Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Technology Public Forums and Application to Governance Frameworks

Program Areas – Responsible Innovation, Sustainability, Science and Technology Policy, Complex Socio-technical Systems, Education and Engagement

Public Forums

Boston, MA – September 2024

On September 28, 2024, 54 community members gathered for a public forum at the Museum of Science, Boston (MOS) to share their perspectives on climate mitigation through Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies. Participants were placed in small groups and guided through multiple sessions where they watched informative videos, discussed technologies, scenarios, and stakeholders, and made a plan for climate mitigation. This program was presented in collaboration with the Center for the Environment at MOS.

The Climate Conundrum at Museum of Science, Boston. Photos by Nic Czarnecki

Vancouver, Canada – March 2025

Our second forum was hosted in Vancouver at Simon Fraser University’s Surrey Campus on Saturday, March 29th. With the support of our local partners at Banyan Consulting, 56 people from diverse backgrounds gathered for a day-long, informed discussion about how and who should be involved in governing terrestrial and marine CDR projects from research and development through demonstration.

The Climate Conundrum at Simon Fraser University’s Surrey Campus in Vancouver. Photos by Gurasees Singh

 

Forum Materials Preview

Forum participants were provided with a background information packet produced by the project team and reviewed by experts before the forum. This packet outlined basic information about various CDR and governance related topics that would be discussed in depth at the forum. Each session also began with a brief video based on the information packet to prepare participants for conversation. Participants were then guided through their discussions by trained facilitators as they responded to questions individually in their workbooks and worked as table groups to make decisions on their session boards.