As global efforts to reach net-zero emissions accelerate, a new analysis from AlliedOffsets highlights the immense scale of investment required to make carbon removal a viable pathway toward environmental targets.
Aerial view of a large BECCS facility next to a lush green forest. AI generated picture.
In its Carbon Removal Market Outlook (October 2025) report, AlliedOffsets estimates that between 5 and 22 gigatons of CO₂ will need to be removed from the atmosphere annually by 2050. This wide range underscores both the uncertainty and the magnitude of the challenge ahead.
Drawing on more than 60 academic studies, the report identifies technical approaches such as biochar, biomass storage, enhanced rock weathering, and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) as central to the global carbon-removal portfolio. Together, these technologies could deliver nearly half of all removals needed by mid-century.
AlliedOffsets projects an average cost of about $160 per tonne of CO₂ for these solutions—assuming deep emissions cuts occur alongside removal efforts. Yet the capital required is substantial: cumulative investment could range from $1.22 trillion in a lower-demand scenario to $5.8 trillion if higher removal targets are pursued.
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This outlook aligns with other major analyses. McKinsey & Company forecasts demand for durable carbon-removal credits could reach 100 million metric tonnes by 2030, only a fraction of the multi-gigatonne scale needed by 2050. Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency stresses that ‘long-term demand certainty must come from new policy frameworks, including advance procurement commitments and stronger standard-setting’, if removal technologies are to scale effectively.
Industry experts note that clearer regulatory guidance and stronger market signals would help accelerate the adoption of carbon-removal solutions, many of which are still in the early stages of scaling and require significant upfront investment.
Read more: Trillion-dollar investor alliance calls for stronger global policies to stop deforestation
As global analysis underscores the trillions needed to scale carbon removal, one truth is becoming undeniable—nature itself holds the most powerful and scalable solution. While engineered approaches gain momentum, restoring forests, soils, and ecosystems remains the foundation of meaningful carbon removal. That’s precisely what we do at Green Earth: we create large-scale, nature-based carbon projects that regenerate biodiversity and deliver verified carbon units with real, lasting impact. By supporting these initiatives, companies can join the movement shaping a resilient, nature-positive economy—turning nature goals into tangible, measurable outcomes.
