International Governance of Technological Carbon Removal: Surfacing Questions, Exploring Solutions

This working paper examines the international governance of technological carbon removal, focusing on three main challenges: mitigation deterrence, equity in deployment and benefits, and the lack of standardized measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) processes. It notes that while 26 of 62 LTSs submitted to the UNFCCC as of May 2023 consider technological CDR, there is little guidance on how to scale these technologies equitably and sustainably to meet the 1.5 degrees C goal of the Paris Agreement.

• There is a scientific consensus that carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is required to meet the 2015 Paris Agreement's goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C and achieving net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by midcentury.
• Technological carbon removal is increasingly featured in national climate plans; by the end of May 2023, 26 of the 62 long-term low-emission development strategies (LTSs) submitted to the UNFCCC included plans or considerations for its use.
• The paper identifies 'mitigation deterrence' as a governance challenge where the focus on carbon removal may create a 'false sense of security' and divert investment away from urgent near-term emissions reductions.
• Equity concerns exist regarding the distribution of carbon removal deployment, specifically ensuring that countries least responsible for the climate crisis do not host projects that fail to benefit them.
• The current measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) ecosystem for technological carbon removal is described as fragmented and non-standardized, which hinders trust in the industry.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). International Governance of Technological Carbon Removal: Surfacing Questions, Exploring Solutions. https://www.wri.org/research/international-carbon-removal-governance

Chicago

World Resources Institute. International Governance of Technological Carbon Removal: Surfacing Questions, Exploring Solutions. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/international-carbon-removal-governance.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=International Governance of Technological Carbon Removal: Surfacing Questions, Exploring Solutions |url=https://www.wri.org/research/international-carbon-removal-governance |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendinternational, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{International Governance of Technological Carbon Removal: Surfacing Questions, Exploring Solutions}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/international-carbon-removal-governance}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }