RMI has published a new report, The New Frontiers Report for CDR, that looks at how to cut the cost of carbon dioxide removal at scale. It covers 14 different removal pathways, split into biogenic, geochemical, and synthetic approaches, and breaks down cost drivers across eight categories including supply chains, land use, and resource constraints. The report also proposes Rapid Development Plans, or RDPs, to move early-stage ideas in areas like synthetic biology, advanced materials, and remote sensing toward commercial deployment. That matters because UNEP and IPCC scenarios keep pointing to gigatonne-scale removal as necessary to meet mid-century climate targets. The full value here is in the cost breakdowns and the specific bottlenecks RMI identifies, not just the headline roadmap.
