Carbon Dioxide Removal in the Climate Context

The Climate Challenge

The scientific community is increasingly clear: the world is on track to exceed 1.5°C of warming in the near term. This overshoot increases climate risks, accelerates extreme events, and brings key Earth systems — from ice sheets to tropical forests and coral reefs — closer to dangerous tipping points. The coming decade will play a decisive role in determining how much these risks escalate.

Scientific evidence shows that avoiding further escalation requires a two-pronged approach: rapid and steep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions alongside the active removal of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere. Even if all major economies rapidly decarbonize their power systems and transition to cleaner fuels, certain hard-to-abate sectors — such as aviation, shipping, steel, cement, and agriculture — will continue to generate residual emissions for decades to come.

The Unique Role of CDR

Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) is uniquely suited to address this challenge. While emissions reduction and avoidance prevent additional CO₂ from entering the atmosphere, CDR physically removes CO₂ and stores it for long periods of time. This makes it essential for both achieving net-zero emissions and eventually moving toward net-negative trajectories to bring atmospheric CO₂ concentrations back down after overshoot.

CDR itself is not a single solution but a family of approaches, ranging from nature-based methods like afforestation and soil enhancement to durable, engineered methods such as biochar, enhanced rock weathering, and direct air capture with geological storage.

Leading frameworks such as the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and regulations such as the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) recognize the essential role of CDR in corporate net-zero strategies. Both require that residual emissions at the moment of reaching net-zero be neutralized exclusively with high-integrity CDR.

The Role of Early Buyers

Organizations play a critical role in helping the CDR market scale to the levels demanded by global climate goals. In other words, companies need to fund the broader climate solutions, such as CDR, that their own net-zero targets are conditional on. Early engagement from buyers supports the development of high-quality projects, accelerates cost reductions, and helps build the capacity required for CDR to fulfill its essential role in stabilizing the climate.