Since the release of the previous edition of The State of Carbon Dioxide Removal, the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) landscape has continued to evolve rapidly. Deployment of novel CDR approaches has expanded, new policies have emerged, and growing evidence has strengthened understanding of CDR’s role in achieving climate goals. This latest edition brings these developments together in a comprehensive assessment of the global state of carbon dioxide removal.
Key findings from this year’s report:
- Analysis of costs and potential: A dedicated deep-dive chapter examines the latest scientific evidence on the costs, scalability, and potential of different CDR approaches.
- Continued growth in novel CDR: While novel CDR remains small at approximately 0.002 GtCO₂ per year, deployment continues to expand rapidly, growing at around 40% annually.
- Scaling is ambitious but achievable: The growth rates required for novel CDR to align with Paris-compatible pathways are challenging, yet comparable to those achieved by other rapidly scaling climate technologies such as solar photovoltaics (PV) and electric vehicles.
- Investment remains resilient: Despite a broader slowdown in climate technology investment, funding for CDR companies has remained relatively robust. At the same time, expectations around future demand have become more uncertain.
- Expanded evidence on future CDR needs: New scenarios developed in collaboration with modelling teams provide a targeted multi-model comparison, combining global modelling with national-level analyses to strengthen understanding of future CDR pathways and requirements.
- A persistent ambition gap: Significant differences remain between the levels of CDR included in national climate pledges and those required in Paris-compatible pathways.
Lead authors: Morgan R. Edwards, Oliver Geden, Matthew J. Gidden, William F. Lamb, Jan C. Minx, Gregory F. Nemet, Stephen M. Smith, Rob Bellamy, Elina Brutschin, Laura Diaz Anadon, Sabine Fuss, Giacomo Grassi, Injy Johnstone, Katie Lebling, Abby Lunstrum, Finn Müller-Hansen, Joana Portugal-Pereira, Benedict S. Probst, Naomi E. Vaughan.
Dive deeper into the evidence using the updated data portal: www.stateofcdr.org/data-portal.
