By 2050, a substantial portion of this removal could be achieved at net-removed costs below $300/tonneCO2, though costs are highly variable
Biochar leads engineered CDR in both cost ($80–200/ton) and carbon efficiency due to its low energy requirements. Direct Air Capture
This included scaling direct air capture — targeting carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies that could remove CO2 from the atmosphere and durably store it for at least 100 years at a cost of less than $100/net metric tonne of CO2, cementing the figure in place. The $100 per tonne DAC CO2 cost target was born in the US, yet has become globally adopted as a blanket figure for “affordable” direct air capture, massively oversimplifying and neglecting fluctuations between different economies, regulation, and legislation. While $100 per tonne isn’t necessarily a realistic benchmark, that doesn’t mean DAC isn’t a viable and essential solution – it just means we need to recalibrate our expectations, focusing on making direct air capture as cost-effective as possible, whilst accounting for the many economic variables at play. The question now should not be whether a brand new technology can reach an outdated cost target, but how global governments and industry can cultivate the underlying economic conditions for the most effective direct air capture technologies to scale as quickly as possible.
As highlighted by data published in The State of Carbon Dioxide Removal 2024 report, from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, nature-based solutions, such as forest management and reforestation, remain by far the most cost-effective, with a weighted average price in 2023 ranging from $12 to $16 per ton of CO₂ captured. This infographic shows the weighted average price per carbon credit of selected carbon removal methods in 2023 (in $/tCO2e), and the evolution in global carbon capture capacity. Global carbon capture and storage market size 2021-2031, by technology+ Premium statistics. Global carbon capture and storage market size 2021-2031, by technology. Global carbon capture and storage market size shares 2023, by region+ Premium statistics. Global carbon capture and storage market size shares 2023, by region. Europe carbon capture and storage market size 2021-2031+ Premium statistics. Europe carbon capture and storage market size 2021-2031. Asia-Pacific carbon capture and storage market size 2021-2031+ Premium statistics.
We build an open-source model of a liquid solvent direct air capture technology and analyze its capture performance as a function of hourly varying ambient
# Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) Methods: Technology Status & Regulatory Compliance for 2025. Current CDR technology pathways — direct air capture, enhanced weathering, biochar production, blue-carbon restoration, silvopasture and soil-carbon systems, and BiCRS/BECCS — offer varying permanence from decades to millennia. To certify CDR as carbon credits, projects must be implemented in accordance with detailed technical rules defined in the applicable methodology, including emissions quantification and data measurement and monitoring requirements. The IPCC's announcement at COP30 of a forthcoming 2027 Methodology Report on CDR Technology Deployment and Carbon Capture signals accelerating momentum for standardized implementation planning frameworks. The EU’s Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF) establishes harmonized policy support mechanisms for carbon removal, and regulatory evolution continues as countries explore integrating durable CDR into carbon markets post-2030. As carbon removal technologies become more cost-effective and scalable, frameworks like the CRCF will drive investments and integration into compliance markets.
5 Nature removes massive quantities of GHGs during the ice age cycle—via “ocean iron fertilization" 7 Removing methane— also critical for climate restoration 12 Solar and other zero-emission solutions are also low-cost investments in climate restoration 13 Synthetic limestone: Paving and building with CO2 14 DAC-related CDR: Good business in the carbon-offset market 15 Is climate restoration possible using DAC-related CDR? 21 Appendix 3: Mt. Pinatubo eruption preceded permanent removal of 20 Gt of CO2 over a year 22 Appendix 4: A closer look at OIF: Common concerns 24 Appendix 5; Estimated cost of removing one ton of CO2 via various CDR methods 25 8 A climate goal that allows for the flourishing of humanity Humanity has an obligation to future generations to restore a climate in which our species has actually survived long term.
Using the social cost of carbon as a benchmark, even DAC systems operating at $300–$500 per ton could deliver substantial net benefits by