France
Overview
This report assesses various CDR methods, grouped into (i) biomass conversion, (ii) improved ecosystem management, (iii) electrochemical methods and (iv) geochemical methods and their respective theoretical potentials based on the available resources. This “maximalist” assessment initially leads to a theoretical CDR potential of around 780 MtCO2eq/year in France by 2050. This potential represents a theoretical maximum if all available resources were directed towards CDR, which would be unattainable in practice under current conditions.
Key Takeaways
In the ‘reference’ scenario, France proactively diversifies its carbon sinks and achieves a CDR capacity of 76 MtCO2 /year by 2050, slightly above the target, which provides a safety margin.
The ‘ambition’ scenario describes a trajectory in which France commits faster and more strongly to CDR, allowing it to harness more of the achievable potential, and to reach CDR capacities of almost 146 MtCO2 every year by 2050.
The third scenario, called ‘conservative’, describes the status quo, a scenario in which France invests less and later in CDR, with weaker assumptions about public support and technical readiness of certain CDR technologies.
