Excess carbon dioxide already exists in the atmosphere and in the oceans. This carbon dioxide has been dumped into the atmosphere by human industrial activity over the last 200 years. Part of this excess CO2 is absorbed by the oceans, changing ocean water chemistry and a part of it stays in the atmosphere, where it allows more heat to be trapped. All this creates a chain reaction of environmental effects that harm ecosystems, and as a result humans and economies all over the planet.
Carbon Dioxide Removal or CDR occurs when we capture and securely store this excess CO2 from the atmosphere or the oceans. CDR is successful when a CO2 molecule is removed and securely sequestered in a way that it never enters the carbon cycle again.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), globally we need to be removing 5-10 billion tonnes of CO2, every year, by mid-century to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
To meet California’s net-zero goals by 2045, California Air Resources Board (CARB) in its 2022 Scoping plan clearly identifies a target of 7 million tons of carbon dioxide removal annually by 2030 and 75 million tons annually by 2045.
California has been incorporating CDR into various policies and programs over the years. See chart below. Project 2030’s priority is to ensure California has a CDR-specific strategy to meet the targets set by California Air Resources Board (CARB) – 7 million tons of CDR annually by 2030 and 75 million tons of CDR annually by 2045. And that California creates smart CDR-focused policies to support safe, science-based CDR approaches that align with California’s climate goals and prioritize community engagement.
recent work
Blog: How California Can Seize Momentum to Advance Carbon Dioxide Removal
Following Governor Newsom’s veto of SB 643, in this blog post, Project 2030 and the World Resources Institute outline why decisive state investment in carbon removal is vital to meeting California’s 2030 and 2045 climate goals and highlight practical paths for funding and deployment.
SB 643 (Caballero) Carbon Dioxide Removal Purchase Program
CARB’s Scoping Plan 2022 sets targets for California to achieve 7 million tons of CDR by 2030 and 75 million tons of CDR annually by 2045. While there are some steps California has taken to support Direct Air Capture (DAC), as of 2025 no CDR-specific policy existed that supported the wide ranging array of CDR pathways and the scaling up we need to meet those targets.
SB 643, the Carbon Dioxide Removal Purchase Program, was introduced in 2025 by Senator Caballero. It garnered almost unanimous support from the legislature but it was ultimately vetoed by Governor Newsom for budgetary reasons.
Following were its salient features:
- Create a one-time $50 million competitive grant program, modeled after US DOE’s 2024 CDR Purchase Pilot Prize, for eligible carbon dioxide removal projects: direct air capture, biomass carbon removal and storage, enhanced mineralization, and marine CDR
- Drive deployment of grantee projects in California
- Prioritize grants to projects with strong community benefits plans and community engagement
- Require a 100% private sector match, doubling the impact of this program
By establishing a robust market signal to build CDR projects in California, the program was designed to help CDR companies access project financing and deliver high-quality, independently verified carbon dioxide removals, boosting market trust and even attracting new private-sector CDR buyers as net-zero commitments accelerate.
We continue to pursue opportunities to support the CDR economy in California.
Biomass Carbon Dioxide Removal in California
Project 2030 is working with the World Resources Institute (WRI) to research and study community engagement by Biomass CDR (BiCRS) projects. We aim to profile projects underway in California through stakeholder outreach to learn and highlight best practices that include local communities and provide co-benefits.
CDR EducatiON & Outreach
Project 2030 creates opportunities for shared learning by bringing together experts, practitioners, community organizations, regulators, policymakers, and staff together. We develop standalone events such as in-person events, legislative briefings, webinars or participate along with our partners, for instance, creating a CDR specific panel during a conference.
Go Deeper
