Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies 2026

Image: Getty Images Disclaimer This document is published by the World Economic Forum as a contribution to a project, insight area or interaction. The findings, interpretations and conclusions expressed herein are a result of a collaborative process facilitated and endorsed by the World Economic Forum but whose results do not necessarily represent the views of the World Economic Forum, nor the entirety of its Members, Partners or other stakeholders. © 2026 World Economic Forum. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system.Contents Foreword 3 Executive summary 4 1 Introduction 6 1.1 What is carbon removal? 6 1.2 Why are carbon removal contracts the key to unlocking 6 transformative net zero progress? 1.3 What are the challenges in unlocking CDR progress? 7 1.4 What is the objective of this paper, specifically in helping 8 to address the challenges in unlocking CDR progress? 2 CDR technologies 9 2.1 What are the different technologies? 9 2.2 What is the current scale of deployment vs. the future scale 12 of deployment? 2.3 What will affect scalability of these technologies? 17 3 CDR offtakes 21 3.1 For signed offtakes, what are typical buyer and supplier profiles? 21 3.2 For signed offtakes, what do contracts typically include 26 and how do they compare across CDR technology? 3.3 What are key insights (similarities and differences) for offtakes 28 in the CDR space? Conclusion 29 Contributors 30 Endnotes 31 Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies: Market Overview and Offtake 2