Cities are in a unique position to drive climate action and make City CDR (Carbon Dioxide Removal) a reality. With urban settlements responsible for ~70% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, cities play a crucial role in our urgent fight against climate change. Numerous cities have adopted ambitious net-zero strategies, but their carbon neutrality plans often lack precision over how their last-mile, residual emissions will be neutralized. CDR offers a way to actively mitigate emissions of CO2 causing global warming, achieve net- zero goals and eventually reduce the absolute concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, while generating a myriad of co-benefits.
This report explores the opportunity and challenges connected to City CDR and describes the different pathways of engagement for cities. It was developed as a guide and reference for cities to understand how carbon removal can play an integral role in achieving net-zero strategies. The report was developed by XPRIZE, South Pole and the Global Carbon Removal Partnership. C40 and the Global Covenant of Mayors are supporting partners for an emerging capacity building program to empower cities to advance CDR.