New Report and Resources Equip Tribal Nations to Navigate Growing Carbon Removal Industry

A new suite of resources from the Supporting Tribal Sovereignty in Carbon Removal initiative supports Tribal Nations as they assess whether and how carbon dioxide removal may serve their environmental, cultural, and economic priorities.

The Supporting Tribal Sovereignty in Carbon Removal initiative released today a new suite of resources to support Tribal Nations in the United States as they navigate the growing carbon dioxide removal (CDR) industry. The initiative was formed in 2025 by Partnerships for Tribal Carbon Solutions, the Indigenous Greenhouse Gas Removal Commission, the Carbon Business Council, and the Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal at American University to help Tribes and Indigenous communities assess whether and how carbon removal might serve their environmental, cultural, and economic priorities.

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Tribal Nations across the U.S. face the climate crisis on the front lines, often bearing its severest impacts. Scaling CDR to the levels determined necessary by climate models raises important questions around land use, socio-environmental impacts, infrastructure, governance, and long-term stewardship. These questions are increasingly relevant for Tribes as proposed projects intersect with lands and waters under their jurisdiction, and with long-standing priorities of sovereignty, stewardship, and self-determination. These resources are designed to ensure that decisionmaking about CDR reflects Tribal priorities, values and goals.

The main report, Supporting Tribal Sovereignty in Carbon Dioxide Removal: A Report and Resource Guide, centers Tribal Nations as climate leaders and strategic partners in shaping the future of the CDR sector, and how Tribal ownership and governance is critical to project outcomes. Developed with insight from Tribal representatives at each stage of its development, the report explores what CDR at scale could mean for Tribal lands and resources, examines ownership models, and draws on case studies across diverse projects and geographies. The report also includes evaluation questions for proposed projects and discussion prompts to support Tribes' internal decision making.

“This report was written for Tribal leaders and their teams — the individuals who will sit across the table from CDR developers, evaluate proposals, and consider whether to lead and own projects themselves,” said Fawn Sharp, president of the Indigenous Greenhouse Gas Removal Commission, in the report’s Foreword. “It provides a foundation for making those decisions on Tribal terms, with a clear understanding of the current landscape.”

Alongside the main report, the initiative released two related, supporting resources: 

• Guardrails and Considerations for CDR Project Developers Engaging With Tribes helps project developers and their partners understand Tribal sovereignty and U.S. policy frameworks, and build more informed approaches to engaging with Tribal and Indigenous communities.

• Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal and Tribal Interests and Rights: a Reference Guide provides an overview of mCDR approaches and the avenues available to Tribes to protect their rights. The guide is designed to reduce the legal burden for Tribes pursuing, evaluating, or commenting on mCDR projects.

“The CDR sector will grow at a scale that is difficult to fully grasp,” said Sharp. “Our responsibility is to ensure that future generations inherit not only the consequences of that growth but meaningful roles in shaping it as the next stewards of this knowledge and these systems.”

About the Initiative

Partnerships for Tribal Carbon Solutions is a research and capacity-building initiative to support Tribal Nations in the United States interested in understanding carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and what it may mean for them. The Indigenous Greenhouse Gas Removal Commission, an Indigenous-led commission composed of Tribal leaders and senior decision-makers from across North America, was established in 2023 to coordinate learning and advance Indigenous leadership in carbon and greenhouse gas removal governance. 

The two organizations, in collaboration with the Carbon Business Council and the Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal at American University, launched the Supporting Tribal Sovereignty in Carbon Removal initiative in 2025. Its goal is to support Tribes in assessing whether and how carbon removal may serve their environmental, cultural, and economic priorities. The initiative is developing tools, resources, and convenings to foster dialogue, knowledge sharing, and responsible practices and amplify Tribal capacity to shape the CDR field.

Partnerships for Tribal Carbon Solutions (PTCS) is the largest program of the nonprofit organization Global Ocean Health. Created at the request of Tribal elders and leaders to help build Tribal capacity in this sector, the program also serves as a nonprofit launchpad for the Indigenous Greenhouse Gas Removal Commission. PTCS supports Tribes with research, education, network development, and strategic collaborations. 

Indigenous Greenhouse Gas Removal Commission (IGGRC) is a consortium of Tribal governments that serves as a collaborative hub for Tribes to assess, develop, and govern carbon removal approaches of their own choosing. 

The Carbon Business Council (CO2BC) is a coalition representing more than 100 carbon management organisations across all major carbon removal pathways who are united to build a more prosperous planet. Our coalition accelerates market development across sectors and continents through ecosystem building, policy engagement, and public affairs.

The Institute for Responsible Carbon Removal is an action-oriented research center with a mission to build a responsible, just, equitable, and democratic field of carbon removal. It was founded in 2018 in response to growing scientific and political attention to carbon removal technologies and practices.

Report and Supporting Materials

Access the main report and two companion resources released with this announcement.