Why stopping emissions isnt enoughand what businesses must do next to truly neutralize their carbon impact.
Race to Zero is an essential guide for businesses navigating the complex path to sustainability. While cutting emissions is essential, complete carbon dioxide neutrality remains an elusive goal for many industries. Conventional carbon offsetting is not enoughwhats needed are groundbreaking technologies that actively remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
In this book, Marian Krüger and Benedict Probst discuss promising carbon removal solutions available today, from direct air capture to regenerative practices, and offer clear, actionable strategies for companies committed to meaningful climate action. With a focus on innovation and feasibility, Race to Zero provides business leaders with the tools to integrate these technologies into their operations and take a leadership role in the fight against climate change.
A blueprint for executives and policymakers, this book unites climate ambition and real-world implementation, showing how businesses can drive the transition to a truly climate-neutral economy.
PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
I THE RACE TO NET ZERO
1 THE PATH TO NET ZERO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The World of Tomorrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 22
Net Zero? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 25
What Makes an Ambitious Climate Target? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
The Race to Zero with SBTi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 29
SBTi is Not Perfect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . 32
Why Some U.S. Companies
Are Still Struggling with SBTi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 34
2 THE CARBON CREDIT JUNGLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 37
How the Voluntary Carbon Market Came to Be . . . . . . . . . 40
How Carbon Crediting Projects Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
What Is Going Wrong in the Voluntary Carbon Market? . 45
Different Types of Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 48
Carbon Credits for Net Zero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 50
To Achieve Net Zero, We Need Carbon Removal . . . . . . . . 52
The Way Forward . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 54
II CARBON REMOVAL
3 OVERVIEW OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
CARBON REMOVAL METHODS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . 59
One World, Two Cycles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 60
4 LETTING NATURE DO THE HEAVY LIFTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 65
Afforestation/Reforestation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 66
Regenerative Agriculture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 72
Peatlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 80
Biomass Conservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 83
Blue Carbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . 87
5 LENDING NATURE A HELPING HAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . 95
Enhanced Weathering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 97
Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
104
Biochar Carbon Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 112
6 ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS FROM BIOENERGY TO CO2
SCRUBBERS . 123
Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
CO2 Storage I Geological . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 138
CO2 Storage II In Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 144
III FIRST STEPS
7 HOW DO I GET GOING? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Diversifiers and Purists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . 155
Key Principles for Making Purchases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
158
Decision-Making Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
160
How to Get Going . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . 164
Communication Is Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . 166
8 SECURE, FAIR AND AFFORDABLE CARBON REMOVAL
BEYOND THE COMPANY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
How We Can Make Carbon Removal Safe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
How We Can Make Carbon Removal Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
How We Can Make Carbon Removal Affordable . . . . . . . . 181
EPILOGUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
A Long Road Ahead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . 190
Outlook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 191
Global Justice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . 194
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
SOURCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
ABOUT THE AUTHORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Marian Krüger is the founder and director of Remove, an organization that supports European carbon removal start-ups. Previously, she headed the Sustainability in Business Lab at ETH Zurich, advised industrial companies and public institutions on decarbonization, and founded a successful solar start-up. Benedict Probst is a research group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition and a Fellow at Cambridge University. Previously, he worked in the Group for Sustainability and Technology at ETH Zurich.
