CO2-removal News

Peer-reviewed Publications

Wang et al. (2026): Are different configurations of pilot-scale constructed wetlands carbon sources or carbon sinks?

Yichu Wang, Hao Qin, Tao Liu, Tao Lang, Sihan Li, Zihang Zhang, Shuhao He and Yi Chen, IN: Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-026-2158-0

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are gaining recognition as important carbon sinks, subject to factors such as system design and vegetation. However, the effect of configuration on carbon emissions in CWs remains inadequately understood. Three configurations of CWs, free-water surface flow (FWS), horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF), and vertical subsurface flow (VSSF), were constructed to assess contaminant removal performance and carbon emissions.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Ma et al. (2026): Plastic shed horticulture can sequestrate more than expected soil organic carbon

Xiao Ma, Nazim Gruda, Kang Tian, Liying Wang, Ziliang Zhang, Ying Tang, Xun Li, Zengqiang Duan and Jinlong Dong,IN: Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2026.110274

The high organic input rates and expanding coverage of China’s plastic shed horticulture suggest these soils represent a significant potential organic carbon pool. Using meta-analysis (22,403 plastic-sheds and 261 studies), the authors assessed soil organic matter (SOM) storage in plastic shed soils (0–20 cm depth) in China, and projected global organic carbon stocks.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Brander et al. (2026): Clarifying what is meant by greenhouse gas ‘removals’ and categorising types of ‘removal-related activities’

Matthew Brander, Derik Broekhoff and Maurice Bryson, IN: Climate Policy, https://doi.org/10.1080/17583004.2026.2625956

There is broad recognition that removals of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) will be required for counter-balancing emissions from hard-to-abate sectors to achieve net zero, and will also be necessary in the increasingly likely event of an emissions overshoot in order to return atmospheric concentrations of GHGs and temperature change below target levels. However, the term “removal” is open to imprecise usage, which is likely to result in confusion over which activities policy-makers, investors and carbon credit buyers wish to support, and what project developers and technology providers actually deliver. This commentary paper aims to clarify what is meant by “removals” by analysing the definitions from prominent sources and by proposing a precise definition of the term.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Buesseler et al. (2026): The case for ocean iron fertilization field trials

Ken O. Buesseler, Daniele Bianchi, […], and Joo-Eun Yoon, IN: Ocean-Based Climate Solutions, https://doi.org/10.1177/29768659261420631

Solving the climate-ocean crisis requires both cutting emissions and pursuing carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Past ocean iron fertilization (OIF) experiments in some parts of the ocean have shown that small additions of iron can enhance phytoplankton growth and CO₂ drawdown. However, prior experiments did not assess the efficacy, durability, or feasibility of OIF for CDR, and broader ecological and biogeochemical responses were not evaluated given the short duration and limited spatial scales. The next generation of OIF field trials must be larger (ca. 1000 km²) and longer (>3–6 months) to observe the full response and return to baseline conditions. Potential risks will be assessed, while using community engagement and co-design to create go/no-go decision points. Planning and extrapolating impacts on regional and global scales will require modeling, with the overall goal to provide unbiased assessments and open-source protocols that can guide responsible and rigorous decision-making for any further OIF.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

te Pas et al. (2026): Enhanced weathering and biochar co-deployment boosts CO₂ sequestration through changing soil properties

Emily E.E.M. te Pas, Rob N.J. Comans, Sarai Bisseling and Mathilde Hagens, IN: Geoderma, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117668

Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) and biochar are potentially effective and scalable options for large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR), required to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 °C. Here the authors present experimental data on their co-deployment, an urgent and novel research direction that may render even larger CDR on multiple timescales.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Samanta et al. (2026): Sequestration of Carbon to Acquire Carbon Credit and Minimization of Potent Greenhouse Gases

Kousik Samanta, Madhurima Banik and Aminul Islam, IN: Environment and Ecology, https://doi.org/10.60151/envec/IOTI5134

The escalating global population, coupled with increased urbanization and industrialization, is placing immense strain on natural resources and exacerbating climate change through greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Primary sources of these emissions include the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and intensive agricultural practices, all of which release significant quantities of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O). Soil organic carbon (SOC), representing the largest terrestrial carbon reservoir, is crucial in climate change mitigation as it sequesters atmospheric carbon. This study aims to assess the capacity of soil carbon sequestration and carbon credit mechanisms to reduce GHG emissions, enhance soil health, and foster sustainable agriculture.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Bellussi et al. (2026): Scale-Consistent Adsorption Model for Polymer-Based Adsorbents in Direct Air Capture

Francesco Maria Bellussi, Paweł P. Ziemiański, Ilia I. Sadykov, Sandra Galmarini and Florian Kiefer, IN: ChemRxiv, https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv.10001665/v1

Energy-efficient and cost-effective Direct Air Capture of CO₂ is considered key for carbon dioxide removal and carbon capture and utilization. However, separating CO₂ from air is inherently challenging due to its low concentration and fluctuating humidity levels. Polymer-based chemisorbents combine good selectivity and capacity and are currently regarded as state-of-the-art benchmark materials. Nevertheless, their complex interactions with water complicate both experimental characterization and predictive modeling. The authors introduce a modeling framework that combines flexibility in contactor geometry and accurate reproduction of the physical phenomena observed for the amine-functionalized resin Lewatit VP OC 1065 under varying humidity conditions

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Katre et al. (2026): A review on geochemical carbon dioxide removal potential of mafic and ultramafic rocks in India

Shreya Katre, K. Ravi and Archana M. Nair, IN: Earth-Science Reviews, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2026.105419

Scalable geochemical Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) technologies are essential for limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. These technologies capture and permanently store atmospheric CO₂ as carbonates using alkaline substrates such as mafic and ultramafic rocks rich in calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) minerals. This study is the first to comprehensively map and assess the significant geological resources of India for geochemical CDR.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Pierzchalski (2026): Wood and Wood-Based Products in Construction: Carbon Sequestration, Emissions and End-of-Life Scenarios

Michał Pierzchalski, IN: Drewno – Wood, https://doi.org/10.53502/wood-209238

This paper examines the climate impacts of using wood and wood-based products in construction, focusing on their carbon sequestration potential, life cycle emissions, and end-of-life scenarios. The analysis is based on Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and scientific literature, in accordance with LCA standards such as EN 15804 and ISO 14040. Three forest management strategies—long-rotation forestry, short-rotation plantations, and continuous cover forestry—are compared in terms of their carbon storage efficiency.

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Peer-reviewed Publications

Zhou et al. (2026): Grazer exclusion is associated with higher fast-cycling carbon pools but lower slow-cycling mineral-associated carbon across grasslands

Luhong Zhou, Shangshi Liu, Maarten Schrama, Deborah Ashworth and Richard D. Bardgett, IN: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2512048123

The removal of livestock grazers from historically grazed grasslands is widely proposed as a key strategy for the enhancement of soil organic carbon (SOC) for climate mitigation. Yet, accurate assessments of how grazer exclusion impacts SOC pools of differing stability are lacking, with most studies focusing on total SOC rather than the distribution of SOC within fast and more stable, slow-cycling pools. Here, the authors used 12 historically grazed grassland sites along an 800 km south–north gradient across the United Kingdom to test how particulate (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) pools were linked to long-term (>10 y) exclusion of large domesticated grazers.

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