Climeworks, a pioneer in direct air capture, is calling on us all to take one small specific action to slow climate change and move from thinking about climate change to changing the climate.
Climate change is happening all around us. But there’s still hope we can change the climate, positively and permanently. To make this change a reality we need to offer solutions that can be accessed by anyone, easily and without a huge expense.
A simple solution, that is available now, is to remove carbon dioxide from the air safely and permanently. Even capturing small amounts of carbon dioxide, if repeated, again and again, can make a real impact and change the climate for the better.
Why do we need to remove carbon dioxide? The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report made it clear that, if humanity wants to limit global warming to 1.5°C and become net negative after 2050, reducing emissions won’t be enough, we need to remove carbon dioxide from the air. That’s where climate tech comes in and scaling up direct air capture technology becomes necessary.
Direct air capture is a method of removing carbon dioxide from the air. The technology has been pioneered by Climeworks and is now available to everyone to help us all take small, but repeated actions, that will result in a real difference.
By signing up for a Climeworks’ Carbon Dioxide Removal subscription, you can take measurable action to remove historic carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and help reduce the long-term impacts of climate change.
There are four subscriptions levels:
- Special expedition: £90 per month for 100kg of carbon dioxide removal
- Discoverer: £45 per month for 50kg of carbon dioxide removal
- Explorer: £27 per month for 30kg of carbon dioxide removal
- Customise: you can choose an amount to suit your lifestyle
Simply choose a level of climate-positive action that matches your lifestyle and complete the sign-up. The subscription is highly flexible: You choose the amount of carbon dioxide you want to remove on a monthly or annual basis. No strings attached: pause or cancel at any time.
Each year, Climeworks will send you a confirmation of the amount of carbon dioxide removal you have ordered. In addition, the subscriptions can be used as eco-friendly gifts to remove carbon dioxide in the name of a loved one.
‘Changing our climate seems like an impossible problem, one that is simply too big to tackle. But using the power of small, single actions, repeated over time we can make a real change. Removing small, amounts of carbon dioxide every month, and inviting your friends to do the same can, and will, make a real and measurable difference.’
‘These small, repeated actions are what the climate needs and they are the only way we can truly make our voices heard and powerful,’ said Rachael O’Brien from Climeworks.
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A Climeworks carbon dioxide removal subscription is not only the most eco-friendly and sustainable subscription you can have; it is an alternative and unique way to start building the solutions that will change the climate. The world must continue with nature-based solutions such as planting trees, and alongside this, we must remove excess carbon dioxide from the air.
When a tree is planted it takes approximately 10 years before the carbon dioxide is removed whereas direct air capture, even allowing for build time, takes around five years – half the time of a tree. In addition, direct air capture, as a method of removing carbon dioxide is much more efficient than planting trees.
‘On a land area of 1’700 m2 (0.42 acres), Climeworks’ Orca plant nominally removes 4,000 tons of CO₂ from the air every year, which is almost 1,000 times more effective than trees. The same land area would host approximately 220 trees with an estimated carbon sequestration capacity of 21kg each per year a total capacity of 4.62 tons per year.’
All Climeworks plants are powered by renewable energy and have a greater than 90% net removal of carbon dioxide over their entire lifecycle (including build and end of life).
Climeworks’ technological solution is a permanent, measurable, efficient and natural way to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.