Preamble

1) We, the undersigned, members of the Carbon Dioxide Removal community[1], acknowledge the global scientific consensus that “it is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land[2]”, and that high atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide are the most significant expression of that influence.

2) We similarly acknowledge the scientific consensus that the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is a necessary contribution to global efforts to halt, and ultimately reverse, the rise in those atmospheric concentrations.

3) We make the following commitments to society in the context of our species’ fight against the damaging effects of anthropogenic planetary climate change.

[1] Including CDR technology developers, project developers, marketplaces, standards developers, registries, MRV providers, CDR credit buyers.

[2] Headline statement A1 of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment report: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Headline_Statements.pdf

What is CDR?

4) We endorse the IPCC’s definition of carbon dioxide removals (“CDR”): “Anthropogenic activities removing CO₂ from the atmosphere and durably storing it in geological, terrestrial, or ocean reservoirs, or in products. It includes existing and potential anthropogenic enhancement of biological or geochemical sinks and direct air capture and storage, but excludes natural CO₂ uptake not directly caused by human activities.”[1]

[1] https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/glossary/

CDR's Role in Climate Action and Policy

5) We underline that CO₂ emissions must urgently be reduced to as close to zero as possible.

6) We also underline that the capture and storage of CO₂ from point-source emissions of geospheric origin (“fossil point-source CCS”), which is a necessary part of net reductions, does not result in the removal of atmospheric CO₂ and is therefore not equivalent to CDR in its effect on atmospheric concentrations of CO₂.

7) In line with IPCC, we commit to defending the position that, in addition to deep, rapid, and sustained emission reductions CDR can fulfill three different complementary roles, at either the global or the country level:

              i. lowering net emissions in the near term;

             ii. counterbalancing ‘hard-to-abate’ residual emissions in order to help reach net zero emissions in the mid-term;

            iii. and achieving net negative emissions in the long term if deployed at levels exceeding annual residual emissions.

8) We believe that CDR technologies must not be used to reduce the level of ambition on emission reductions, because this would impede efforts to slow and reverse global warming.

9) Furthermore, we believe that in practice, use of CO₂ captured from the atmosphere for the purpose of enhancing the recovery, and therefore combustion, of geospheric fossil fuels is not compatible with the purposes of CDR listed above and therefore cannot be considered a form of CDR.

10) We believe that government and corporate climate policy frameworks must accurately reflect the distinction between emissions reductions and CDR.

Science

Believing that science promises innovation and objective measures of progress,

11) We commit to be driven by climate science. In particular, we commit to:

              i. making decisions informed by the global scientific consensus as expressed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC);

             ii. actively seeking to update our knowledge and understanding of the latest scientific work on climate in general and CDR specifically;

            iii. contributing our own scientific work to the body of global science whenever possible, while protecting intellectual property rights and trade secrets.

Monitoring, Reporting & Verification (MRV) and Certification

Recognising the critical importance of the credibility of the entire CDR ecosystem and the central role played by the process of certification of carbon removals,

12) We commit to ensuring that CDR activities we have influence or control over are monitored, reported on, and verified in a thorough, transparent and timely manner.

              i. We (CDR technology and project developers) commit to retaining detailed records of our activities, such as storage locations, contracts, and other essential details.

             ii. We commit to accounting accurately for the net removal effect of CDR considering activities across the full CDR value chain. Further, we commit to using conservative estimates of the impact of our CDR activities where there is uncertainty.

            iii. We commit to using our influence in the CDR community to ensure that others who may not be signatories of these Commitments do the same.

13) We (CDR technology and project developers) commit to using scientifically robust MRV tools and processes that are available to us.

14) We (CDR technology and project developers) commit to using methodologies that are either peer-reviewed or mandated by regulation where possible.

15) We commit to assessing the likely environmental and social impacts of our CDR activities and to requiring this of any CDR technology and project developers we work with.

16) We commit to working with credible partners, institutions, marketplaces, registries, certification schemes and other intermediaries as necessary for the accurate monitoring, reporting, and verification of our CDR activities.

17) We (CDR technology and project developers, buyers of CDR credits) commit to submitting to scrutiny by national authorities or standards and audit organisations that:

              i. are independent, expert, and appropriately accredited and/or regulated;

             ii. ensure that CDR credits are aligned to robust quality and integrity criteria, as defined in relevant regulation and standards;

            iii. Require the collection of reliable, accurate and verifiable data in the issuance of CDR credits.

Transparency

Conscious of the importance of public trust,

18) We commit to communicating truthfully and accurately about the impact of our CDR activities.

19) We commit to engaging with other members of the CDR community that we deal with, with a view to helping them to communicate truthfully and accurately and avoid misrepresenting the impact of our activities.

20) We commit to working with the media to disseminate knowledge about our carbon removal methods and objectives. We commit to providing media with accurate and timely information and will work with them to ensure accurate reporting.     

21) We commit to providing data on our CDR activities to common industry data resources.

22) Recognising that the balance of rights and interests in the CDR industry is not the same as in traditional industries and that CDR is done for the benefit of the planet, we commit to high levels of transparency, reserving the right to protect commercially sensitive information, our intellectual property and trade secrets only where necessary.

Sustainability

Recognising the importance of sustainability beyond the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,

23) We commit to sustainable practices/operations/activities that deliver positive outcomes for people, nature and the climate.

24) We commit to complying with all relevant sustainability regulations in the jurisdictions where we operate that relate to our activities.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement

Wishing to ensure that human society succeeds in avoiding the worst effects of climate change and believing that this effort requires that society be well-informed and have a proper understanding of the nature of our activity, its purpose, and the scientific body of evidence around it (including any risks that have been identified),

25) We commit to collaborating with others to develop the CDR industry to the scale required by the world’s scientific and political leadership.

26) We commit to engaging with other stakeholders about our work; in particular,

              i. We (CDR technology and project developers) commit to engaging with local communities in places where we operate with a view to involving them in the decisions that impact them, so that they can derive potential benefits.

             ii. We commit to engaging with the broader scientific community, including but not limited to bona fide researchers seeking to gain understanding of our work.

            iii. We commit to engaging with collective civil society organisations.

            iv. We commit to engaging with government and other policy makers so as to support better regulation.

             v. We commit to fostering dialogue with the investor community so as to facilitate the investments that are critical for the growth of CDR to climate-relevant scale.

Justice, Human Rights, and Equity

27) In the context of our engagement with local communities, and especially in cases where there are historically marginalised groups and disadvantaged communities in areas in which we operate, we commit to seeking to create opportunities for them to benefit from our activities.

28) We commit to complying with applicable international human rights standards. Furthermore, we commit to explicitly considering the human rights implications of our CDR activities, including for example the impact on ecosystems and natural resources on which communities depend.

Accountability

29) We commit to accepting public and private scrutiny of our CDR work in good faith, and in particular:

              i. We commit to receiving good faith written feedback on our compliance with these commitments from any interested party.

             ii. We commit to sharing feedback we might have with other signatories on their compliance with these commitments.

            iii. We commit to remedying deficiencies with regard to compliance with these commitments in a timely and transparent manner where possible.

Compliance with the Law

30) We commit to compliance with all the legal and regulatory requirements that are applicable to our CDR activities.

Review

31) We commit to reviewing these commitments within 24 months of the date of adoption by the Negative Emissions Platform, for example with a view to:

              i. Updating commitments in light of best practice, regulatory requirements, or the advancement of scientific knowledge;

             ii. Creating/updating the accompanying Explanatory Memorandum to provide context and explain & interpret commitments; and

            iii. Expanding accountability commitments;