Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Ep22: Dr. Paola Sáenz & Dr. Nadine Moustafa

In this episode of the Energy Futures Podcast, hosts Dr. Paola Sáenz and Dr. Nadine Moustafa explore the evolving landscape of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) and Negative Emissions Technologies (NETs) and their role in achieving climate goals. From engineered solutions like Direct Air Capture (DAC) to nature-based methods such as afforestation, the discussion dives deep into the technical, economic, and policy challenges of carbon dioxide removal (CDR). 

Featuring: 

• Dr. Paola Sáenz – Research Associate at Sightline Climate & Imperial College London, specializing in Negative Emissions Technologies and Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS). 
• Dr. Nadine Moustafa – Research Associate at Imperial College London, focusing on systems modeling for carbon management and decarbonization strategies. 

Chapters & Timecodes 

[00:00:00] - Introduction to the Energy Futures Podcast 

[00:01:00] - Meet the hosts: Paola Sáenz & Nadine Moustafa 

[00:02:16] - What is Carbon Removal (CDR)? 

[00:03:02] - Nature-based vs. engineered solutions 

[00:06:06] - Where should CDR solutions be deployed? 

[00:08:42] - Carbon markets and pricing mechanisms 

[00:12:53] - Climate change risks and cost dynamics 

[00:16:50] - The role of policy in scaling carbon removal 

[00:22:00] - Public perception and societal challenges 

[00:24:06] - The impact of COP decisions on carbon markets 

[00:30:48] - Carbon accounting and verification challenges 

[00:33:12] - The balance between emissions reduction and removals 

[00:37:22] - Hard-to-abate sectors and NET applications 

[00:41:07] - Global perspectives and data gaps in CDR 

[00:41:26] - Closing thoughts and where to find the speakers 

Key Takeaways 

• Carbon dioxide removal is essential to achieving net zero, alongside emissions reductions. 
• Engineered and nature-based solutions are complementary, not competing. 
• Carbon markets and pricing structures need to evolve for large-scale deployment. 
• Policy and public engagement play a crucial role in real-world implementation. 
• Global equity and access to NETs are critical for effective climate action. 

Paola’s links 

Paola Sáenz Imperial Profile: https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/paola.saenz-cavazos17 

Paola Sáenz Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paolasaaenzc/?originalSubdomain=uk 

Sightline climate: https://www.sightlineclimate.com/ 

Hitachi-Imperial Centre for Decarbonisation and Natural Climate Solutions: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/hitachi-centre/ 

Nadine’s links 

Nadine Imperial Profile: https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/n.moustafa18 

Nadine LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadine-moustafa-ph-d-5831a1a7/?originalSubdomain=uk 

Produced by Jonny Prest

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnyprest/

Additional links 

MRV 

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2022/07/27/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-measurement-reporting-and-verification-mrv-of-carbon-credits 

IPCC 

https://www.ipcc.ch/ 

Carbon value chain 

https://www.carbontrust.com/value-chain-and-supply-chain-sustainability-0#:~:text=Overview,for%20a%20low%20carbon%20economy 

Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs 

https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/all-about-ndcs#:~:text=Nationally%20Determined%20Contributions%2C%20or%20NDCs,the%20impacts%20of%20climate%20change. 

Understand Scope 3 and your business operations 

https://www.nationalgrid.com/stories/energy-explained/what-are-scope-1-2-3-carbon-emissions 

Article 6 - Cooperative Implementation 

https://unfccc.int/process/the-paris-agreement/cooperative-implementation#:~:text=Article%206%20of%20the%20Paris,sustainable%20development%20and%20environmental%20integrity.