The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) had made clear that reaching net-zero would require the removal of up to 10 billion tonnes of CO₂ per year by 2050. Yet by 2024, removals stood at just 2 billion tonnes annually—and only a fraction of that came from highly durable, permanent methods.

The 2024 Negative Emissions Summit, hosted by the Negative Emissions Platform in partnership with Microsoft, brought together leading voices from government, industry, and research to examine how permanent carbon removals can be scaled in line with EU climate targets. The programme focused on four core themes: national efforts to include carbon removal in climate planning, the integration of CDR into existing industrial systems, growing and securing demand, and Europe’s competitiveness and leadership in the global carbon removal market.

Speakers addressed challenges such as fragmented policy, limited market incentives, and the need for long-term public support—while highlighting the opportunities offered by emerging business models, procurement strategies, and large-scale demonstration funding. The event served as a working meeting for those focused on building out the policy frameworks, infrastructure, and demand signals needed to make permanent removals a viable part of Europe's climate response.