CarbonShot: Federal Policy Options for Carbon Removal in the United States

The paper argues that the United States must invest up to $6 billion per year in federal funding over the next decade to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, targeting a removal benchmark of 2 GtCO2 per year. It distinguishes carbon removal—which includes natural methods like tree restoration and high-tech methods like direct air capture—from emissions reduction measures such as CCS with fossil energy. The author asserts that public funding is necessary to bridge the gap between costs and co-benefits for natural pathways, while technological pathways require sustained R&D and commercialization support.

• To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the United States requires large-scale federal investments in carbon removal, potentially reaching $6 billion annually over the next 10 years, with further support for deployment after 2030.
• The U.S. aims for a carbon removal benchmark of 2 GtCO2 per year by 2050, which aligns with the estimated unabated emissions projected in the U.S. Mid-century Strategy for Deep Decarbonization.
• Carbon removal encompasses a variety of pathways, including natural methods (tree restoration and agricultural soil management), high-tech methods (direct air capture), and emerging concepts (enhanced mineralization), and is distinct from emissions reduction measures like CCS with fossil energy or solar radiation management.
• Public funding is required to address the cost gap and co-benefit value for natural carbon capture, while technological carbon removal requires ongoing investment in research, development, and commercialization.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). CarbonShot: Federal Policy Options for Carbon Removal in the United States. https://www.wri.org/research/carbonshot-federal-policy-options-carbon-removal-united-states

Chicago

World Resources Institute. CarbonShot: Federal Policy Options for Carbon Removal in the United States. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/carbonshot-federal-policy-options-carbon-removal-united-states.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=CarbonShot: Federal Policy Options for Carbon Removal in the United States |url=https://www.wri.org/research/carbonshot-federal-policy-options-carbon-removal-united-states |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendcarbonshot, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{CarbonShot: Federal Policy Options for Carbon Removal in the United States}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/carbonshot-federal-policy-options-carbon-removal-united-states}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }