Join us for an exciting webinar that dives headfirst into the demand-side dynamics of the rapidly growing carbon removal (CDR) market.
This session brings together leading experts and major buyers of CDR credits to share insights, experiences, and expectations from the forefront of the industry.
The webinar kicks off with a keynote by Robert Höglund, CEO of marginal carbon AB, manager of the Milkywire Climate Transformation Fund and co-founder of the largest CDR open-data platform CDR.fyi,.
The panel discussion will shed light on the demand side perspective of carbon removal, including major buyers, and will be followed by an open Q&A session.
Don’t miss this chance to learn more about the perspective of CDR businesses and engage with experts in the field.
UPTAKE Webinar on Diving into the demand side of Carbon Dioxide Removal credits.
September 2025 | Organized by PIK | 58 participants
Keynote speaker: Robert Höglund (marginal carbon AB, CDR.fyi)
Panelists: Dr. Meera Atreya (Carbon Direct), Magnus Drewelies (CEEZER)
Key takeaways
Demand for durable CDR is growing quickly but remains concentrated, with Microsoft dominating purchases.
BECCS is scaling fastest, while biochar is the most in-demand option for unique purchases.
Buyers need trust and transparency: robust MRV and unimpeachable credit quality are essential to unlock broader demand.
Forward demand is strong (about $6 billion in long-term contracts), yet regulatory clarity is still lacking.
Public buyers, such as the EU or Germany, could bridge the gap until compliance markets are established.
Although demand for CDR is rising, it is unlikely to be sufficient to meet the required amounts to reach climate targets, highlighting the need for compliance markets.
Even though the VCM has often had a bad reputation, there are several things to be learnt from its operation for the design of compliance markets.
Summary of keynote
Robert Höglund opened the session with an overview of demand trends in durable CDR. While total market volumes are rising, the number of buyers and deals is growing slowly, leaving demand concentrated among a few corporations. The technology and finance sectors currently lead purchases. Among technologies, BECCS is scaling fastest, while biochar has become the most sought-after option for unique purchases. Robert stressed that without policy frameworks covering hard-to-abate emissions, CDR risks remaining marginal in climate policy.
Panel discussion and Q&A
Dr. Meera Atreya (Carbon Direct) explained how her team of 78 scientists helps buyers de-risk investments by ensuring credits represent real and measurable removals. She emphasized that CDR represented only 4% of the voluntary carbon market in 2024, far behind what climate goals require. For policymakers, she emphasized that only a robust credit quality will build the trust needed to expand demand.
Magnus Drewelies (CEEZER) presented how platforms and technology support buyers in aligning credit portfolios with net-zero targets through the CEEZER Prism risk framework. He highlighted that CDR forward sales already total about $6 billion in long-term agreements, with biochar dominating volumes and around 60% of investment going into hybrid technologies. Despite this momentum, Magnus noted that uncertainty persists over how credits count toward corporate targets, underlining the need for clearer regulation.
In the broader discussion, all panelists stressed that trust, transparency, and strong MRV standards are crucial to unlock demand. Voluntary markets face a collective action problem: early movers need recognition before compliance markets can take over. Public buyers, such as the EU or Germany, could act as altruistic first movers. While frameworks like the CRCF are a start, they are not sufficient for a large-scale expansion of CDR. Co-benefits may enhance credit buyers’ interest, but financial additionality remains essential. Due to some concerns in the audience regarding the dominance of a few companies in the demand market for CDR, the panelists highlighted that Microsoft aims to go carbon negative by 2030, which they attributed to its market dominance. However, smaller buyers are catching up to gain expertise in the market, as they see a risk of having to comply with future regulations.
Main take-aways
Robert Höglund: The industry must find new ways of working to accelerate growth.
Magnus Drewelies: Promising private sector developments need to be scaled up through policy support and compliance markets.
Dr. Meera Atreya: Buyers should be more transparent in sharing their experiences to help newcomers navigate the market.
