Cox Emily, Waller Laurie, Palmer James, Bellamy Rob
Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Understanding Risk Group, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales UK.
Commun Earth Environ. 2025;6(1):711. doi: 10.1038/s43247-025-02654-x. Epub 2025 Aug 28.
Biological carbon removal has been proposed as a 'win-win' for climate, sustainability and public opinion, but research on public perceptions is lacking explicit evidence on trade-offs between options. Here we explore perceptions using small group deliberation (n60) plus a nationally representative survey (n2027) in the UK's four jurisdictions. We find a strong preference for carbon removal to play a substantial role in meeting national climate targets, stemming from persistent scepticism about emissions reductions and behaviour change. However, such support was tempered with caution about whether certain biological techniques - biochar, peatland restoration, and perennial biomass crops - would be "worth it". In particular, concerns were raised about life-cycle emissions, as well as land competition with urgent housing needs, and scientific uncertainty around novel techniques such as biochar. While we find that responses to carbon removal tend to shift the burden of responsibility for climate action away from individuals, we also identify region-specific discourses, highlighting the importance of local context in shaping public views.
生物碳去除已被提议为应对气候、可持续发展和公众舆论的“双赢”方案，但关于公众认知的研究缺乏各选项之间权衡取舍的明确证据。在此，我们通过小组审议（60人）以及在英国四个地区开展的具有全国代表性的调查（2027人）来探究公众认知。我们发现，由于对减排和行为改变一直持怀疑态度，人们强烈倾向于让碳去除在实现国家气候目标方面发挥重要作用。然而，对于某些生物技术——生物炭、泥炭地恢复和多年生生物质作物——是否“值得”，这种支持态度有所缓和。特别是，人们对生命周期排放、与迫切住房需求的土地竞争以及生物炭等新技术的科学不确定性表示担忧。虽然我们发现对碳去除的回应往往将气候行动的责任从个人身上转移，但我们也识别出了特定地区的话语，凸显了当地背景在塑造公众观点方面的重要性。
