DIRECT AIR CAPTURE CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract: To meet ambitious climate goals, of keeping global warming below 2°C, past emissions need to be removed from the atmosphere with the help of negative emissions technologies (NETs). The transition of energy systems, however, needs to follow the requirements of sustainable development to benefit all three pillars of sustainability, those are the environment, society, and economy. A NET that has gained increased attention from policymakers and businesses in recent years is direct air capture (DAC). The technology is currently on a small scale and faces challenges for scale-up such as energy and water intensity, the unclear requirements of resources and uncertain environmental, social, and economic impacts. The aim of this study was, therefore, to address DAC's impact on the three pillars of sustainability to answer the research question: How does direct air capture influence or connect to the three pillars of sustainable development? Because of the lack of research on DAC in connection with sustainability a qualitative interview approach was chosen where five interviews were conducted with researchers working with DAC. The findings derived from the interviews were separated into the different pillars of sustainability. The finding for the sustainability aspect included the definition of sustainability, various justice aspects and contributions to the SDGs. For the environmental aspect, DAC's carbon footprint and impact on mitigation were highlighted. The economic aspect of DAC showed the need for a clear business model and a supportive carbon mechanism. Lastly, for the social aspect low level of knowledge and the importance of social acceptance were recognized. Concluding, these different aspects influence the pillars of sustainability and need to be considered before further scale-up of DAC.