Corporate carbon removal demand is being parked
A recent market survey of sustainability leaders points to a feeling of uncertainty policymakers will need to address to carbon removal
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) has a demand problem. High-quality supply will not scale on future intent alone. Project developers, investors and infrastructure providers need buyers well before the end of the 2030s. That demand is not yet showing up.
Carbon Business Council worked with Bellwether Research to conduct a market survey, including 25 in-depth interviews with senior sustainability leaders in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and the United States. The focus was on large companies with net-zero commitments, but no formal CDR purchasing strategy. The research focused on why corporate demand for CDR remains thin despite awareness of net-zero requirements, and most importantly what policy could do to help.
Three blind spots come through clearly in the interviews:
- Companies expect CDR to matter later, but do not treat it as a near-term planning issue.
- Many understand the category in broad terms, but not at the level needed for procurement, claims and internal approval.
- Policy uncertainty makes waiting look safer than moving.
This brief sets out the findings, what they mean for the market, and the policy options now in play.