For the first time in the history of the UN Climate Change Conference, the upcoming COP30 event will feature a pavilion dedicated to carbon removal technology (CDR).

COP30 takes place between 10 and 21 November this year in Belém, Brazil. The CDR pavilion initiative, coordinated by the Negative Emissions Platform (NEP), will be launched under the name CDR30 and has the support of more than 90 organisations, including CDR companies, NGOs, research institutions, investors, and philanthropic foundations.

Highlighting the importance of CDR, CDR30 coalition member The International Biochar Initiative pointed to scientific evidence that to meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target, the world will need 7-9 billion tonnes of durable carbon removals annually by mid-century. That means scaling the sector by a factor of up to 5,000 by 2050, equivalent to nearly 40% growth every year.

According to the Bezos Earth Fund report “Scaling Technological Greenhouse Gas Removal: A Global Roadmap to 2050”, to be on track, capacity must rise well beyond today’s levels – reaching around 100 million tonnes a year by 2030 and scaling to the hundreds of millions by 2035.

Investment in carbon removal is needed today to unlock the technologies, infrastructure, and cost reductions required for this growth.

Creating the first-ever dedicated forum where policymakers and innovators can directly engage on carbon dioxide removals, the CDR30 Pavilion will provide a clear signal that carbon removals are essential to deliver on the Paris Agreement. In practical terms, the hub will shine a spotlight on the various approaches to CDR and act as a hub for diplomacy and science, showcasing technologies, convening experts, and uniting innovators, buyers, financiers, and policymakers. around CDR.

Says Chris Sherwood, Secretary-General of the Negative Emissions Platform, “COP30 is the moment carbon removals step fully onto the world stage….. For the first time, governments, investors, and civil society will have a dedicated space to see, understand, and engage with carbon removals as an essential part of the toolkit humanity cannot afford to ignore.”

In a related story, on 1 October, the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) announced the approval of another batch of engineered Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) methodologies, following the approval of three biochar methodologies in July:

• Gold Standard – Carbon Sequestration Through Accelerated Carbonation of Concrete Aggregate
• Isometric – Biomass Geological Storage
• Isometric – Bio-oil Geological Storage
• Isometric – Subsurface Biomass Carbon Removal and Storage
• Isometric – Biogenic Carbon Capture and Storage
• Isometric – Direct Air Capture