Removing CO2 from atmosphere vital to avoid catastrophic tipping points, leading scientist says

The Guardian
The Guardian
2M ago
27 views
Leading climate scientists at Cop30 warned that the world is likely to exceed the 1.5C target of the Paris Agreement, necessitating significant CO2 removal efforts.
Removing CO2 from atmosphere vital to avoid catastrophic tipping points, leading scientist says
A What happened
During the Cop30 climate talks, prominent scientists, including Johan Rockström, cautioned that the world is likely to surpass the 1.5C target established by the Paris Agreement. They stated that to limit global heating to 1.7C, approximately 10 billion tonnes of CO2 must be removed from the atmosphere each year. Achieving this would require the establishment of a massive new industry and an investment of around a trillion dollars annually. The experts also noted that even with aggressive carbon removal strategies, the best-case scenario would still see temperatures rise between 1.6C and 1.8C. They stressed the importance of immediate action to prevent catastrophic tipping points in ecosystems, particularly in the Antarctic and Amazon regions. The discussions highlighted the need for stronger policies to reduce fossil fuel emissions and the potential risks associated with various carbon capture methods.

Key insights

  • 1

    Urgent CO2 Removal Needed: 10 billion tonnes of CO2 must be captured annually to limit heating.

  • 2

    Tipping Points at Risk: Overshooting 1.5C increases risks of catastrophic climate impacts.

  • 3

    High Costs of Action: Achieving carbon removal goals could cost around a trillion dollars yearly.

  • 4

    Political Challenges Persist: Political dynamics complicate global climate action efforts.

Takeaways

The warnings from climate experts at Cop30 underscore the urgent need for global action to prevent exceeding critical temperature thresholds. Without significant CO2 removal and emissions reductions, the world faces severe climate risks.

Topics

World & Politics Policy & Regulation Climate & Environment Climate Change Energy

Stay ahead with OwlBrief

Daily briefs that distill the world’s important events — clear, verified, and designed for understanding.

Newsletter

Get OwlBrief in your inbox

A fast, high-signal digest of the day’s most important events — plus the context that makes them make sense.

Quick to read. Useful all day.