Over 260 researchers gathered in Milan last week to assess carbon removal technologies and their role in limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The consensus among experts points to a stark reality: current deployment of carbon removal methods falls far short of what climate scenarios require.
Carbon removal, also called negative emissions or carbon dioxide removal (CDR), encompasses technologies ranging from direct air capture and storage to nature-based solutions like reforestation and soil carbon sequestration. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects that achieving the 1.5C target requires removing billions of tons of CO2 annually by mid-century, yet global deployment today remains in the thousands of tons annually.
The researchers identified several barriers to scaling. Cost remains prohibitive for most technologies. Direct air capture currently runs between $100 and $600 per ton of CO2 removed, far above economically viable levels. Land availability poses another constraint, particularly for biomass-based removal paired with carbon storage. Policy frameworks remain fragmented across nations, with limited carbon pricing mechanisms to drive investment.
Yet experts argue scaling is technologically feasible. They point to cost reduction curves similar to renewable energy trajectories. Solar photovoltaic costs dropped 90 percent over the past decade through manufacturing advances and economies of scale. Carbon removal technologies could follow similar patterns with sustained funding and policy support.
The Milan meeting highlighted emerging solutions. Enhanced weathering, which accelerates natural rock processes to capture CO2, shows promise at larger scales. Biochar production sequesters carbon while improving soil productivity. Direct air capture facilities, while limited, are expanding in the United States and Europe.
Researchers stressed that carbon removal cannot substitute for aggressive emissions reductions. The International Energy Agency estimates limiting warming to 1.5C requires cutting global emissions by 45 percent by 2030 compared to 2010 levels.