# Scaling Carbon Dioxide Removal: Unlocking Finance and Market Infrastructure

A call for solutions that make carbon removal projects bankable, investable and scalable by addressing key bottlenecks across the carbon dioxide removal ecosystem, including project financing, risk management and market infrastructure.

[Apply here](https://airtable.com/appsFBIGbsIoDmcsY/pagkJAsz9nehFOg9M/form?prefill_%5BLR%5D%20Challenges=Scaling%20Carbon%20Dioxide%20Removal%3A%20Unlocking%20Finance%20and%20Market%20Infrastructure&hide_Airtable%20Record%20ID=true)


## Overview

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) will be essential to achieving global net-zero targets. Scientific consensus indicates that several gigatonnes of durable carbon removal will be required annually by mid-century to address residual emissions. While early corporate demand for carbon removal credits is emerging, the sector remains highly constrained by limited access to capital and immature market structures. Many promising CDR technologies require significant upfront investment, yet project developers struggle to secure financing due to uncertain revenue streams, fragmented procurement systems, a lack of robust measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems, and the absence of coherent, standardized project finance models and quality standards.The Scaling Carbon Dioxide Removal: Unlocking Finance and Market Infrastructure Challenge, led by UpLink in collaboration with the World Economic Forum’s First Movers Coalition Initiative, responds to the urgent need to scale high-quality carbon removal. It mobilizes early-stage solutions that build trust in supply, strengthen transparency and reduce information asymmetry, while enabling robust MRV systems. The Challenge also focuses on innovations that de-risk investments, unlock new financing mechanisms and reduce market friction to enable liquid, scalable carbon removal markets. This Challenge is part of the UpLink Innovation Challenge Series – Spring 2026, a global call for early-stage solutions ready to move from innovation to real-world deployment at scale, shaping the markets, industries and systems of tomorrow.


## Focus areas


### Technology, MRV andquality infrastructure

Ensuring the credibility, transparency and integrity of carbon removal supply by enabling robust measurement, verification and performance tracking across projects and pathways, including through advanced MRV systems, digital monitoring (e.g. satellites, AI, sensors), lifecycle emissions accounting and credit quality and risk assessment tools.


### Financial and risk  infrastructure

Unlocking and scaling private capital by structuring bankable investment opportunities, reducing perceived and real risks, and aligning financial returns with long-term carbon delivery, including through blended finance, project aggregation, insurance and guarantees and carbon contracts for difference (CCfDs).


### Market platforms, demand and contracting infrastructure

Strengthening market functioning by aggregating demand, standardizing transactions and improving price discovery to enable scalable participation across buyers, investors and developers, including through demand aggregation platforms, marketplaces, contract standardization tools and price transparency solutions.


## Selection criteria


## Frequently Asked Questions

*Common questions and answers*


### Submit your solution

Submission period: 22 April - 29 June

[Apply here](https://airtable.com/appsFBIGbsIoDmcsY/pagkJAsz9nehFOg9M/form?prefill_%5BLR%5D%20Challenges=Scaling%20Carbon%20Dioxide%20Removal%3A%20Unlocking%20Finance%20and%20Market%20Infrastructure&hide_Airtable%20Record%20ID=true)


## Benefits for selected UpLink Ventures

Approximately 10 submissions will be selected as winners, recognized as UpLink Ventures and join the World Economic Forum's community, benefiting from:


### Access

Participation in select World Economic Forum and partner-led events, projects, and communities.


### Visibility

Global exposure via the Forum’s and UpLink’s digital media channels.


## Challenge timeline


## Timeline

*Chronological events and milestones*


## In collaboration with the World Economic Forum's First Movers Coalition Initiative


### Ecosystem partners


## Members

*Browse and filter community members*