π° Here's your round-up of top #CarbonDioxideRemoval News / Developments from this week (23 February - 01 March 2026):
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π§΅1/
The LEGO Group announced to invest $2.8M in CDR across four nature-based & engineered projects with partners Climate Impact Partners and @ClimeFiHQ. lego.com/en-us/aboutus/β¦
U.S. lawmakers proposed the ReSCUE Oceans Act to create a $2.5B NOAA-led marine carbon dioxide removal research program. murkowski.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/β¦
Microsoft agreed to purchase up to 1.8M forest restoration CDR credits over 15 years from Rainforest Builder. esgtoday.com/microsoft-signβ¦
Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu partnered with Climeworks to explore DAC and underground storage in Saudi Arabia. climeworks.com/press-release/β¦
Green Carbon Co., Ltd. and Excellent Enfab Incorporation launched industrial biochar CDR initiative in India. green-carbon.co.jp/en/excellent-eβ¦
Air Liquide and Holcim signed an agreement to decarbonize cement production with a carbon capture project in Belgium. airliquide.com/group/press-reβ¦
Swedish utility SΓΆderenergi paused its BECCS project at the Igelsta CHP plant due to weak demand, financing gaps, and limited policy support. bioenergyinternational.com/soderenergi-paβ¦
Avantium joined the National Institute of Standards and Technology CDR consortium to accelerate DAC innovation. rds.avantium.com/avantium-joinsβ¦
Indigo Ag surpassed 2M metric tons of verified soil carbon impact through its fifth credit issuance. indigoag.com/pages/news/indβ¦
@Carbon_Direct and C2X partnered to convert forestry and sawmill residues into biofuel while delivering durable CDR in Louisiana. businesswire.com/news/home/2026β¦
Carbon to Sea released an interactive MRV database covering five early ocean alkalinity enhancement projects. carbontosea.org/2026/02/26/mrvβ¦
@cdr_fyi launched a buyerβs guide to help companies evaluate durable CDR credits. cdr.fyi/resources/buyeβ¦
Nova Scotia Salmon Association reported carbon credit purchases by Royal Bank of Canada from its river lime-dosing CDR program, with verification supported by CarbonRun. newswire.ca/news-releases/β¦
@Isometric_HQ extended crediting periods for DAC and BECCS projects to support long-term development. linkedin.com/posts/isometriβ¦
44.01 joined the MiniCCS project to study decentralized COβ storage in Norwayβs ultramafic rock formations. linkedin.com/posts/wereprouβ¦
@CarbonCure Technologies launched a 2026 scholarship program promoting low-carbon concrete research. carboncure.com/blog/concrete-β¦
Remove Accelerator selected eight CDR startups from Europe and India for its Global Leap cohort. linkedin.com/posts/its-offiβ¦
The Symbiosis Coalition updated quality criteria to include mangrove restoration in addition to reforestation and agroforestry. symbiosiscoalition.org/perspectives/sβ¦
Abatable report predicted 2026 carbon markets will prioritize quality over volume, driven by demand for high-integrity credits, long-term contracts and credible climate outcomes. landing.abatable.com/carbon-market-β¦
π¨A new study finds that most enhanced weathering models overestimate COβ removal (#CDR) because they assume all added rock powder reacts, when in reality, soil structure & moisture mean much of the mineral surface never gets wet, cutting reaction rates by up to 97%.
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2/ Enhanced weathering (EW) works by spreading finely ground silicate rocks onto soils. When these minerals react with water and COβ, they form bicarbonate, effectively removing carbon from the atmosphere.
But hereβs the catch: no water contact, no reaction.
3/ Most large-scale CDR models assume that once rock powder is added to soil, its surface is βavailableβ for reaction.
In reality, soils are complex porous systems. H2O does not evenly coat every particle.
So, this study asks: How much of the rock surface is actually wet
π¨Should SRM Be Seen as a Serious Security Issue?
Four experts offer their thoughts on the potential security risks associated with sunlight reflection methods (#SRM), or solar geoengineering, highlighting the geopolitical complexity of the field.
Read here:π§΅1/6
Burgess Langshaw Power argues climate change is now a security issue and SRM could be too, but warns against military control to avoid secrecy or an arms race.
2/6
Josh Horton says SRM isnβt a direct threat but could indirectly heighten geopolitical tensions if deployment disputes emerge.
π¨A new study in Communications Sustainability explores whether enhanced rock weathering (#ERW) can scale into a meaningful, equitable climate solution.
The headline: ERW could remove ~1GtCOβ/yr by 2100, but who deploys it, when & how fast will shape its global impact.π§΅1/10
2/ Enhanced rock weathering works by spreading crushed silicate rocks on croplands.
These minerals chemically react with COβ, locking carbon into stable forms while improving soil quality. Itβs a rare intervention promising both climate mitigation and agricultural co-benefits.
3/ But technical potential alone doesnβt determine climate outcomes. The central question the paper asks is:
How does ERW adoption diffuse across countries under real-world economic, social, and political conditions?
π¨New study finds #biochar made from bioenergy crops & residues in China could remove up to 1.88 GtCOβ/yr with optimized plant logistics and dedicated biomass.
At ~$10/tCOβ, far cheaper than #BECCS, it offers a scalable, cost-effective carbon removal (#CDR) pathway.
π§΅1/13
2/ Biochar, a carbon-rich solid produced by pyrolysis of biomass, locks carbon into soils for decades to centuries while improving soil quality and crop yields.
Its stability makes it a promising negative emissions technology (NET) relied on in climate scenarios.
3/ The authors evaluate a hybrid system called BCBE, biochar production with biomass supply from dedicated bioenergy crops grown on abandoned cropland, plus agricultural and forestry residues.
This aims to reduce competition with food production.
From U.S. withdrawal from global climate bodies & anti-geoengineering bills, to SAI uncertainty tool, Arctic field trials & funding calls, SRM stayed at the nexus of sci & geopolitics.
Top 10 SRM Highlights (Jan'26)π§΅1/11
1οΈβ£ π¨.π¦. π²π πΆππ π¨π‘ππππ & ππ£ππ - Experts warn withdrawal could weaken SRM governance, deepen geopolitical mistrust, and accelerate fragmented or unilateral approaches.
2/11
2οΈβ£ ππ»ππΆ-π΄π²πΌπ²π»π΄πΆπ»π²π²πΏπΆπ»π΄ π―πΆπΉπΉπ πΆπ» ππ΅π² π¨.π¦. - New Arizona and Iowa state proposals target geoengineering, despite limited evidence and no active SRM programs.
π¨Climate pathways to 1.5Β°C increasingly depend on land-intensive carbon dioxide removal (#CDR) like forestation and BECCS.
But new research shows these climate solutions could place major pressure on #biodiversity if deployed without safeguards.
Detailsπ§΅1/11
2/ Using five integrated assessment models, the study examines where large-scale CDR is projected to occur & and how often it overlaps with biodiversity hotspots and climate refugia, the places most critical for species survival.
3/ The analysis focuses on a moderate but realistic deployment level of 6 GtCOβ per year:
β’ 3 GtCOβ/yr from forestation
β’ 3 GtCOβ/yr from BECCS
Even at this level, land pressures are already significant.