Carbon Business Council and Emerald Climate Launch APACdr Initiative to Advance Asia-Pacific Carbon Removal Leadership
Singapore, February 25 2026 – The Carbon Business Council (CO2BC) and Emerald Climate have launched Asia-Pacific Carbon Dioxide Removal (APACdr), a new regional initiative designed to accelerate the responsible scale-up of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) across Asia-Pacific.
Home to more than 60 percent of the world’s population and approximately half of global emissions, Asia-Pacific will play a decisive role in shaping the future of carbon removal. Technical capability, financial expertise, and project development capacity are expanding across the region. The next phase of progress, however, depends on coordinated demand signals, regulatory clarity, and institutional adoption.
APACdr is a Singapore-anchored working group convening policymakers, financial institutions, corporate buyers, project developers, and civil society leaders to align on practical pathways to scale carbon removal. The inaugural session in January 2026 brought together 26 organizations spanning financial institutions, multinational corporations, carbon project developers, ratings agencies, and non-profit organizations, reflecting broad regional engagement and cross-sector commitment.
Throughout 2026, APACdr will focus on the financial and policy architecture required to drive the scaling of carbon removal markets, including:
Portfolio-based procurement models
Blended pricing mechanisms
Demand aggregation approaches
Integration with global carbon markets
Educating regional stakeholders about carbon removal
The initiative builds on the Carbon Business Council’s growing footprint in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2025, the organization co-convened regional events and contributed thought leadership in The Business Times, highlighting APAC’s growing influence in carbon removal. APACdr will further strengthen this engagement through the development of a regional Carbon Removal Policy Primer and recurring APACdr working group sessions.
During Ecosperity Week, the coalition will host the APACdr Summit, a dedicated forum examining policy design, financial instruments, and procurement frameworks necessary to scale high-integrity CDR across the region. The working group is led by Ben Rubin and Pauline Wray. Pauline leads Emerald Climate and brings more than 20 years of experience as a founder, strategist, and advisor to ventures across climate and finance. Ben is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Carbon Business Council.
APACdr provides a structured platform to align capital, policy, and market demand at a pivotal moment for climate strategy in Asia-Pacific, positioning the region to lead in building a durable and competitive carbon removal sector.
About the Carbon Business Council
The Carbon Business Council (CO2BC) is a coalition representing more than 100 carbon management organizations across all major pathways who are united to build a more prosperous planet. Our coalition accelerates market development across sectors and continents through ecosystem building, policy engagement, and public affairs. For further information: Info@CarbonBusinessCouncil.org.
About Emerald Climate
Emerald Climate is a Singapore-based advisory service shaping Asia-Pacific into a global hub for carbon removal. By linking buyers, suppliers, investors, and policymakers, Emerald Climate accelerates innovation across carbon markets, turning climate mitigation into a driver of growth. For further information: hello@emeraldclimate.co.
