‘We cannot tackle climate change without carbon removals’ says Drax

By Finance News On Jul 11, 2024

“We cannot tackle climate change without carbon removals,” asserted Angela Hepworth, Commercial Director at Drax, during her keynote address at The Big Zero Show.

In her address, Ms Hepworth likened the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to an overflowing bath, stressing the need to both stop the influx (reducing emissions) and drain the excess (carbon removal).

Angela Hepworth highlighted the versatility of carbon removal solutions, from nature-based approaches like afforestation to advanced technologies that capture and store carbon dioxide underground, effectively reversing the historical emissions process.

Ms Hepworth underscored the urgency of implementing aggressive strategies, including bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and natural solutions to mitigate existing carbon dioxide levels alongside emission reductions.

Angela Hepworth said: “When people ask me when corporates ask me about how to go about this journey of getting involved in buying removals, there are two pieces of advice that I give them. The first is you must make sure you’re securing high quality, high integrity credit.

“We’ve all seen the bad press about bad credits in the market. There are bad credits, there is greenwashing. But if you buy high quality carbon removals, what do I mean by that? I mean removals that are durable, that are additional, that are quantifiable, that are sustainable.

“If you’re buying high quality carbon removals, you are doing the right thing for the planet.

“The second thing I say to people is get involved now. Dabble your toes in the water of the carbon market now to learn how it’s done.”

Click the video to watch the session in full.