5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is crucial for tackling climate change and achieving global net-zero emission targets. Scaling up CDR and achieving sufficient CO2 removal will require a diverse portfolio of CDR methods that balances benefits and risks. Like other large-scale projects, CDR's success depends on technical feasibility and design, as well as on broader social, ethical, and political considerations. As these technologies advance through design, testing, and implementation, a pressing need arises for a comprehensive examination of justice in relation to CDR. Each of the various methods, including afforestation, peatland restoration, agricultural adjustments, direct air capture, enhanced weathering, biochar, and marine methods, poses unique justice-related questions. Addressing the full spectrum of justice issues is essential for the effective and widespread deployment of CDR.

This session invites theoretical and empirical research on justice related to CDR governance and deployment. We encourage contributions discussing diverse justice issues arising from different methods and implementation attempts on multiple scales – local, regional, national, and global. We are particularly interested in exploring justice issues that cut across different levels, such as addressing distributional justice on a local level while discussing procedural justice globally. We welcome submissions from scholars from a range of disciplines, including environmental science, sociology, philosophy, politics, and economics. By examining the complex justice issues surrounding CDR, we aim to foster a more informed and equitable discussion about the role of these technologies in tackling climate change.