Carbon Dioxide Removal in SDGs and Nationally Determined Contributions

Abstract

The United Nations 2030 Agenda through the Sustainable Development Goals would guide the nations to set their policy trajectories for economic growth, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and social inclusion. SDG 13 concerns specifically climate actions including the reduction of anthropogenic emissions and is directly linked to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the Paris Agreement. One of these actions would be developing and implementing carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Other interlinkages exist between SDGs and NDCs, especially when considering CDR, due to the multisectoral relation to energy, water, land use, and ecosystems that these climate policies provide. Here, the net zero emissions are discussed with a focus on the targets for Europe set out in the updated NDC and Green Deal. Then, the method of analysis is presented. It is based on the long-term prospective studies for energy system modeling, done with the French version of TIMES Integrated Assessment Model, TIAM-FR, linked to the climate module. Examples of CDR in this model are shown like biomass and bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS). Finally, the relation of CDR to the SDGs is demonstrated with a focus on Europe’s progress on SDGs. This research would help proposing technical and policy recommendations related to CDR and sheds the light on their impacts (synergies and co-benefits) with the concerned SDGs.