Carbon Removal Standards Initiative

The Challenge:

Carbon removal is essential for addressing climate change, but without strong standards, we won’t know when carbon has truly been removed. Done well, carbon removal can help us avoid the worst harms of warming and be a necessary complement to decarbonization. However, without trust and accountability, the field will stall and not reach its climate potential.

Right now, the rules governing carbon removal are being written. But financial incentives often conflict with the public good—companies looking to profit have every reason to push for weak standards. Meanwhile, policymakers, regulators, and NGOs are navigating a complex and rapidly evolving field—often without access to the independent, science-based expertise needed to ensure effective standards. Without clear, science-based policies, we risk investing in solutions that don’t work or, worse, cause new harm.

What Can Be Done:

For carbon removal to be a legitimate climate solution, it must be governed by science and accountability. Policies should answer key questions: How much CO₂ is actually being removed? For how long? Who benefits, and who bears the risks? Without clear answers, carbon removal can’t be effective.

This is bigger than technology—it’s about trust. Carbon removal must serve the public good, not just private interests. That means preventing greenwashing, ensuring communities have a voice, and embedding climate justice at the core of policy decisions.

Policymakers and regulators will play a central role in shaping the future of carbon removal, but they need independent, science-backed expertise to get it right.

How the Carbon Removal Standards Initiative is Meeting the Challenge:

The Carbon Removal Standards Initiative (CRSI) ensures that carbon removal is effective, equitable, and held to the highest standards.

CRSI provides technical guidance to policymakers, NGOs, and regulators to shape strong carbon removal policies that are transparent, measurable, and accountable. Our work focuses on:

• Developing rigorous quantification standards to measure carbon removal accurately.
• Tailoring policies across agriculture, heavy industry, and waste management to maximize climate and other benefits.
• Bridging the gap between scientists, policymakers, and communities to ensure carbon removal serves the public good.

CRSI is keenly aware that carbon removal policy in the coming years will determine whether this industry becomes another missed opportunity or delivers real climate benefits. We’re making sure those policies are built for impact—doing our part to realize a carbon removal industry that is transparent, accountable, and worthy of public investment.