Visibility for carbon removal at COP30: limited progress, rising momentum
CDR was not a big-ticket item at COP 30 this year, but still there were some notable events worth mentioning. We look at what came out of the event and what it could mean going forward
COP30 felt like a turning point for carbon removals
For the first time there was a dedicated carbon dioxide removal (CDR) pavilion; it brought new voices together and showed how firmly the topic is continuing its trajectory towards the mainstream.
Official progress on removals was still thin. Negotiators did not land concrete outcomes overall and CDR targets remain absent from negotiation text.
Article 6 talks edged forward and for once ended with little drama, with outstanding technical details to be fleshed out in debates next year. The Mutirão (cover) decision included more language on limiting overshoot and made clear that any overshoot duration needs to be limited. This is an implicit call for removals, signalling political interest, but it did not lock in commitments. Even so, coalition building around CDR grew steadily, more awareness on the topic was raised through inclusion in the Action Agenda and there was a sense of alignment forming.
Across the wider climate agenda, the picture was mixed. More than 80 countries asked for clear commitments to move away from fossil fuels. What started as a clear priority by the Brazilian president, Lula unfortunately didn’t translate into clear commitment by countries.
This also reflected a wider trend: we have the Paris framework but there is less that can be agree upon multilaterally, even though countries reinforced the importance of collaboration on climate. Nevertheless, these negotiations are shaping outcomes less than before and much of the momentum for implementation is coming from partnerships, alliances and policy work happening outside the plenary rooms.
This comes at the backdrop of an ever-increasing urgency to act on climate. The setting in Belém itself underlined this urgency. Fires, extreme rainfall heat and humidity hit during the talks, presenting a window towards the reality of climate change within an international conference centre. Brazil’s openness to inclusive dialogue, along with strong participation from indigenous groups, helped ground the discussions in lived experience, but this unfortunately didn’t translate into clearer official commitments.
Our takeaway is clear
CDR’s visibility has grown; the groundwork for stronger ambition is being laid even if it is not yet formalised. We hope this signals a more confident and coherent future for removals.
As the dust settles from COP30, we will continue to distil what has been agreed over the past two weeks – stay tuned.