Climate change already touches every corner of our lives and BIPOC, low-income, and other frontline communities are unfairly bearing the brunt of these adverse impacts. The climate crisis has highlighted the disparities across groups that continue to worsen under existing power structures and incremental climate action.
However, this crisis can also be viewed as a major economic mobilization opportunity to improve health, environmental, and social outcomes for all. To take advantage of this moment, we need bold, justice-oriented, and immediate policies that support aggressive emissions reductions and carbon removal — while also distributing power in a way that builds a more just and equitable society.
The nascency of the carbon removal field presents an opportunity for environmental justice principles to shape policies that eliminate existing inequities instead of contributing to them. There is enormous potential for the field to both address legacy emissions and create non-climate benefits that support the livelihoods of frontline communities. Building on recent political and social momentum, the US can realize an equitable future for carbon removal by investing in innovation, establishing robust standards and regulations, and providing necessary technical and financial assistance to project developers, landowners, and communities.
“Removing Forward: Centering Equity and Justice in a Carbon-Removing Future” explores the current political context for carbon removal, provides background on environmental justice, and offers both guiding principles and specific federal policy recommendations to advance just carbon removal development and deployment.
Dive into the full report to learn more about leveraging federal policy for a just carbon future.
To get in touch with our policy team, shoot us a note at policy@carbon180.org.
