Attractions of delay: using deliberative engagement to investigate the political and strategic impacts of greenhouse gas removal technologies

The research evaluates the risk of 'mitigation deterrence,' where the pursuit of greenhouse gas removal (GGR) technologies may discourage urgent emissions reductions. Through nine deliberative workshops, the authors analyzed the political and economic mechanisms of this 'attraction of delay' and identified discursive strategies used by GGR advocates to deflect these concerns. The paper concludes that mitigation deterrence is a significant issue that must be recognized in climate policy and suggests governance frameworks to ensure GGR does not replace carbon reduction.

• The authors identify 'mitigation deterrence' as a significant risk where the focus on greenhouse gas removals (GGR) in scientific literature, media, and climate models may discourage the reduction of emissions at the source, acting as an 'attraction of delay' in an environment with high incentives for procrastination.
• Deliberative workshops revealed that while stakeholders acknowledged historical delays in mitigation, some found it difficult to accept that similar processes are currently occurring regarding GGRs; additionally, the research identified specific discursive strategies used by GGR advocates to dismiss or deflect concerns about mitigation deterrence.

APA

McLaren, D., & Markusson, N. (2021). Attractions of delay: using deliberative engagement to investigate the political and strategic impacts of greenhouse gas removal technologies. Climate Social Science Network. https://cssn.org/attractions-of-delay-using-deliberative-engagement-to-investigate-the-political-and-strategic-impacts-of-greenhouse-gas-removal-technologies/

Chicago

McLaren, Duncan, and Nils Markusson. Attractions of delay: using deliberative engagement to investigate the political and strategic impacts of greenhouse gas removal technologies. Climate Social Science Network, 2021. https://cssn.org/attractions-of-delay-using-deliberative-engagement-to-investigate-the-political-and-strategic-impacts-of-greenhouse-gas-removal-technologies/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=McLaren |first1=Duncan |last2=Markusson |first2=Nils |title=Attractions of delay: using deliberative engagement to investigate the political and strategic impacts of greenhouse gas removal technologies |publisher=Climate Social Science Network |date=15 December 2021 |url=https://cssn.org/attractions-of-delay-using-deliberative-engagement-to-investigate-the-political-and-strategic-impacts-of-greenhouse-gas-removal-technologies/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mclaren2021attractions, author = {McLaren, Duncan and Markusson, Nils}, title = {{Attractions of delay: using deliberative engagement to investigate the political and strategic impacts of greenhouse gas removal technologies}}, institution = {Climate Social Science Network}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://cssn.org/attractions-of-delay-using-deliberative-engagement-to-investigate-the-political-and-strategic-impacts-of-greenhouse-gas-removal-technologies/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }