A Capabilities Approach to Carbon Dioxide Removal

The recent ethical debate concerning the implementation of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) has expanded the traditional scope of ethical analysis to investigate the appropriate role of CDR within the larger climate change mitigation discussion. Specifically, the recent scholarship is embedded in the disputed sustainable development landscape that presents various and competing visions of desirable futures. This article unpacks and clarifies the discussion between Darrel Moellendorf and Henry Shue as representatives of two camps in the recent debate, the former supporting carbon removal to achieve poverty-targeting sustainable development and the latter rejecting overreliance on CDR's potential. Finally, moving beyond this discussion, the article proposes that a capabilities approach to CDR can adequately inform the debate, tackling some important limitations in the recent literature by offering a broader account of human well-being relevant to CDR implementation.