Carbon Mineralization Needs Greater Policy Support to Reach Carbon Removal Potential

The briefing examines carbon mineralization as a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategy, highlighting its potential to remove up to 10 gigatons of CO2 annually by 2050. It argues that while some federal funding exists, mineralization lacks the dedicated support given to direct air capture. The author calls for expanded R&D funding, demonstration projects, and updated tax credits (specifically 45Q) to scale the technology. Additionally, the document emphasizes the need for robust measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) standards and regulations to manage hazardous materials in feedstocks to ensure responsible deployment.

• Carbon mineralization has the potential to remove significant amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere, with estimates suggesting up to 1 gigaton annually by 2035 and 10 gigatons by 2050.
• Carbon mineralization offers several co-benefits, including the ability to extract critical minerals like cobalt, nickel, and lithium from mine tailings, strengthening concrete, remediating asbestos mine tailings, and increasing crop productivity.
• Current U.S. federal policy provides some support for mineralization, but it lacks the dedicated funding streams available to direct air capture. For example, under the 45Q tax credit, mineralization only qualifies for the utilization credit, which is lower than the sequestration credit, and in situ mineralization is not currently defined as "secure geologic storage."
• To scale carbon mineralization, the document recommends increased government funding for R&D to reduce uncertainties regarding resource mapping, reaction rates, and ecosystem impacts, as well as funding for demonstration projects to test materials in diverse environments.
• Deployment support should include government procurement, expanded production tax credits (such as an updated 45Q), and regulatory accommodations for land use and soil amendments.
• Responsible scaling requires the development of consistent measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) protocols, particularly for "open-system" approaches like ocean alkalinity enhancement and enhanced rock weathering, which are harder to monitor than closed systems.
• Environmental and health risks must be managed through regulation, specifically regarding the handling of heavy metals in alkaline mine tailings and industrial waste to prevent groundwater contamination and respiratory hazards for workers.

APA

World Resources Institute (2023). Carbon Mineralization Needs Greater Policy Support to Reach Carbon Removal Potential. https://www.wri.org/technical-perspectives/carbon-mineralization-policies-incentives

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Carbon Mineralization Needs Greater Policy Support to Reach Carbon Removal Potential. 2023. https://www.wri.org/technical-perspectives/carbon-mineralization-policies-incentives.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Carbon Mineralization Needs Greater Policy Support to Reach Carbon Removal Potential |date=17 October 2023 |url=https://www.wri.org/technical-perspectives/carbon-mineralization-policies-incentives |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2023carbon, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Carbon Mineralization Needs Greater Policy Support to Reach Carbon Removal Potential}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2023}, month = oct, url = {https://www.wri.org/technical-perspectives/carbon-mineralization-policies-incentives}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }