Accelerating Direct Air Capture
through Digital Commons: A Path
to Affordable and Scalable Carbon
Capture and Use
Executive Summary
Direct Air Capture (DAC) is a critical technology for the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and its implementation at scale is a necessity for mitigating climate change. However, the high cost of DAC technology has been a significant barrier to its large-scale deployment. The use of a digital commons approach, leveraging intellectual property (IP) developed across industry, academia, and individuals, could be instrumental in accelerating DAC technologies from Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) as low as 3 to levels 7, 8, and 9, consequently driving down the costs and making DAC
deployment globally feasible and scalable.
1. Introduction
Climate change mitigation requires not only reducing new emissions but also actively removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. DAC technology is well-suited to this task, but its prohibitive costs have stymied widespread adoption. This white paper explores the potential of a digital commons approach in accelerating DAC technology’s maturation, making it more cost-effective, and enabling its global and large-scale deployment.
2. The Potential of DAC and its Current Challenges
DAC technology has enormous potential to reverse the damage caused by carbon emissions. However, the high costs associated with current technologies present a formidable challenge to DAC’s implementation at the scale necessary for meaningful climate change mitigation. The steep costs stem from the low maturity levels of the technologies involved, requiring concerted effort to propel them from early-stage development to more advanced levels of readiness.
3. Leveraging Digital Commons to Accelerate DAC
The digital commons approach involves open collaboration across industry, academia, and individual innovators, pooling together shared resources, knowledge, and IP to develop cost-effective and scalable DAC solutions. By harnessing the digital commons, the development and maturation of DAC technologies could be significantly accelerated, pushing them from TRLs as low as 3 towards 7, 8, and 9. This acceleration would drive down costs, ultimately facilitating the wide-scale deployment of DAC technology.
4. The Role of Industry, Academia, and Individuals in DAC Development
Through a digital commons framework, industry, academia, and individuals can collaboratively contribute to advancing DAC technologies. Industry provides technological and manufacturing expertise, academia contributes cutting-edge research, and individual innovators bring novel solutions and fresh perspectives. This collective approach can rapidly advance DAC technology and drive down costs, making DAC a viable solution for large-scale carbon capture and use.
5. Benefits of a Digital Commons Approach
Adopting a digital commons approach for DAC development has several advantages. First, it accelerates the maturation of DAC technologies by fostering open collaboration and knowledge sharing. Second, it drives down DAC costs, making it economically feasible for large-scale deployment. Third, it encourages global participation, enhancing the potential for innovative solutions and broadening DAC’s reach.
6. Towards Affordable and Scalable DAC Deployment
By embracing a digital commons approach and promoting open collaboration across different sectors, we can accelerate the development and maturation of DAC technologies. This acceleration, in turn, can lower DAC costs and facilitate its deployment at a global scale. Thus, we can turn DAC technology from an expensive theoretical solution into a practical tool for climate change mitigation.
7. Conclusion
The challenges of DAC implementation are significant, but they are not insurmountable. Leveraging the power of digital commons could provide a path towards the acceleration of DAC technology, bringing it from early development stages to maturity. This progression will drive down costs and enable the large-scale deployment of DAC technology, offering a viable and efficient solution for carbon capture and use. By working together across industry, academia, and individual innovators, we can harness the potential of DAC technology and make a significant contribution to mitigating climate change.
