Biochar currently dominates the carbon removal market as the most commercially advanced and widely deployed technology, according to the authors of the newly released report. While other high-tech solutions are still in their early stages, biochar leads in both the number of active projects and the actual volume of carbon dioxide successfully removed and sold to date.
The report states that “Biochar leads deployment, boasting the largest production volume and sales to date with a more distributed global presence, while technologies such as DAC and ERW are still in the earlier stages of scaling.” It further notes that “Biochar is the most commercially mature pathway, with the largest number of projects at commercial scale.”
In simple terms, biochar is a charcoal-like substance made from organic waste that stores carbon for long periods. It is currently the industry leader because it is cheaper to produce and easier to roll out globally compared to more complex, machine-based capture methods. Because the technology is already well-established, it is more predictable for investors and has already delivered significant amounts of carbon removal to buyers.
The white paper “Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies: Market Overview and Offtake” was published in March 2026 by the World Economic Forum in Geneva, Switzerland. Prepared in collaboration with Oliver Wyman and ClimeFi, the report maps the evolving financial structures, buyer profiles, and contractual frameworks scaling the global carbon removal industry.
