Companies' role in scaling durable carbon dioxide removals

This executive summary from the NewClimate Institute argues that durable carbon dioxide removal (CDR)—which stores CO2 for thousands of years—is essential for neutralizing residual fossil fuel emissions, yet private sector adoption remains low and often serves as a substitute for necessary emission reductions.

• Durable CDR is the only effective method for neutralizing residual fossil fuel emissions because CO2 remains in the atmosphere for millennia. In contrast, non-durable CDR, such as reforestation, is considered unsuitable for neutralizing biogenic methane and CO2 emissions due to unreliable reporting, land limitations, and risks to ecosystem health.
• Private sector engagement with durable CDR is currently minimal and concentrated among a few large technology firms. Microsoft has contracted more than two-thirds of all durable CDR to date. To meet global net-zero goals, the demand and capacity for durable CDR must grow by a factor of 1,000 by 2050.
• Some companies, particularly in the tech sector, use durable and non-durable CDR to meet net-zero targets instead of pursuing deeper emission reductions that are feasible. This reliance on accounting methods and CDR over actual reductions is described as not credible.
• There is a lack of transparency regarding the social and environmental impacts of corporate-supported durable CDR projects. None of the 35 companies evaluated in the report provided enough information to determine the integrity of their projects, despite risks including biodiversity loss, high water and energy needs, and competition with food production.
• The report recommends that durable CDR be treated as a public good and reserved for the hardest-to-decarbonize sectors. It calls for governments to implement procurement obligations, taxation, or removal trading schemes, and for voluntary standards like ISO and the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) to require companies to set separate monetary and GHG targets for durable CDR rather than merging them into net-zero targets.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2025). Companies' role in scaling durable carbon dioxide removals. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/companies-role-in-scaling-durable-carbon-dioxide-removals

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. Companies' role in scaling durable carbon dioxide removals. 2025. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/companies-role-in-scaling-durable-carbon-dioxide-removals.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=Companies' role in scaling durable carbon dioxide removals |date=9 September 2025 |url=http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/companies-role-in-scaling-durable-carbon-dioxide-removals |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2025companies, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{Companies' role in scaling durable carbon dioxide removals}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2025}, month = sep, url = {http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/companies-role-in-scaling-durable-carbon-dioxide-removals}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }