RESPONSIBLY SCALING DIRECT AIR CAPTURE

The document outlines the role of direct air capture (DAC) as a complement to greenhouse gas emission reductions to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C. It asserts that while DAC plants have resource usage impacts similar to other industrial infrastructure, they can have lower on-site emissions if powered by renewable energy. The author recommends that federal funding for DAC be contingent on social and environmental assessments, community engagement, and the use of local labor. It further calls on the U.S. Congress to leverage purchasing power and increase appropriations for research and development to ensure equitable and cost-effective deployment.

• Direct air capture (DAC) is presented as a necessary complement to deep greenhouse gas emission reductions to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F).
• WRI analysis indicates that DAC plants typically have on-site resource impacts (land, energy, and water) comparable to other industrial infrastructure, but they can achieve significantly lower on-site greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions when powered by renewable energy.
• To avoid historical patterns of inequitable infrastructure siting, the document recommends that all federally funded DAC projects implement social and environmental assessments, meaningful community engagement, and legal agreements like community benefit agreements.
• The document proposes specific actions for the U.S. Congress, including using federal purchasing power to prioritize equity and environmental integrity (citing the Federal Carbon Dioxide Removal Leadership Act) and increasing appropriations for research and development (citing the CREATE Act).

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). RESPONSIBLY SCALING DIRECT AIR CAPTURE. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2022-05/responsibly-scaling-direct-air-capture-2-pager.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. RESPONSIBLY SCALING DIRECT AIR CAPTURE. n.d. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2022-05/responsibly-scaling-direct-air-capture-2-pager.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=RESPONSIBLY SCALING DIRECT AIR CAPTURE |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2022-05/responsibly-scaling-direct-air-capture-2-pager.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendresponsibly, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{RESPONSIBLY SCALING DIRECT AIR CAPTURE}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2022-05/responsibly-scaling-direct-air-capture-2-pager.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }