
The fight against climate change has intensified in recent years, and one of the necessary techniques, when combined with others, is the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from urban areas.
Last Thursday, July 10, the Cities for Climate Network hosted the first Carbon Removal workshop, presented by PhD Joana Portugal Pereira, who discussed this topic and presented strategies for reaching climate neutrality in cities.
Here are the five key takeaways from this first session:
1. Reducing emissions and having a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategy is crucial to achieving climate neutrality. The mitigation trajectories projected by the IPCC indicate the need to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, which requires phasing out fossil fuels, expanding renewable energies and implementing carbon sequestration technologies in sectors that are difficult to decarbonise.
2. Sectors that are difficult to decarbonise face specific technical challenges that require innovative solutions. Industries such as steel and cement use processes that emit large amounts of CO2. Heavy transportation, on the other hand, continues to rely on fossil fuels’ high energy density, and the petrochemical industry uses oil and gas to make chemicals and polymers. Finally, while agriculture and livestock farming are essential for food security, they release greenhouse gases that have a large global warming potential.
Reducing carbon emissions from these industries involves the development and implementation of new technologies, as well as extensive investment in infrastructure, which is an important challenge.

3. The adoption of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) addresses both the demand for carbon reduction and other environmental and socioeconomic concerns. These are innovative approaches that use natural processes to tackle challenges ranging from climate change to human health and the threat of natural disasters. These solutions are inspired by natural ecosystems and aim to deliver sustainable and multifunctional advantages. Urban forests, green roofs, and the use of biochar in construction are all examples of CO2 removal solutions. BNS promote biodiversity, combat climate change, increase the resilience of communities and save resources by working with nature rather than against it.
4. Promoting carbon capture and storage (CCS) to transform cities into carbon sinks. BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage) and DAC (Direct Air Capture Techniques) are critical technologies for large-scale CO2 removal, and their implementation in urban infrastructures can significantly increase carbon sequestration capacity, contributing significantly to climate neutrality.
5. Integrating public mitigation policies in urban environments requires a multidisciplinary and technically strong approach. To meet the challenges of climate change, it is necessary to coordinate several policies. The adoption of sustainable construction strategies, the development of efficient public transport and advanced waste management are technical measures that can significantly reduce the urban carbon footprint, promoting the resilience and sustainability of cities.
The Cities for Climate Network’s first Carbon Removal workshop outlined clear and promising paths to climate neutrality, emphasising the length of SbN and CDRs and discussing the challenges and potential for Portuguese municipalities. Continued collaboration and the implementation of innovative strategies are essential to achieving climate goals and ensuring a sustainable future for our cities.