Carbon dioxide removal - statistics & facts

Emissions from human activities need to reach net zero by around 2050 to limit the worst impacts of climate change. However, global CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion continue to rise, while atmospheric CO₂ concentrations are now 20 times higher than in 1990. Many now see carbon dioxide removal (CDR) as an essential feature, alongside cutting emissions, in tackling the climate crisis. In fact, nearly all scenarios in which global temperatures are limited to 1.5°C or 2°C require novel CDR technologies, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

What is carbon removal?

CDR is the process of removing CO₂ from the atmosphere and durably storing it away for decades or centuries on land, in the ocean, or in geological formations, essentially reversing the emissions humans have released. This makes it different from carbon capture and storage (CSS), which captures emissions at the source before they can enter the atmosphere, i.e., from smokestacks at power plants. There are various methods of CDR, though most removals currently come from conventional management on land, mainly through afforestation and reforestation efforts. Novel CDR methods - which include bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), biochar, direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS), and enhanced rock weathering - currently account for only a small amount of annual removals.

The state of the carbon removal sector

The global CDR market is growing at a fast pace, with the number of CDR purchases rising from less than 300 metric tons in January 2020 to more than four million metric tons by September 2023. One of the biggest CDR deals by volume so far is Microsoft’s purchase of 2.76 million metric tons of durable carbon removal over 11 years from Ørsted. While global sales have increased recently, only a small fraction of those CDR purchases have so far been delivered, mainly due to the long-term nature of the contracts. As of June 2023, a total of 74,000 metric tons of CO₂ removal had been delivered, falling well short of the IPCC’s desired target of some 10 billion metric tons every year by 2050.

Controversies surrounding carbon removal technologies

Although engineered CDR methods are recognized by many as being a key feature in bringing global carbon emissions to net zero, climate scientists are divided about the technology. CDR technologies are still very much in their early stages, which has led to organizations, such as the United Nations, to cast doubt on their ability to fight climate change, calling the sector unproven at scale with unknown risks. There are also concerns that removed CO₂ could leak back into the atmosphere over time. Meanwhile, some have suggested that an overreliance on CDR is a dangerous distraction from reducing emissions, further delaying the deployment of proven low-carbon technologies like renewable energy and allowing polluting industries and companies to carry on emitting as usual.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Ian Tiseo, Jan 10, 2024

Key insights

Global CO₂ emissions
37.5 GtCO₂
Increase in average atmospheric CO₂ concentration since 1990
18%
Current primary method of CDR
Conventional land management
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Average carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the atmosphere worldwide from 1959 to 2023 (in parts per million)

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