Carbon Removal Technologies and Risks
A four-week online deep-dive into the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) portfolio, covering advantages, challenges, and risks of currently pursued approaches to ensure CDR investments align with emissions reduction efforts.
Created by —
Silvan Aeschlimann
Former Direct Air Capture and Storage lead at RMI
Introductory level
Interest in carbon removal is desirable, no prior technical expertise required
Flexible schedule
Learn according to your schedule with fully asynchronous learning
4 weeks / 4 hours per week
Expected commitment. We will help keep yourself accountable with timely check-ins
Certificate & Office-hours
NewCertificate and office-hour meetings with course creator and other learners
Course overview
This course delves into the essentials of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR), closely examining the portfolio of CDR solutions and dissecting the advantages, challenges, and risks associated with each approach. You’ll learn how to evaluate the potential of more than 20 CDR pathways, including biogenic solutions like afforestation, geochemical techniques such as enhanced rock weathering, and synthetic approaches like direct air capture and strategies for indirect ocean capture in different geographical contexts.
By the end of this course, you will understand the trade-offs between different CDR strategies and the most important principles to ensure that investment into CDR complements, rather than jeopardizes, emission reduction efforts.
Skills you will learn
The role of CDR in climate action
What CDR can and cannot do
Effective use of CDR
How to use CDR without jeopardizing emission reduction efforts
Assess credibility
Differentiate CDR claims that are bold but achievable from those that are likely impossible to achieve
De-risk CDR portfolio
Balance technologies at different readiness stages, with different resource requirements, and offering different levels of permanence
Who is this course for?
Climate-focused investor
Aims to understand CDR investment risks and identify promising R&D funding opportunities within the evolving CDR technology landscape.
Corporate sustainability strategists
Works to develop expertise in CDR options to effectively achieve corporate net-zero targets and implement impactful sustainability strategies.
Engineering & research innovators
Focused on the technical advancement of CDR solutions, seeking to identify areas requiring significant R&D funding to drive innovation.
Policy & strategy advisors
Needs CDR strategy insights to advise on effective climate action plans and policies.
Course syllabus
CDR solution portfolio
RMI: Creating a Diversified Solutions Portfolio to Meet the Scale of the Carbon Removal Challenge, Carbon Gap: How to avoid carbon removal delaying emission reductions.
Biogenic CDR approaches
RMI: The Applied Innovation Roadmap for CDR. Learn to advise a company on their biogenic CDR portfolio with the aim of removing 10 Mt/CO2 by 2030
Geochemical CDR approaches
Carbon 180: A buyer’s guide to high-accountability MRV, RMI: The Applied Innovation Roadmap for CDR, BCG: The time for CDR is now.
Synthetic CDR approaches
RMI: Reality Check: This Decade Is Make-or-Break for Direct Air Capture. Create a balanced, de-risked CDR solution portfolio.
Direct Air Capture: Climate Solution or Cover for Big Emitters?
Join Silvan Aeschlimann for a discussion on the potential and pitfalls of Direct Air Capture (DAC) in addressing climate change. We will delve into the science behind DAC, its feasibility, and its ethical implications, offering insights into how this technology fits within broader climate action strategies.
Jun 25, 2025 — 8:00 AM PT / 11:00 AM ET
RSVP - Save your spotYou won't learn alone
Join monthly live office hours with the course creator and fellow learners.
- Ask your questions live
- Get direct feedback from the instructor
- Connect with peers taking the course with you
- Learn from others' questions
- Get access to the recording if you miss it
- Keep lifetime access
What you get with with this course
Free office-hours
Join monthly live sessions with the course creator and peers taking the same course.
Global community
Join our global community of 5k+ professionals from 80+ countries with 200+ expert mentors
Live events & workshops
Attend immersive events and practical workshops with top climate voices and peers
15% off other courses
As a learner, you get 15% off for all other courses on Terra.do. Including our cohort-based courses.
AI-assisted learningBeta
Cutting-edge AI-assisted learning experience with personilzed pathways and more.
What learners say about this course
Sagal Abshir
"The Terra.do course and community are doing the essential work of educating us for the world to come, and coaching and inspiring us to prepare for the critical role each of us needs to play."
Environment Security Unit Head at UN Environment Programme (Kenya)
Shay Hader
"I came into this course not really sure I could work in the climate sector with the skills I already had, but through it, I found there's a whole realm of avenues and paths to pursue that actually need the skills I have to make a difference."
Senior Designer at Narratives Inc. (Canada)
Meet the course creator
Silvan Aeschlimann is a climate advisor specializing in CDR solutions. He currently advises the RMI’s start-up accelerator, Third Derivative, on its CDR portfolio. Previously, he led RMI’s direct air capture work as part of its CDR initiative, helped build up a small CDR-focused non-profit organization from scratch, and worked as an investigative journalist in both television and print media. He is a co-author of several roadmaps on CDR.
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Take this course
Carbon Removal Technologies and Risks
One-time purchase. Lifetime access. Free live office hours.
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