Climeworks has published a comprehensive market report examining the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) sector across North America, highlighting the region’s position as the global frontrunner in both total CDR volume and financial value. Released ahead of Climate Week NYC, the report evaluates shifting buyer participation, technological distribution, and key regulatory catalysts across the United States and Canada.

The analysis indicates that the North American CDR market is entering a new phase of maturation despite broader geopolitical and economic uncertainties. Buyer engagement is diversifying across sectors—led by technology and software firms, followed by banking, finance, entertainment, and professional services—while corporate procurement strategies increasingly prioritize high-integrity credits, local co-benefits, and stringent standards such as Core Carbon Principles (CCP)-approved credits. According to Climeworks, tightening quality requirements suggest that future carbon removal supply may be more constrained than many buyers anticipate, reinforcing the need for organizations to proactively develop carbon removal portfolios.

Historically, the region’s total historical CDR volume has been dominated by bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and reforestation, each accounting for over 10 million metric tons sold since 2019. These pathways are supplemented by a diverse pipeline of emerging technologies, including direct air capture (DAC), biocharBiochar is a carbon-rich material created from biomass decomposition in low-oxygen conditions. It has important applications in environmental remediation, soil improvement, agriculture, carbon sequestration, energy storage, and sustainable materials, promoting efficiency and reducing waste in various contexts while addressing climate change challenges. More, enhanced weathering, marine carbon removal, mineral carbonation, and alkalinity enhancement.

Market growth continues to be supported by key regional policy frameworks, notably the 45Q tax credit and California Cap & Invest in the United States, alongside the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Investment Tax Credit (CCUS ITC) in Canada. These mechanisms provide long-term fiscal clarity that underpins project financing and deployment across North American carbon markets.