As Europe pushes toward its ambitious climate neutrality goals, the continent is facing a critical challenge: how to permanently remove enough carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to not only halt but reverse the effects of climate change. According to recent reports published by DG CLIMA, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate Action, the answer may lie in a combination of innovative policy, strategic investment, and a renewed focus on the health of the land itself.
Permanent carbon dioxide removal (CDR) has become a central pillar in Europe’s roadmap to net-zero emissions. Yet, as DG CLIMA’s new research makes clear, the current demand for CDR lags far behind what’s needed for large-scale deployment. This shortfall isn’t just a matter of technology—it’s about creating the right incentives and building a market robust enough to drive meaningful change.
To bridge this gap, DG CLIMA is actively exploring the creation of an EU-wide purchasing programme for permanent CDR. The idea is simple in principle but complex in execution: by guaranteeing a buyer for removal credits, the EU could encourage investment, accelerate technological progress, and help member states meet their climate targets. The recently published report, An EU Purchasing Programme for Permanent Carbon Removals: Assessment of Policy Options and Recommendations for Short-term Policy Design, delves into the nuts and bolts of how such a programme might work between 2025 and 2030.
The report recommends that the EU should not limit itself to buying a single type of removal credit. Instead, it suggests strategically purchasing a mix of credits—ranging from direct air capture to enhanced weathering and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. This approach, the report argues, would not only help scale up emerging technologies but also foster market efficiency by supporting a diverse ecosystem of solutions.
Funding, as always, is a sticking point. The report advocates for a blend of public and private investment, drawing on the EU budget, contributions from individual member states, and private sector funding. By linking the purchasing programme to established initiatives like the Innovation Fund, the EU could streamline processes and boost the programme’s appeal to a broader range of stakeholders.
These recommendations are not being developed in a vacuum. On May 21, 2025, DG CLIMA convened a workshop titled “Perspectives on a Purchasing Programme for CRCF Permanent Carbon Removal Credits.” Stakeholders from across the climate, energy, and finance sectors gathered to discuss what motivates investment in CDR and what’s needed for the EU initiative to succeed. According to the workshop summary, participants stressed the importance of clear policy signals, reliable funding streams, and robust measurement standards to build confidence in the market.
But policy and finance are only one side of the coin. As DG CLIMA’s two additional reports highlight, Europe’s current CDR landscape is a patchwork of promising projects and persistent hurdles. The report Carbon Removals in the EU: Review of Current Carbon Removal Projects and Early-stage Financing offers a sweeping overview of the technologies in play, the costs involved, and the barriers to deployment. It maps both existing and planned projects up to 2035, painting a picture of a sector on the cusp of transformation—if the right support materializes.
The third report, Carbon Removals in the EU: Assessment of Existing EU Funding Programmes and New Funding Models to Increase Carbon Removal Supply, takes a closer look at how current EU funding mechanisms, such as the Innovation Fund and Horizon Europe, are supporting CDR companies. It also explores innovative funding models that could help early-stage projects get off the ground, from blended finance to public-private partnerships. The message is clear: unlocking the full potential of CDR will require both fresh capital and creative thinking.
While these high-level strategies play out in Brussels, the conversation about carbon, soil, and health is taking on a distinctly human dimension in the American Midwest. Science writer and public speaker Anne Bikle is set to visit Decorah, Iowa, for a pair of public events on September 8 and 9, 2025, as part of her nine-day journey through midwestern farms and organizations focused on the intricate relationship between soil and human health.
Bikle, whose books What Your Food Ate and The Hidden Half of Nature (both co-authored with geologist David Montgomery) have garnered national attention, will kick off her visit with a book reading and signing at Pulpit Rock Brewing Company. The event, hosted by the Oneota Valley Literary Foundation, promises to bring together community members eager to explore the vital links between agriculture, soil, and food.
“Anne Bikle’s work elevates attention to global soil degradation and the essential connections between the health of the soil microbiota and the rest of the living world,” said Jodni Enos Berlage, a biology professor at Luther College and the driving force behind Bikle’s visit. “One could argue that there is no greater motivator for caring for the soil than seeing this act through the lens of our own health.”
The following evening, Bikle will present “Linking Soil Health to Food Health” at Luther College’s Center for Faith and Life. The event, part of the series “The Ground We Share: Conversations on Soil, Food and Health,” will feature a dance performance by the Luther College Orchesis and interactive exhibits on soil, food, and health. The discussion will continue with a panel and audience Q&A, featuring a diverse lineup of experts: 2024 Iowa Aldo Leopold Conservation Award Winner Wendy Johnson, award-winning farmer Robby Jewell, organic farmer Carly Zierke, physician assistant Jake Larkin, and nutrition advocate Erin Meyer.
“By including vegetable, livestock, and commodity farmers on the same stage as human health care professionals,” Enos Berlage noted, “we are intentionally recognizing all as health care providers – and providing the audience with a rare opportunity to engage with this span of health contributors simultaneously.”
The events, sponsored by Luther College’s Center for Ethics and Public Engagement and the Regenerating Soil and Community Project, are free to the public and underscore a growing recognition: the health of our climate, our land, and ourselves are inextricably linked.
As Europe weighs new models for carbon removal and communities in the U.S. dig into the roots of soil health, the message is unmistakable. Tackling climate change and building a sustainable future will demand both sweeping policy changes and grassroots engagement. Whether in the corridors of the European Commission or the fields of Iowa, the path to a healthier planet runs straight through the ground beneath our feet.
