Experts from UC San Diego Push Genetically Enhanced Crops for Carbon Dioxide Removal

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego) said that genetically enhanced crops with larger root systems can help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Their findings offer a scalable agricultural approach to carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and present a framework for assessing how emerging CDR technologies could be scaled in real-world conditions.

The study responds to the urgent need for large-scale carbon dioxide removal to complement emission reductions and avoid catastrophic climate outcomes. Current estimates suggest that removing five to 16 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually is essential to stay on track with climate goals. However, existing CDR methods are still in early development stages and face major barriers to deployment.

In this study, the results showed that carbon-enhanced crops could sequester up to 1.2 gigatons of carbon dioxide annually within 13 years of initial adoption. This is about seven times more than what current global offset programs deliver today. However, regulatory hurdles and public perception may slow progress unless supported by incentives like carbon credits. The researchers emphasize that this approach should complement broader climate efforts to decarbonize the economy.

For more information, read the article from UC San Diego.