As we work against our Net Zero targets, we aim to speed up solutions that maximize our influence on the planet. Therefore, in 2024, we contracted for more than $ 100 million in carbon removal credits – about 3 times more than we promised last year – to catalyze solutions of carbon removal solutions that both Google and the world need. Through a combination of independent purchases and offers made through the purchase of consortium boundary, we supported several approaches to the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere in the coming decades to find what works in scale and speed up learning to the carbon removal area as a whole.
Here are some of the ways we seek to promote carbon removal:
1. Restore natural carbon sinks focusing on string measurement
Forests and oceans, of course, sequenced CO2 on a huge scale, and recovering them has great potential to help the planet – but historically, it has been difficult to measure the climate impact of these projects. Last year we founded Symbiosis, a pre -market obligation to establish strict criteria for forestry projects in the class and demand for pool from business buyers to help these projects scale. We also financed Carbonrun via Frontier as a first step towards recovering the health of the waterway while removing CO2.
2. Expand implementation and scientific understanding of improved Rock Weathing (ERW)
Rock vitreing is another natural process that removes CO2 from the atmosphere. When rainwater falls on the rock, a natural chemical process locks part of CO2 from the rainwater into the rock for thousands of years. Erw – spread crushed stone on agricultural land – has the potential to speed up this phenomenon on a larger scale while increasing soil hygiene. We supported Terradot with a number of ERW suppliers around the world to promote ERW implementation and improve the measurement to this carbon removal method.
3. Optimizing the use of waste biomass to lock CO2
Every year, billions of tons of waste biomass are degraded and release CO2 in the atmosphere. We are pursuing promising opportunities to divert this carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and lock it away for centuries – from biomass recording projects such as CO280 that piggyback on existing industrial infrastructure for biochar projects such as Varaha and charm that generates positive side effects for local farmers around the world.
4. Unlock for more cost -effective technologies for direct air catching
In addition to natural processes, we also need to catalyze technological breakthroughs that can add even more scale to carbon removal in the future. Direct Air Capture Technologies could play a valuable long -term role in stabilizing the climate, but only if they become much more affordable. We have provided technologies in early stage the resources needed to prove if they can achieve game-changing reductions in costs-from our agreement with Holocene, which set the lowest price target ever for direct aerial caught credits to our support for 280 land , which was incubated in Alphabet’s Moonshot Company, X.
We are encouraged by our progress, but the journey to catalyzing carbon removal has just begun. In the coming year, we will continue to expand our support for carbon removal as part of our ongoing efforts to find the solutions that the world needs and maximize their influence on the planet. We also remain open to other approaches that can help drive fast actions in the short term to mitigate climate change.
And since Google cannot achieve this alone, we will continue to help other players, from companies to academics, work collectively to speed up the solutions the world needs now and in the future.