Cynthia Giles, a senior advisor at the EPA, and Cary Coglianese, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, emphasize the necessity of ensuring that carbon savings claimed by projects accurately reflect actual emissions reductions in a recent editorial published in Science. They highlight a significant issue in which auditors, often selected and compensated by the organizations they evaluate, may produce results that favor those entities’ interests.
Noah McQueen, the director of science and innovation at Carbon180, points out the growing credibility risks within the carbon removal industry. In a LinkedIn post, he stated, “Growth matters, but growth without integrity isn’t growth at all.” In an interview, McQueen expressed that establishing and enforcing robust standards is essential for assuring that carbon removal projects deliver the promised climate benefits. He also noted the importance of gaining trust from local communities and mitigating any adverse environmental or health effects historically associated with industrial developments.
David Ho, a professor at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, argues for a more substantial governmental role in the carbon removal sector beyond mere financial subsidies. He advocates for a large-scale, international research initiative aimed at identifying effective and environmentally responsible methods for atmospheric carbon removal, paralleling this effort to a Manhattan Project focused on climate solutions.
Ho further states that historical climate polluters have a moral responsibility to invest in infrastructure for carbon capture and storage to address the disproportionate impacts of climate change on poorer nations. He argues that supporting these communities is essential, as they face the most severe consequences of climate change despite contributing the least to its causes.
Source: https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/10/24/1126478/whats-next-for-carbon-removal/