EnablingU.S.TechnologicalLeadershipforthe2050Net-zeroMarket|BelferCenterforScienceandInternationalAffairs|February20211WHITEPAPERbelfercenter.org/TAPPTECHNOLOGYANDPUBLICPURPOSEPROJECT|FEBRUARY2021EnablingU.S.TechnologicalLeadershipforthe2050Net-zeroMarketJacobMasonTaylorSecuringasafe,livableclimateforhumanityrequiressubstantialinvestmentsintechnologiesandpoliciesandacomprehensive,multi-time-scaleandmulti-pathapproach.Critically,manyscientificandtechnologicalareasarepresentlyunderdevelopedyetarelikelytobenecessarypartsofthelong-termsustainablefuture.Akeyexampleisthetechnologythatenablesthedirectcaptureofcarbondioxide(CO2)fromtheair.Directaircapture(DAC)ofCO2hashighpromiseforlargeimpact.Manydevelopedanddevelopingnationshaveaffirmedanet-zerocarbongoalby2050whichrequiresbothsubstantialchangesinemissionsandtheuseofnegativeemissiontechnologieslikeDAC.Furthermore,DAChasanadditionalpotential:offsettingdifficult-to-transitionemissionsources,providingbetteroptionsforasustainablefuture.Still,thesetechnologiesmustbedeployedandscaled.Thecorrespondingmarket—potentiallyatrilliondollarsperyear—willberealizedbythosecountriesthathavethecapabilityandknow-howtoexecutecarbonremovalatscale.Atpresent,ahostofmethodsforcarbonremovalshowpromise,fromuseofknownbiologicalsolutionsinforestryandoceanstothedevelopmentofnovelchemicalandindustrialapproaches.However,nonehavebeentestedatscale,EnablingU.S.TechnologicalLeadershipforthe2050Net-zeroMarket|BelferCenterforScienceandInternationalAffairs|February20212norhavethetechnologicalimpedimentsandtheunanticipateddevelopmentalchallengesbeenexploredandovercome(NAS2019).Byinvestinginthepublicandprivatesectorresearchanddevelopmentinthisspace,andbyfoster-ingacommunityofresearchers,entrepreneurs,andinvestorsliterateinCO2captureopportunities,theUnitedStatescanbetheleaderofthisneweconomicsector.ItisessentialfortheNationtobuildavibrantandsustainedresearchanddevelopmentcommunityspanningthepublicsector,academicandresearchdomains,andfor-profitcompanies,ensuri...
