Permanently Removing CO2 from Our Emissions and Atmosphere

The role of carbon capture, utilization, and storage continues to grow as we recognize that our climate targets will be harder and harder to reach. Recent IPCC studies have demonstrated the critical importance of carbon capture for decarbonizing our economy rapidly. This is especially important today for industrial emissions, which have not received the attention that the electric sector has, and for which fewer decarbonization options are available. And the recent report on reaching 1.5ºC has highlighted that permanently removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere will perhaps play an even bigger role – potentially creating a new industry twice as large as today's oil industry. Thus, carbon capture and storage are needed for the immediate transition to a zero carbon economy, and then will be needed to remediate the atmosphere at massive scales.

In this fourth installation of the CCUS Gordon Research Conference series, we will examine the new science needed to achieve these massive goals. Can we decarbonize safely, and with a variety of approaches appropriate for the variety of power and industrial challenges? Can we develop methods to clean up the atmosphere – so called negative emissions – in time to keep within reasonable temperature limits? We will discuss these questions and many more in an interdisciplinary framework at the 2021 Gordon Research Conference on CCUS, where participants junior and senior will be stimulated by the highly interactive atmosphere typical of the GRCs and inspired by the natural landscape surrounding the conference venue.

We are working diligently on our program for this fall 2021 Carbon, Capture, Utilization and Storage GRC and GRS. We have been able to raise funding to support both young scientists and others who may require financial assistance. If you are interested in receiving funding, please contact the GRC chairs and/or the GRS chairs at the links provided if you do not already have their contact information. We are looking forward to being together again in person and hope all who are interested can join us!