Adaptation and Carbon Removal

Carbon dioxide removal and climate change adaptation are rarely analyzed together, yet it is critical to consider the interactions between these forms of climate response. We identify ways to foreground adaptation in carbon removal policies and project designs and to incorporate carbon removal into adaptation efforts. Attempts at aligning adaptation and carbon removal may genuinely increase adaptive capacity or introduce new vulnerabilities, depending on policy and project design. Based upon four case studies of addressing adaptation needs with adaptive carbon removal, we find that effective implementation is likely to hinge upon predictable climate policy, innovative technical policies such as rigorous life-cycle assessment, and project design with local ecological conditions in mind. We propose three simple principles for integrating carbon removal and adaptation: identify opportunities for adaptive carbon removal in planning, prioritize adaptive value of projects, and give credit for carbon removed.