Carbon180 Releases Federal Policy Roadmap to Scale Technology-Based Carbon Removal

Climate NGO Carbon180 has released a new federal policy roadmap calling on U.S. lawmakers to act now on scaling technology-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR). Titled Scaling Technology-Based CDR: A U.S. Federal Policy Roadmap, the June 2026 report outlines a coordinated set of legislative, administrative, and procurement recommendations designed to help the country reach 30 megatons of CO2 removed per year by 2030.

The roadmap arrives at a critical moment. The report notes that over $5 billion in previously appropriated carbon management funding remains unspent, while technology development is advancing faster than the policy systems needed to support it. Carbon180 argues that without coordinated federal action, the U.S. risks losing its early global lead in an industry estimated to be worth between $300 billion and $1.2 trillion over the next 30 years.

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Four Enabling Conditions

The roadmap is organized around four conditions that must advance in parallel for the sector to grow responsibly. The first is boosting research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D). The report recommends amending the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to restructure the Regional Direct Air Capture Hubs program, reducing the per-hub capture requirement from 1 million tons of CO2 per year to 100,000 tons and expanding the number of hubs to at least eight. It also calls for restoring the Carbon Removal R&D Program budget to at least $158 million in FY2027, up from $71.5 million in FY2026.

The second condition is infrastructure. With 200 Class VI injection wells currently awaiting permit approval, the roadmap urges Congress to increase annual funding for the EPA's Class VI permitting program beyond the current $5 million baseline. It also recommends reauthorizing the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and completing a CO2 pipeline safety rulemaking that was withdrawn in January 2025.

Creating Demand and Strengthening Standards

The third area is durable markets. The report points to a fragile demand picture: Microsoft alone accounted for over 90% of total carbon removal purchases in 2025 and announced in April 2026 that it was pausing those purchases. To address this, Carbon180 recommends enacting a federal CDR purchasing program and expanding the 45Q tax credit by creating a 40% investment tax credit for direct air capture and related CO2 transport and storage infrastructure.

The fourth pillar is measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification (MMRV). With at least 139 different MMRV protocols identified across CDR pathways, the roadmap calls for establishing an interagency task force to evaluate and certify pathway-specific standards. It also recommends a federal advisory committee on responsible deployment to ensure affected communities have a seat at the table from the outset.

A Call for Coordinated Action

Carbon180 frames the roadmap as a portfolio approach, noting that no single policy or technology will be sufficient on its own. The report identifies existing statutory authority and unspent funds that can be deployed without new legislation, making several recommendations actionable in the near term.

"The decisions the U.S. makes over the next two to three years will determine whether this country leads or follows in ensuring a safe climate scenario for decades to come," the report states.

The roadmap covers durable CDR pathways including direct air capture, biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS), and enhanced mineralization, as well as enabling infrastructure for CO2 transport and geologic storage. The full report is available on the Carbon180 website.