Meeting the Paris Agreement's climate targets—limiting global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C—demands unprecedented scaling of carbon dioxide removal (CDR). With nations and industries lagging behind net-zero commitments, the need for effective CDR solutions has never been more critical. Concurrently, the CDR landscape is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by growing engagement from policymakers, technology developers, and investors.
The UPTAKE project responds to this global challenge by developing fair, resilient, and scalable CDR pathways to position the EU as a leader in responsible carbon removal. Beyond fulfilling climate obligations, UPTAKE integrates CDR into economic and social equity frameworks, ensuring the transition to climate neutrality advances both environmental sustainability and inclusive growth.
UPTAKE addresses critical barriers to CDR adoption by providing science-based assessments and implementation strategies. The project focuses on:
1. Comprehensive CDR Method Evaluation
- Mapping knowledge networks and governance frameworks
- Conducting comparative assessments of technological, economic, social, and environmental impacts
-Developing a harmonized inventory of CDR approaches
2. Enhanced Modeling for Informed Decision-Making
- Improving CDR representation in Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs)
- Incorporating Earth system feedbacks into climate projections
-Assessing regional deployment potential and cost-supply dynamics
3. Policy and Governance for Accelerated Uptake
- Designing equitable policy frameworks and governance structures
- Establishing realistic boundary conditions for deployment
- Creating resilient roadmaps for large-scale CDR implementation
By advancing these objectives, UPTAKE ensures CDR becomes a viable, scalable, and just component of global decarbonization efforts—turning climate necessity into sustainable opportunity.
