Source page: McKinsey & Company
Commentary
Removing carbon, one solution at a time
Decarbonization | Sustainability | Technology
January 15, 2024 – Davos—the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting—is in full swing through January 19. All this week, our daily charts will focus on some of the key themes of the event, including resilience, sustainability, reimagining globalization, generative AI, and inclusive, equitable growth. For more, see “McKinsey and the World Economic Forum 2024.”
CO2 removal (CDR) could play a critical role in meeting net-zero targets—and create opportunities for businesses. A CDR industry capable of delivering gigaton-scale removals at net-zero levels could be worth up to $1.2 trillion by 2050, according to senior partner Mark Patel and coauthors. Leaders across sectors would be wise to understand the range of CDR solutions, which include nature-based (wetland and peatland restoration and reforestation, for example) and technology-based (direct air capture and storage) methods. Click through the interactive to see more.
To read the report, see “Carbon removals: How to scale a new gigaton industry,” December 4, 2023.
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Visual form
Ten-slide method catalog.
Layout / body structure
The source advances slide by slide through ten carbon-dioxide-removal methods, splitting the set between nature-based and technology-based approaches and repeating the same information fields on every slide.
What is being compared
It compares different carbon-removal methods by permanence, 2023 cost per ton, potential benefits, and potential challenges.
Measurement system
The comparison uses permanence ranges in years, cost per ton of carbon dioxide in 2023, and text fields listing the main benefits and risks for each method.
Visible structure inside the graphic
Each slide isolates one method and lays out the same decision template, so the reader can compare wetland restoration, cropland and agroforestry, reforestation, blue carbon, biochar and bio-oil, ocean alkalinity enhancement, enhanced weathering, BECCS, direct ocean capture, and direct air capture and storage on equal footing.
Main takeaway from the visual
The shows a clear tradeoff structure: cheaper nature-based methods tend to have lower permanence, while the longest-duration engineered methods carry much higher or more uncertain costs and operational challenges.
Key standout values or extremes
Nature-based options such as cropland, grassland, agroforestry, and reforestation are shown at about $10 to $30 per ton with permanence below 100 years, while engineered methods such as direct air capture and storage rise to roughly $400 to $1,000 per ton with permanence above 1,000 years; BECCS is shown at $200 to $500 and enhanced weathering at $120 to $800.
Controls / sequence, when applicable
The reader moves through ten slides, one method at a time, using the repeated template to compare permanence, cost, benefits, and challenges across the full carbon-removal menu.
Companion media, when applicable
There is no separate companion audio or video; the chart is the full visual on this page.