Enhancing carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is key, along with rapid emissions reductions, to meet the Paris Agreement's climate goals. Analyzing various key aspects of the industry, the detailed report covers the current state of CDR. The authors found that there is a wide gap between what countries plan to do and what is needed to meet global climate goals. The report was produced by CDR experts who author the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports and lead major CDR research projects .

Bridging the carbon removal gap

To keep warming below 2°C, the world must remove huge amounts of CO2 from the air. CDR involves ways to capture CO2 and keep it stored in places like soil, oceans or products. Examples include planting more trees, using certain carbon capture and storage technologies. For the first time, the report estimated the total amount of CDRs currently in use worldwide. Most of the current CDRs (2 billion tons of CO2 per year) were found to come from traditional methods such as planting trees. This means 99.9 % of virtually all current CDRs, primarily through afforestation and reforestation. (Jennifer L)