US Government Calls for Rapid Climate Action during COP 29, Noting the Importance of the Carbon Management Challenge

To elevate climate goals and enhance global collaboration and dialogue on carbon management solutions, the Mission Innovation Carbon Dioxide Removal (MI CDR) and the Clean Energy CCUS Ministerial (CEM CCUS) have launched the “Gigatonne by 2030” campaign. The campaign will support the Carbon Management Challenge (CMC) to advance carbon management to gigatonne scale by 2030.

The joint effort will accelerate action on carbon management innovation and deployment and coordinate knowledge exchange and activities across the innovation-to-deployment spectrum.

The campaign aims to: 

• Embed carbon management discussions within policy dialogues, including Ministers and high-level government leaders where possible 
• Act as a platform to highlight the progress of carbon management technologies  
• Find alignment amongst organisations with the shared goal to scale-up carbon management solutions 

Both CEM CCUS and Mission Innovation support the clean energy transition by convening global governments and leaders. The Gigatonne by 2030 campaign has set out common work agenda between them, including the development of CDR and CCUS strategy workshops, organising events focused on carbon management – both virtually and in-person – as well as developing sector-specific outreach to ensure relevant stakeholders have the opportunity to get involved and play a role in the campaign. 

Under the common work agenda, ministerial meetings in upcoming CEM MI convenings  will serve to highlight carbon management in general, to take stock of common progress in carbon management and in the CMC, to highlight national advancements, and to discuss collaboration going forward. The campaign includes dedicated public webinars to highlight the CMC.

Read here for more information on the Gigatonne by 2030 campaign  

On April 20, 2023, President Biden convened the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF) for a fourth time to galvanize efforts needed during this critical decade to stem the climate crisis by keeping a 1.5°C limit on warming within reach. 

MEF participants Australia, Canada, Egypt, the European Union, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States, as well as Norway and Denmark, joined in launching a Carbon Management Challenge (CMC) with the aim of coming forward by COP 28 with concrete announcements to accelerate the development and deployment of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies.

Dr. Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), briefed leaders on the Credible pathways to 1.5°C Report, outlining the four pillars for action in the 2020s, with carbon management as the fourth pillar.  

In addition to full-scale mitigation efforts – including accelerated deployment of clean energy, ending deforestation, and cutting non-CO₂ emissions – keeping a 1.5 °C warming limit within reach will require responsible deployment of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies.  CCUS has a critical role to play in decarbonizing the global economy, particularly the industrial sector, where process emissions are more difficult to address.  Combating climate change will also require addressing legacy emissions and removing CO₂ from the ambient air, through CDR. 

To build on these efforts, the President will invite other countries to join the CMC with the aim of unveiling at COP28 a suite of concrete announcements and goals that will accelerate carbon management technologies internationally.

Read the Chair’s Summary and the White House Factsheet for more information on the launch of the Carbon Management Challenge.