A new report presented in Milan warns that carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is barely scaling, removing only about 5% of global annual CO2 emissions. The vast majority of that is from tree planting, which is stagnating due to land competition. Engineered methods like direct air capture remain negligible and costly, often over $200 per tonne of CO2 removed, far above current carbon prices. Scientists at the conference stressed that CDR investment has dropped since 2024, partly due to geopolitical shifts and war. They argue governments must treat CDR as a public good and fund it, not rely solely on companies. Without rapid scaling, the gap between emissions and removal will keep growing, making climate targets harder to hit.
