from the atmosphere? Is CDR feasible & wanted by society? The BMBF funding measure CDRterra explores terrestrial CDR methods & their possible contribution to Germanys greenhouse gas neutrality from 2045 onwards. In order to support pathways to mitigate the increasingly drastic consequences of human-made climate change & to achieve the Paris Agreement goals, the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere will be an important measure alongside massive CO2 emission reductions. In the CDRterra research program, more than 100 researchers in 19 collaborative projects are investigating how & to what extent land-based methods for removing & storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere can help limit climate change. The goal is to develop a roadmap that shows how Germany can use CDR to achieve the Paris climate goals. Terrestrial CDR methods focus on the one hand on the individual measures for CDR & on the other hand on overarching questions of political and institutional feasibility, social acceptance & ethics. The focus is on the methods: Afforestation, reforestation & forestry measures Bioenergy with Carbon Capture & Storage (BECCS), Biochar & pyrolysis of biomass (biochar), increased carbon storage in the soil enhanced weathering, Direct-Air-Capture & Carbon Storage (DACCS), Artificial photosynthesis with carbon capture & storage (CCS) Plant-based oil production with Carbon Capture and Utilisation The accompanying synthesis project CDRSynTra analyzes the findings of the research program across the board & develops solutions for knowledge transfer to policy-makers, the public & the scientific community. It also forms the central interface to the research mission CDRmare, which investigates marine CDR methods. CDRterra is coordinated by the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) in its first 3-year phase starting from Nov 2021 and is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with 21 million euros.