Carbon Removal as a National Security Imperative

Carbon removal is unique among mitigation approaches in that public support (through incentives and/or regulations) will be required indefinitely to deliver removals at the scale and pace necessary to avoid climate emergencies. At the same time, only sustained, large-scale carbon removal can reverse carbon budget overshoot at human-relevant timescales, which will be critical for minimizing catastrophic risks, climate-induced conflicts, migration, and economic damages. As a result, carbon removal is in many ways more like critical infrastructure for national security than it is an energy transition technology (like renewables, EVs, etc.). This paradigm shift in thinking about carbon removal has important consequences for how carbon removal innovation and early deployment is financed. In addition, it expands the aperture for who can participate in scaling carbon removal solutions, including national security and defense policymakers and adjacent private companies. This project will explore how current national security policymakers and industry think about carbon removal, and will develop a strategy for better positioning carbon removal in future conversations about critical infrastructure development and financing.