EPA’s Janet McCabe to join national climate change discussion at IU Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana University Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are hosting a two-day discussion on how Indiana and the Midwest can help the United States become a net-zero carbon emissions nation by 2050. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe will serve as the keynote speaker.

The Roads to Removal Indiana Symposium will take place Oct. 28 and 29 at Indiana University Indianapolis. Photo by James Brosher, Indiana UniversityThe Roads to Removal Symposium on Oct. 28 and 29 at IU Indianapolis will examine the opportunities, benefits and costs of carbon dioxide removal in Indiana and the Midwest. The event will bring climate researchers and government leaders together with local experts on Indiana agriculture and farming to discuss how climate change solutions could impact Hoosiers, Indiana and the rest of the nation.

“With Indiana sitting in the middle of the heartland, our state can play a critical role in combating climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” said Siân Mooney, dean of the O’Neill School. “This forum will allow stakeholders of all perspectives to meet and exchange ideas while helping develop the most impactful path forward. The world-renowned researchers at IU and the O’Neill School are excited to work with community stakeholders to provide solutions to one of the most serious issues we face.”

U.S. EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe, the keynote speaker for the Roads to Removal Symposium, previously served as director of the IU Environmental Resilience Institute and is a former professor of practice at the IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyMcCabe has a history with environmentalism in the Hoosier state as a previous director of the IU Environmental Resilience Institute and a former professor of practice at the IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law. In addition to her keynote address, State Rep. Carey Hamilton, D-Indianapolis, and former U.S. ambassador and seventh-generation farmer Kip Tom will address specific policy, workforce and economic opportunities. Additional panelists include Andy Tauer and Caitlin Smith of the Indiana Farm Bureau and Courtney Kingery, CEO of the Indiana Soybean Alliance, as well as regional leaders and experts from Indiana University, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and other key academic institutions.

O’Neill School professor Jerome Dumortier, a “Roads to Removal” report co-author, also will be among the panelists. He said that addressing climate change solutions requires partnerships with different groups, including local farmers.

“Engaging in carbon removal can mean large environmental and financial benefits for today’s farmers and future generations,” Dumortier said. “The opportunities and challenges associated with carbon removal are complex, but this symposium offers an opportunity to shed light on those issues so landowners can profit from the push to decarbonize the economy.”

In 2022, the United States established a goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The symposium builds on the “Roads to Removal” report, a first-of-its-kind nationwide analysis on decarbonizing the economy, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it at the gigaton-scale.

“The ‘Roads to Removal’ report enables local, informed decision-making in the quest to reverse climate pollution,” said Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientist Jennifer Pett-Ridge, the report’s lead author. “Every region in the nation has a unique story when it comes to carbon dioxide removal, and that’s especially true in Indiana and the Midwest. There are several immediate carbon dioxide removal opportunities that could really make a difference.”

“Roads to Removal” identifies pathways and opportunities in soils, croplands and forest management, biomass conversion, as well as direct air capture, geological storage and transportation. The report identifies regional, community and labor considerations, weighing alternatives and local benefits. The report concludes that removing 1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year will cost $130 billion annually in 2050, or about 0.5% of the nation’s current GDP.

The two-day event is free, and registration is now underway. For more information and to register, visit the Roads to Removal Symposium website.