The next webinar on the latest published papers on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) research will focus on the paper Temporary carbon dioxide removals to offset methane emissions
Moderator: Pietro Andreoni, Politecnico di Milano and CMCC Foundation
14 October 2026, 2 pm – 3pm (CEST) I ZOOM, online
Register in advance 
here.
Abstract:
Methane has a much larger short-term warming effect than CO2, even though CO2’s effect is smaller but far more persistent over time. This paper argues that offsetting methane emissions with temporary, time-matched CO2 removals, rather than with permanent removals calibrated to an arbitrary time horizon, avoids unfairly transferring climate damages between generations. Using a welfare-based equivalence approach, the authors estimate that around 87 one-tonne, 30-year temporary CO2 removals are needed to offset the damages caused by 1 tonne of methane, and show this ratio stays fairly stable regardless of the discount rate, damage assumptions, or emissions scenario used. They conclude that 20–30 year monitoring periods for nature-based removal projects are more credible and easier to enforce than long-term commitments, offering a practical route for integrating temporary CO2 removal into methane-offset strategies.
The webinar format will consist of a 20-minute presentation and a 10-minute discussion with an invited expert stakeholder, followed by a 30-minute open discussion (1 hour total).
