Foire aux questions POURQUOI SÉPARER L’ÉLIMINATION DU CARBONE DES AUTRES OBJECTIFS CLIMATIQUES ?

The document advocates for separating carbon dioxide removal (CDR) from general climate goals to avoid 'mitigation deterrence,' where the hope of future CDR technologies slows current emission reductions. It proposes a three-pronged approach: binding targets for gross emission reductions, biosequestration in natural sinks, and permanent technological removal. While the EU currently uses 'net' targets for 2030 and 2050, the author suggests the upcoming 2040 target proposal is an ideal opportunity to formalize this separation.

• Carbon dioxide removal (CDR), or 'negative emissions,' is defined as extracting CO2 from the atmosphere and storing it permanently, provided the amount removed significantly exceeds the emissions generated by the process. For storage to be considered permanent, the CO2 must remain stored for several centuries.
• The document distinguishes between three types of CDR: natural solutions (such as reforestation and wetland protection), technological solutions (such as direct air capture with carbon storage, or DACCS), and mixed processes (such as enhanced rock weathering). Natural solutions are classified as temporary due to the high risk of carbon re-emission from human or natural disturbances.
• Certain processes are incorrectly labeled as CDR when they do not remove carbon from the atmosphere. Specifically, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and utilization (CCU) capture emissions from pollution sources like factories rather than from the atmosphere.
• The IPCC's 6th assessment report identifies three essential roles for CDR to maintain the 1.5 °C limit: complementing emission reductions before reaching carbon neutrality, offsetting residual emissions to achieve net-zero, and exceeding annual emissions to achieve net-negative emissions globally to lower global temperatures.
• The 'net' target approach, which combines gross reductions and future sequestration into a single figure, is criticized for lacking transparency and risking 'mitigation deterrence,' where actors slow current climate action based on the hope that future CDR technologies will solve the problem.
• The document proposes three distinct, binding targets: gross emission reductions, biosequestration (which should not be used to offset emissions due to its temporary nature), and permanent removal (to offset residual emissions and address historical pollution).
• Current policy frameworks often lack clarity on CDR's role; a 2023 analysis of 20 countries and jurisdictions by Carbon Market Watch found that only a few recognize CDR as complementary to emission reductions, with most using it as an offsetting tool.
• The European Union currently employs net targets for 2030 (55% reduction) and 2050 (net-zero). While the 2030 target has a partial separation by limiting LULUCF contributions to 225 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, the EU has not yet officially adopted a full three-target approach.

APA

De Simone, F., & Diab, K. (2025). Foire aux questions POURQUOI SÉPARER L’ÉLIMINATION DU CARBONE DES AUTRES OBJECTIFS CLIMATIQUES ? Carbon Market Watch. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/FR_-FAQ-on-separate-targets.pdf

Chicago

De Simone, Fabiola, and Khaled Diab. Foire aux questions POURQUOI SÉPARER L’ÉLIMINATION DU CARBONE DES AUTRES OBJECTIFS CLIMATIQUES ? Carbon Market Watch, 2025. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/FR_-FAQ-on-separate-targets.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=De Simone |first1=Fabiola |last2=Diab |first2=Khaled |title=Foire aux questions POURQUOI SÉPARER L’ÉLIMINATION DU CARBONE DES AUTRES OBJECTIFS CLIMATIQUES ? |publisher=Carbon Market Watch |date=January 2025 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/FR_-FAQ-on-separate-targets.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{desimone2025foire, author = {De Simone, Fabiola and Diab, Khaled}, title = {{Foire aux questions POURQUOI SÉPARER L’ÉLIMINATION DU CARBONE DES AUTRES OBJECTIFS CLIMATIQUES ?}}, institution = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/FR_-FAQ-on-separate-targets.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }