Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies

The Science Brief on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies opens by defining carbon dioxide removal (CDR) as human interventions that extract CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it durably in land, ocean, geological reservoirs, or products. It highlights CDR’s growing importance as a complement to emissions reductions in achieving global net-zero and net-negative targets under the Paris Agreement.

The Brief explores three main categories of removal approaches—biological, geochemical, and engineered—ranging from afforestation and soil carbon sequestration to enhanced mineral weathering and direct air capture. It emphasizes that while conventional, nature-based methods currently account for nearly all CDR activity, emerging technological approaches are rapidly advancing, supported by rising public and private investment.

It then examines the critical challenges facing large-scale deployment, including high costs, uncertainties around storage durability, environmental and equity concerns, and the absence of international regulatory standards. The Brief concludes by outlining key priorities for the coming decade: scaling investment, establishing monitoring and verification frameworks, and ensuring that CDR complements deep emissions reductions.