Carbon removal market needs scale conditions, not more innovation, says A Healthier Earth R&D chief

An op-ed from Alastair Collier, chief R&D officer at A Healthier Earth, argues that the carbon removal sector has enough innovation but lacks the market conditions to scale. He points to structural bottlenecks like fragmented credit supply, inconsistent verification, and short-term buyer demand that prevent developers from securing long-term financing. Biochar is highlighted as a scalable approach that is already delivering measurable removal, yet remains stuck between early adoption and systemic scale. Collier calls for structured procurement through multi-year offtake agreements, clearer standards, and stronger integration with policy frameworks such as the UK and EU Emissions Trading Schemes. He warns against letting debates over millennial-scale permanence stall deployment, noting that even 300 years of storage buys time to solve a crisis that is only 120 years old. The piece is relevant for anyone following CDR policy, voluntary carbon markets, and the gap between pilot projects and industrial infrastructure.