Global Progress, Local Impact: Carbon Removal at COP30
When global climate talks begin in Belém, Brazil this November, attention will turn to how countries can move from commitments to implementation. COP30, the 2025 United Nations annual climate conference, will bring together governments, businesses, and civil society to discuss the next steps for putting national climate plans into practice.
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is emerging as a key part of that discussion, including in negotiations that will take place about Article VI of the Paris Agreement, which sets a framework for global carbon markets.
For the first time, the conference will include a Carbon Dioxide Removal Pavilion called CDR30, creating space for conversations on how these approaches can complement emissions reductions, support regional economic development, and other co-benefits.
The Carbon Business Council team and many of our coalition members will be in Belém throughout COP30, sharing updates and insights from across the carbon removal field. We’re highlighting key carbon removal themes at COP30 that we’re tracking.
For media inquiries or to connect with experts on the ground or remotely, contact info@carbonbusinesscouncil.org.
A Moment for Implementation
As the world moves from setting targets to delivering on them, countries are exploring how carbon removal can complement emissions reductions, particularly in sectors that are harder to fully decarbonize, such as aviation, construction, and agriculture.
National discussions on what’s most needed to reach net zero inherently include conversations about carbon removal. Many in the carbon removal community are watching for progress on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, the section that enables international carbon trading and could unlock new funding for removals. Removals are expected to surface in negotiations around Article 6.2 and 6.4 of the Paris Agreement, as countries work to operationalize international carbon markets.
Several governments are also expected to use COP30 to highlight new or updated national climate commitments and growing international collaboration around carbon removal, including through the Group of Negative Emitters (GONE), a coalition of countries pledging to reach net zero with the help of carbon removal.
At COP30, partners are expected to rally around a global 2030 goal for carbon removal, aiming to scale carbon removal in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The effort is focused on practical integration, bringing together governments, companies, and investors to expand projects and integrate carbon removal into climate plans this decade.
CDR’s Role in the COP Action Agenda
For the first time, carbon dioxide removal (CDR) will be formally included in the COP Action Agenda, a key framework that embeds carbon removal directly into the official UN climate process. The 2025 Action Agenda, led by the Brazilian Presidency, focuses on near-term implementation, prioritizing tangible action and partnerships over the next three to five years.
CDR initiatives will be featured under the objectives for hard-to-abate sectors and agriculture and food systems, highlighting how removals can complement industrial and land-based decarbonization.
This first-ever inclusion of CDR in the COP Action Agenda signals growing global recognition that reaching climate goals will require not only deep emissions reductions but also the responsible scale-up of carbon removal.
Regional Leadership in Latin America
With COP30 hosted in Brazil, the conference will also highlight the region’s growing potential to be a carbon removal leader. From biochar that enriches soils to mineralization projects that lock away carbon in rock, initiatives across the region are connecting climate goals with local development. During an event hosted at the CDR30 Pavilion, the Carbon Business Council and its partners will share new insights on carbon removal deployment in the region and explore how local innovation can inform global approaches. The session will be held on Thursday, November 13 at 15:30. Register here.
Shifts in Global Investment
As some countries step back from climate leadership, others are moving forward. Investment in CDR is expanding across regions, from Latin America to Europe and Asia, as companies pilot new projects and build a more globally distributed field.
This global rebalancing underscores the need for stable frameworks that support innovation and ensure projects can move forward responsibly, wherever they’re based.
As countries refine how international cooperation and climate finance work in practice, investment in carbon removal is beginning to reflect regional priorities and drive new forms of collaboration.
Responsible Scaling
Throughout the week, many discussions will focus on how to scale carbon removal responsibly and inclusively. Projects led by Indigenous communities, smallholder farmers, and local innovators are demonstrating how carbon removal can align with community priorities and strengthen regional economies.
Multiple COP30 sessions - including those at the CDR30 Pavilion - will explore how removals are being deployed across communities and regions, highlighting Global South leadership and the need for environmental and social safeguards.
Efforts to develop shared standards, verification methods, and governance frameworks are helping to ensure carbon removal contributes meaningfully to both climate goals and local development.
