[Re]Moving on Up—Can developing countries be a powerhouse for contributing engineered removals towards net zero goals?

We are delighted to finally publish our report on “Carbon Credit Standards for engineered Carbon Dioxide Removal”, which is the culmination of 8 months of research and investigations on this fast-moving topic.

The report considers:

❓Whether there is a case for deploying engineered [e]CDR in developing countries.

❓ Methodological approaches and potential challenges that may arise for implementation.

❓ Safeguards and governance aspects of deployment.

❓ Ways forward to foster eCDR growth through international cooperation.

tl;dr

🔭 The outlooks for eCDR in developing countries is somewhat mixed; some stakeholders question whether it is compatible with the development imperatives underpinning climate action, but conversely a handful of countries are showing commitment to deploy.

📈 The novelty of eCDR methods and complexity of MRV means developing countries need time to embed oversight and implement safeguards (e.g. for Article 6 transfers and NDC tracking).

We outline a three-part strategy by which international organisations could support the judicious use of well-governed eCDR in developing countries. Elements include:

✅ Part 1 – Raise awareness and capacity (information, training and outreach components to help enhance basic knowledge and understanding)

✅ Part 2 – Develop tools & guidance (e.g. introduction to CDR methodologies; country level CDR screening and identification tools; CDR guidance for NDCs and LT-LEDS development)

✅ Part 3 – Pilot carbon credit purchases in two parts:

Tranch1️⃣ International Mitigation Purposes (use carbon finance to deploy well-understood, established, eCDR methods)

Tranche 2️⃣ Other purposes (results-based finance to build knowledge and understanding of emerging eCDR methods where methodological and governance uncertainty persists)