Scaling carbon removal volumes to adequately address the climate crisis requires a diverse range of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies.

Leading organizations, such as the Science Based Targets Initiative, recommend that climate mitigation efforts use methods that actively remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it in a durable form, using processes that can be verified. Currently, a lot of these carbon removal credits involve planting or replanting forests. And while trees do capture and store carbon, they are vulnerable to fires and logging. Other carbon removal options based on storage in vegetation, soils, or sediments have biodiversity or food security co-benefits as well, but these methods store carbon for less time and can be more vulnerable because they need to be managed.

Prioritizing investment in durable technologies today is essential, considering that less durable approaches pose a higher risk of reversal. A significant amount of effort in innovation and investment is being directed towards other removal technologies that securely store carbon for hundreds of years. Few of these technologies are already in full deployment, some are beginning to be deployed and others are still years away. Methods differ in terms of removal process, timescale of carbon storage, technological maturity, mitigation potential, cost, co-benefits, adverse side-effects, and governance requirements. Depending on the scale and deployment scenario, carbon removal methods could bring about various co-benefits and adverse side effects, further emphasising the need for appropriate governance and policies as well as robust monitoring, reporting and verification (short: MRV) mechanisms.

Among durable technologies, Biochar Carbon Removal stands out because it's available today and ready to be used for immediate climate action.

Find out more about the different carbon removal technologies below.