Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is essential to achieving global net-zero targets, with several gigatonnes of durable removal required annually by mid-century to address residual emissions. Although corporate demand for carbon removal credits is emerging, the sector remains constrained by limited access to capital and immature market structures. Developers face uncertain revenue streams, fragmented procurement systems, limited measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) capabilities, and a lack of standardized project finance models and quality standards.
Led by UpLink, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum’s First Movers Coalition, this Challenge sought early-stage solutions to build trust in supply, strengthen transparency, reduce information asymmetry and enable robust MRV systems. It also focused on innovations that could de-risk investment, unlock new financing mechanisms and reduce market friction to support the development of liquid, scalable carbon removal markets.
