Multi-level governance of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) with use of biomass in cascades (BioCas)
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a top priority in achieving internationally agreed climate targets. However, modeling shows that reaching greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045 will also require additional approaches that actively and permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. These are referred to as Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). Biomass-based CDR (BioCDR) are expected to provide the largest share of the required carbon dioxide removal. These include land-based and technical approaches such as afforestation, biochar, and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).
The availability of sustainable biomass resources is central to the implementation of BioCDR. A promising solution is cascade use: biomass is used multiple times before it is ultimately converted into energy, with the resulting carbon stored long term. This approach offers additional potential for reducing environmental impact, increasing economic and resource efficiency, and enhancing social acceptance. This allows the limited raw material biomass to be used as efficiently and multifunctionally as possible. Stakeholders from research, politics, and society consider the cascading use of biomass in CO2 removal to be important, as it can reduce environmental impact while generating potential co-benefits.
However, the implementation and large-scale application of BioCDR cascades pose a complex challenge. In particular, the cascading of biomass, comprising a combination of value chains, commodity flows, and corporate networks, has not yet been sufficiently researched. This is particularly true in the areas of CDR assessment, governance research, and modelling.
The aim of the BioCas project is therefore to develop an effective governance framework for the sustainable development and expansion of biomass-based CDR cascades. To this end, the project combines the further development of BioCDR cascades with an interdisciplinary analysis of existing multi-level governance processes. Methods include transdisciplinary co-design, holistic assessment approaches, policy analysis, case studies, and optimization models. Jointly with relevant stakeholders, the project will develop a roadmap for an effective multi-level governance framework for BioCDR.
