About the Initiative
International efforts to curb the worst impacts of climate change are increasingly focused on negative emissions strategies. These are activities designed to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, providing a critical stopgap while practices involving energy, transportation, ndustrial sectors, and land use and modified.
But there is much still to learn about the economic, biophysical, and governance dimensions of these approaches. Developing negative emissions strategies as part of the broader portfolio in the face of the growing climate crisis will increase resilience and help manage climate risk.
In 2020, the University of Virginia's Environmental Institute launched a coordinated research initiative focused on negative emissions, bringing global thought leadership in this important area. Since then, the Climate Restoration Initiative (or "CRI") has brought together faculty and students from across Grounds to collaborate on targeted projects. These teams work with leaders from other academic, government, and NGO institutions.
The CRI builds strong interdisciplinary teams that leverage the University’s research excellence and provide actionable knowledge for climate change mitigation.
