New ways to remove CO2 from atmosphere must grow much faster, report says
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- The report finds that novel carbon‑removal technologies currently account for just 0.1% of the 2.2 bn tonnes of CO₂ removed globally each year, with the remainder coming from land‑based actions such as tree planting.
- The report says novel CDR has been growing at roughly 40% per year but must accelerate to growth rates comparable to solar panels and electric vehicles to meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 °C target, and only one‑fifth of planned capacity has been delivered so far.
- William Lamb of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research warns that pledged removals of 2.7 bn tonnes by 2035 and 3.6 bn tonnes by 2050 fall far short of the amounts required by climate pathways, creating a widening gap over time.
- Microsoft accounts for about 82% of novel CDR credit purchases, but paused its procurement in April, highlighting the vulnerability of first‑mover demand if broader market uptake stalls.
- The United States under Donald Trump has left the Paris Agreement and rolled back green regulations, a policy volatility that the report says undermines credibility and adds pressure on other jurisdictions to step up CDR.
Why it matters: Governments and carbon‑removal firms will need to ramp up capacity by 40% annually to meet the 2.7 bn‑tonne 2035 pledge, or risk missing the 1.5 °C goal and facing stricter climate regulations.
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