A Collective Intelligence assembly approach to informing responsive net zero policy design: A greenhouse gas removal UK case study

Abstract

In addition to radical reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, large-scale removal of anthropogenic CO2 will be required to mitigate the impacts of global warming. However, many greenhouse gas removal (GGR) methods remain at a nascent stage of development. A case study was carried out on the application of the collective intelligence (CI) model to the UK GGR sector and the need to scale up and accelerate development in an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable way. Through systems mapping, thematic analysis, workshops and semi-structured interviews, a rich dataset was formed on the existing level of and potential for CI within the UK GGR ecosystem. It was found that implementing CI thinking could address the need for increasing the visibility of the system and its workings to participants and the public. This would contribute to the formation of coherent, shared vision for the role of GGR in the UK’s net zero strategy. It is proposed that these risks could be mitigated by creating a publicly accessible ‘commons’ to visualise the UK GGR ecosystem process, dynamics, components, and goals, allowing innovation policy to be more responsive to innovator and net zero policy needs. Increasing ecosystem awareness could lay the foundations for sharing of information, promotion of a more collective culture, and increased transparency and accountability, all of which are critical building blocks in establishing a robust GGR sector for the future.