Carbon removal scales too slowly to offset emissions, experts say it needs solar-like growth

A new report finds that current carbon removal efforts remove about 2.2 billion metric tons of CO2 per year, only 5% of global emissions. Most of this comes from tree planting, while direct air capture accounts for just 0.1%. To meet climate targets, carbon removal must grow as fast as solar panels did, but government pledges fall far short. Without major cuts in emissions and rapid scaling of removal tech, the gap between goals and reality widens. The report warns that relying on future carbon sucking instead of cutting pollution now could slow progress. Microsoft, which bought over 80% of novel carbon credits, stopped new purchases in April, highlighting financial vulnerability. Experts stress that carbon removal is unavoidable but only alongside deep emissions reductions, not as a substitute.