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Carbon Management Toolkit
Global climate change is a human-made existential threat to all life on Earth that humanity must quickly solve. Given this urgency, NWF believes that all feasible proven and promising measures need to be considered to achieve deep and scalable greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions across all economic sectors to preserve habitat and species, while limiting economic disruption. It is also incumbent upon NWF to ensure that the burdens resulting from climate change and climate remediation solutions do not continue to fall on our most vulnerable communities, both geographic and demographic, and that those most at risk from climate change impacts be strategically and proactively involved in determining which climate measures are best for them to ensure that people, wildlife, and ecosystems thrive despite accelerating climate and biodiversity crises. .
As the second largest single emitter of GHGs after China, the U.S. released about 6.3 billion tons of GHGs in 2022 (about 5.5 billion after accounting for sequestration from the land sector). According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) CO2 emissions accounted for 80 percent of all U.S. GHGs from human activities. In 2022 the percentage of CO2 emissions by U.S. economic sector were:
• 35% - Transportation
• 30% - Electric Power Generation
• 16% - Industry
• 12% - Residential & Commercial Buildings
• 7% - Non- Fossil Combustion
NWF supports solutions that reduce CO2 and other GHGs for all sectors, particularly in the United States. NWF strongly supports the use of nature-based strategies to minimize atmospheric CO2 and buffer against impacts, but acknowledges they are not sufficient for the scale of emissions reductions needed.
Reducing direct process emissions using carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS). In 2022, the industrial sector accounted for about 30% of the total US GHG emissions, and are the third largest source of direct emissions, with iron/steel and cement production in the top-emitting sectors. In the case where CO2 emissions cannot be avoided, like these manufacturing processes, point-source carbon capture relies on using technology, either pre- or post-combustion, to capture the CO2 which can later be stored permanently underground or used as a feedstock to create low-carbon products and fuels. Within the industrial sector, NWF analyzes and advocates for varied solutions such as fuel-switching, increased efficiency, increased use of renewable energy sources, and carbon capture, use, storage, and removal for unavoidable and residual emissions. These industrial sector strategies are not exclusive of other strategies we advance to curb climate change, such as natural carbon sequestration or phasing out fossil fuel-based power generation and replacing it with responsibly-sited renewable energy. The current state of low- and zero-emission technology and energy resources leave heavy industry with few cost-effective and scalable options for reducing GHG emissions to desirable levels.
Using carbon dioxide removal (CDR) to reduce historic and unavoidable emissions. Even with the deployment of renewables and technological solutions like carbon capture and storage, there will still be some emissions that are difficult to abate. Since human activity as altered the Earth's natural carbon cycle, we also face the threat of historic or legacy CO2 emissions that have built up and remained in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution. NWF acknowledges that legacy emissions are continually harder for our carbon cycle to process, as the efficiency of our natural carbon sinks like forests and oceans decline. For these more difficult emissions, NWF supports exploring carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategies as a part of total efforts to achieve IPPC goals. These are techniques that remove CO2 directly from the air or ocean. One example of developing CDR technology is direct air capture (DAC), which uses chemical processes to bind to CO2, which can later be separated into a pure stream for sequestration or low-carbon feedstocks.
For more information on the National Wildlife Federation's views and advocacy related to carbon management, please take a look at the NWF Carbon Management Policy.
Removing Carbon from the Air
Removing Carbon from the Air
Globally, humans release 35 billion tons of it a year. Along with natural climate solutions, technological solutions like direct air capture can help us fight climate change by removing carbon straight out of the air and lowering our historic emissions.
Recycling Carbon Dioxide
Recycling Carbon Dioxide
Over 6,000 everyday products are made with oil and gas. We can drastically reduce the emissions from making these items by trapping and reusing the carbon dioxide released in those processes. Learn more about why this is an important step in fighting the climate crisis.
Storing Carbon Permanently
Storing Carbon Permanently
Geological carbon dioxide storage is a process in which we can capture CO2 directly from the air or from emissions sources, then inject that carbon deep underground where it mineralizes into hard rock naturally over time, locking it away safely and permanently.
Planting Trees Alone is Not Enough
Planting Trees Alone is Not Enough
During her panel at SXSW in 2023, Dr. Simone H. Stewart, Senior Industrial Policy Specialist at the National Wildlife Federation, explains how carbon dioxide removal is a key solution to fight climate change and how to ensure that technological solutions—used alongside natural solutions—are carried out in an equitable and just way that not only centers but uplifts communities and wildlife.
Picturing Carbon Management in America
Picturing Carbon Management in America
NWF partnered with D.C.-based think tank Third Way's Climate and Energy program and architecture firm Gensler to develop the visual renderings below that showcase examples of DAC and other carbon management solutions, paired with clean energy technologies in various settings. These renderings can be used by NGOs, advocates, and policymakers to engage with the public and highlight a visual template for a future economy that provides cleaner, more affordable, secure, and reliable energy for various American communities. Learn more about these renderings here.
This suburban direct air capture setting illustrates not only the modular potential of DAC to fit a community’s needs but also demonstrates that the deployment of carbon removal technology alongside natural climate solutions like rain gardens and local pollinator sites can succeed in a community without being invasive.
This rural setting for DAC illustrates how a larger facility can complement nature-based carbon removal by annually drawing down thousands of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. While this larger rural facility will require more energy than a suburban DAC plant, wind turbines on the horizon and geothermal energy coming from the plant across the river will minimize costs and power the capture process with zero-emissions energy.
Wyoming Carbon Management and Wildlife Decision-Support Tool
Wyoming Carbon Management and Wildlife Decision-Support Tool
The Wyoming Carbon Management and Wildlife Decision-Support Tool combines publicly accessible wildlife and climate data for the state with existing and projected carbon management infrastructure and is made for a variety of audiences to access and explore. NWF hopes the tool will serve as a resource to help facilitate an ongoing conversation around carbon management infrastructure and technology development that is considerate of wildlife, habitats, and ecosystems. Working together to protect biodiversity and sensitive ecosystems will be paramount to responsible deployment of the technologies that will decarbonize our societies and play a role in climate action. Explore the tool here.
This map was made possible by Carbon Solutions, an energy research organization focused on work to accelerate the transition to a net-zero carbon economy, assisting with the StoryMap development; Two Sigma Data Clinic, a data science studio, assisting with the data collection; and Wyoming Game & Fish Department, a state agency enhancing and protecting Wyoming's exceptional fish and wildlife resources and habitats, assisting with review.
Check out the webinar held by Carbon Solutions that dives deeper into why the tool was developed and how to use it. The webinar features Jessi Eidbo from Carbon Solutions, Simone H. Stewart from NWF, and Will Schultz from Wyoming Game and Fish Department and is moderated by Sarah Kallgren of NWF.
Check out the webinar held by NWF explaining why the tool was developed and how to use it. The webinar features Celina Scott-Buechler from Stanford/Data for Progress, Simone H. Stewart from NWF, and Jake Ferrell, a CDR social scientist, and is moderated by Sarah Kallgren of NWF.
Voices from the Frontlines: Community Perspectives on Carbon Dioxide Removal
Voices from the Frontlines: Community Perspectives on Carbon Dioxide Removal
The storymap Voices from the Frontlines not only combines important data about the resources necessary to make CDR happen, like energy and geologic storage, but dives deeper into questions around the justice and equity of deployment. The map does this by overlaying resources, feedstocks and justice metrics with interviews across six U.S. geographies: the Central Valley of California, Gulf Coast, Central Appalachia, Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and Northeastern seaboard, with people from NGOs, grassroots organizations, academia, and local government to better understand what communities across the country think about CDR and what it might or might not mean for them. Despite the prominence of national and international CDR goals, each facility and/or aspects of the value chain, will eventually be located in a specific community and ecosystem and can affect people’s way of life; a one-size-fits-all approach will fail to achieve our collective goals. For CDR to be a climate solution for all, it cannot be built where it is not wanted, and the desires of the underrepresented in particular, must be prioritized. Explore the tool here.
This map was made possible with help from Data for Progress, Stanford School of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences, and the American University Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal.
Carbon Removal-Justice Fellowship Program
Carbon Removal-Justice Fellowship Program
In Partnership with American University's Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal (IRCR)
Our organizations agree that CDR is considered an essential component of humanity’s response to climate change. Not all forms of carbon removal are, though, created equal. Ethical carbon removal will help the world meet climate goals and should maximize benefits and minimize hardship, particularly for people living in frontline and environmental justice communities. The National Wildlife Federation and the Institute created this program in 2023 to provide a space for leaders across environmental justice, policy, and academia to learn more about carbon removal developments and deployments in the U.S. and around the world. NWF and the Institute approach this work with a sense of care, nuance, and pragmatism. Our goal with this program is to create a community of mutual learning and curiosity as we navigate the international, federal, and state level landscapes of carbon removal.
This summer, fellows had a chance to spend a week in Washington D.C. and a week in Louisiana, meeting with community leaders and policymakers grappling with decisions around carbon removal. The two-week Fellows Program ran from July 14-25, 2025.
Programming across the two weeks included:
Federal policy panel with former government officials, philanthropy and environmental justice advocates
Capitol Hill visit to 2 Senate offices
Environmental justice panel with DC-based environmental justice and community advocates
DC NGO, think tank, buyer, industry panels
Louisiana climate, energy, and wildlife conservation NGOs panel
Southeastern Louisiana University environmental research presentation and Lake Maurepas field trip with Turtle Cove Environmental Research Station
State Officials, LSU Institute for Energy Innovation, and NGO panel on Louisiana policy, community engagement, and research
Community benefits discussions with industry, LSU Institute for Energy Innovation, American University Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal, and Columbia Sabin Center for Climate Change Law
Stay tuned for more updates from the fellowship and check out NWF resources produced by our 2023 CRJ fellow here in the toolkit.
2025 Carbon Removal Justice Fellows cohort meeting with members of Louisiana State University's Institute for Energy Innovation after a panel on community engagement and carbon management in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
2023 Carbon Removal Justice Fellows cohort and program staff meeting with members of the Senate Budget Committee on Capitol Hill, Washington D.C.
Photo Courtesy of 2023 NWF-CRJ Fellow Jake Ferrell.
Carbon Management Resources
Carbon Management Resources
NWF Briefs and Factsheets:
Informing Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal: Best Practices for Tribal and Indigenous Engagement
Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2): An Impact Analysis
Hydrogen in Louisiana: Intersections with Offshore Wind and Carbon Management
Capturing Industrial Carbon: Examining Potential Air Quality Benefits
Public Perceptions of Carbon Dioxide Removal in Wyoming, Texas, Louisiana, and Colorado
Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide: The State of Responsible Primacy
NWF Blogs:
Achilles’ Steel: Broadening Horizons in Carbon Dioxide Removal
Carbon Removal Meets Environmental Justice: A Fellow's Perspective
Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage is an Important Climate Solution
Resources on carbon removal:
Resources on point source carbon capture:
National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) Point Source Carbon Capture
Nature Conservancy Blog Post: Carbon Capture for the Last Mile
Clean Air Task Force Common Concerns Raised About Carbon Capture and Storage Technology
General resources on carbon management:
Environmental Justice and Community Benefits Resources
Environmental Justice and Community Benefits Resources
Please visit these resources for environmental justice and Tribal community discussions as they relate to carbon management:
WRI The US Can’t Build a Competitive Industrial Future without Centering Communities
WRI How Carbon Dioxide Removal Must Be Scaled Responsibly. But What Does That Mean?
JSTOR Daily: Not All Forms of Carbon Removal Are Created Equal
Climeworks DAC Summit 2023: Capturing the Benefits of DAC by Elevating Environmental Justice
National Wildlife Federation Op-Ed: Forging a More Just Approach to Carbon Management
The Electricity Journal: Environmental and climate justice and technological carbon removal
Carbon180 Report Removing Forward: Centering Equity and Justice in a Carbon-Removing Future
Carbon180 Funding for environmental justice organizations is essential for carbon removal
Stanford and Energy Futures Initiatives: Opportunities for CCS in California
Industrial Policy Team, Climate and Energy
Dr. Simone H. Stewart (she/her) is the Senior Industrial Policy Specialist for Climate and Energy at the National Wildlife Federation, working on a portfolio that includes carbon capture, utilization, and storage, carbon dioxide removal technologies, hydrogen, and other strategies to aid in a just green transition and decarbonize difficult-to-abate sectors like industry. Her work covers the intersections of emerging technologies and environmental justice across areas such as policy, industry, NGO, and public education, and collaboration with government agencies. Dr. Stewart joined NWF in 2021 after receiving her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California Santa Barbara, where she was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow studying the fluid mechanics of direct air capture. She also worked as the graduate assistant for the UCSB Blum Center on Poverty, Inequality, and Democracy where she led a variety of programming and created detailed info campaigns centered around justice and community enfranchisement. Prior to graduate school, she received dual bachelor’s degrees in Physics and Spanish Language, Literature, and History from William Jewell College. Contact Dr. Stewart at StewartS@nwf.org
Sarah Kallgren (she/her) is the Carbon Management Coordinator for Climate and Energy at the National Wildlife Federation with a diverse background in environmental communication, community engagement, and environmental policy. At NWF, Sarah works on the Climate and Energy Team providing research and advocacy support for the responsible and equitable buildout of carbon dioxide removal and capture projects, and the related reuse, transport, and storage of carbon dioxide. Sarah previously worked as an Environmental Communications Specialist at Environmental Management Support Inc. This role involved managing significant community engagement projects, developing educational materials around EPA programs and coordinating EPA events. As an intern, Sarah contributed to the Montgomery County, Maryland, Climate Action Plan, synthesized policy recommendations to reduce emissions from the agriculture and wastewater treatment sectors and researched ways to embed climate change more deeply in local school curricula. She also authored easy to understand PFAS awareness and environmental justice centered communications materials for the environmental advocacy group, Save Our H20. Sarah holds dual Bachelor Degrees in Geography and International Affairs and a Minor in Sustainability from The George Washington University. Contact Sarah at KallgrenS@nwf.org
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