Policy Dialogue: California, Carbon Removal & the Future of Net Zero

​AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles and the OpenAir Collective invite you to join this timely carbon removal policy discussion and technology demonstration showcase.

​ABOUT THIS EVENT

​State policymakers and community leaders are invited to join this vitally important dialogue concerning the role, necessity and opportunity of carbon removal as a component of California’s carbon neutrality targets, and as an emerging sector of the state’s economy poised to generate significant value, benefits and jobs in the coming decades.

​The afternoon’s discussion will focus on the critical role of state policy in advancing carbon removal in a net zero timeframe, while providing a clearer view of California’s world-leading carbon removal ecosystem today, which comprises more startups, investors, advocates, and research programs than any other jurisdiction, national or sub-national.

​Leading experts and practitioners from the scientific community, policy domain and private sector will convene to provide a conceptual foundation for carbon removal, and its implications for net zero attainment and economic growth in California. Two expert panel discussions will be followed by a guided tour of three breakthrough ocean-based carbon removal demonstration projects hosted at AltaSea, and operated by California-based companies. 

​PROGRAM

​2:30 - Registration 

​2:40 - Welcome Remarks by Terry Tamminen, President & CEO, AltaSea; former Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency, and Cabinet Secretary, the Chief Policy Advisor to the Governor.

​2:45 - Opening Presentation - Foundations of Carbon Removal Science & Policy in the California Context.

​3:00 - Panel 1 - Exploring Scenarios for Carbon Removal Incorporation in California’s Net-Zero Framework.

​3:45 - Panel 2 - Southern California’s Carbon Removal Ecosystem - Showcasing Homegrown Innovators and Projects.

​4:15 - Guided Tour of Ocean-Based Carbon Removal Innovators at AltaSea: Calcarea, Captura, and Equatic.

​WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

​State legislators, government agency officials, and civil society stakeholder organizations working to advance California’s climate response are strongly encouraged to attend. 

​BACKGROUND: WHY CARBON REMOVAL MATTERS TO CALIFORNIA.

​Carbon removal refers to diverse technologies that remove and durably sequester carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from the atmosphere for extended time periods to achieve negative emissions. In 2022, California was first among states to unequivocally affirm and quantify the necessity of carbon removal as an imperative for reaching carbon neutrality by 2045, in compliance with state law (AB 1279 - Muratsuchi). 

​The California Air Resources Board’s 2022 Scoping Plan for Achieving Carbon Neutrality unequivocally asserts that “carbon removal and sequestration will be an essential tool to achieve carbon neutrality, and the modeling clearly shows there is no path to carbon neutrality without carbon removal and sequestration.”

​The scoping plan further projects that 75 million metric tons of carbon removal per year would be required by 2045 for net-zero attainment, with a near-term target of 7MMT by 2030 being both attainable and necessary. In 2022, Governor Newsom endorsed the board’s findings, and requested “that CARB set a 20 MMT carbon removal target for 2030 and 100 MMT carbon removal target for 2045.”

​That same year, SB 905 (Caballero) was passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, directing CARB to establish a comprehensive framework for carbon capture, removal, utilization, and storage (CCUS) to help the state achieve its climate goals.

​However, a key policy element, needed for carbon removal scale-up in line with Scoping Plan targets, remains critically missing: a clear, long-term demand signal to drive investment and implementation consistent with Scoping Plan targets. Without purchasers of carbon removal services, this future $1 trillion sector will fail to take off, imperiling its potential to contribute meaningfully to net zero attainment.

​California has long set the bar globally for cleantech innovation and sector-building, including targeted policies to catalyze nascent markets and bolster demand. Last year SB 308 (Becker) was introduced to fill this policy gap, and advanced deep into the legislative process. And in 2025, the reauthorization of California’s Cap-and-Trade program is scheduled to proceed, opening up a critical moment for the potential incorporation of net zero aligned carbon removal targets.