Public support for novel carbon removal hinges on procedural and distributive fairness

Abstract

Alongside the need for rapid emissions reductions, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is emerging as a central pillar of global climate policy. Scaling up carbon removal raises pressing questions about how this can be done in an equitable and socially legitimate manner. Using vignette experiments with nationally representative surveys in six global south and global north countries (N = 10,852 respondents across Brazil, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Norway and the UK), we examine which modes of implementing novel carbon removal methods gain public support across diverse socio-political settings. We find that support hinges on procedural and distributive fairness: opening planning processes to public and expert scrutiny, benefit sharing and not-for-profit arrangements consistently increase public support for carbon removal across all countries and technologies. Respondents are unwilling to trade such fairness considerations for technical performance. Just governance and implementation are critical for securing public support when scaling up novel carbon removal methods. Public support is crucial for carbon removal deployment, yet the role of fairness remains unclear. Using surveys from six countries (N = 10,852), this study shows that procedural and distributive fairness are key determinants of support for carbon removal projects across diverse contexts.