Supercritical

Considering the constrained supply and pricing volatility of carbon removal (CDR), how you buy matters 👇 Here are the three main ways to purchase #CDR credits, their pros and cons, and how they fit into a robust carbon removal strategy: 1️⃣ Spot purchases Buying carbon credits “on the spot” for immediate delivery (and immediate impact). 💡 When to use it: • First-time buyers exploring carbon removal. • Businesses needing to “top up” to meet unexpected year-end shortfalls. ✅ Pros: • Immediate availability and verified impact. • Guaranteed prices at the time of purchase. ❌ Cons: • More expensive than other methods. • Limited supply, especially for larger purchases. • Prices fluctuate, which can complicate budget planning. 2️⃣ Forward purchases A single commitment to purchase credits in the future at a price set today (for near-term planning). 💡 When to use it: • For businesses with stable near-term emissions forecasts. • To secure credits for innovative new projects that aren’t yet operational. ✅ Pros: • Locked-in pricing protects against rising costs. • Ensures access to credits in a supply-constrained market. • Supports projects in development to drive innovation. ❌ Cons: • Risk of project failure or delays. • Price uncertainty – if costs drop, buyers may pay more than market value. 3️⃣ Offtake agreements A multi-year contract to purchase a fixed volume or percentage of supplier output (for your long-term strategy). 💡 When to use it: • For established businesses with mapped net-zero pathways. • To secure large volumes at lower prices over time. ✅ Pros: • Most cost-effective option for long-term needs. • Guarantees supply even as demand increases. • Provides predictability for budgeting and planning. • Supports suppliers in securing financing to scale new technologies. ❌ Cons: • Delivery risks from project delays or failures. • Requires significant upfront planning and visibility into future emissions. • Less flexibility to adapt to changing business needs. A balanced CDR portfolio blends all three purchasing mechanisms to manage costs and risks while ensuring adequate supply. For companies that are reasonably established and have confidence in their carbon forecasting, we typically see CDR volume allocated in the following way: 80% to offtakes 15% to forward purchases A maximum of 5% to spot purchases #CarbonRemoval #CDR

👀 For those who are paying attention, it’s clear there’s a sizable disconnect between the two sides of the carbon removal market. 💰 Buyers want affordability. 🛠 Suppliers need viability. This mismatch is a major risk for net zero commitments. 📉 Buyers who expect CDR prices to plummet may be in for a surprise. The cheapest removal options are selling out fast, and premium credits will only become more expensive as demand surges. 📈 Suppliers who assume economies of scale alone will lower costs might struggle to survive. Buyers won’t fund the entire R&D curve – suppliers need smarter pricing strategies and cost efficiencies. For CDR to scale, we must bridge this disconnect. Buyers need to move early and secure credits before scarcity drives up prices. Suppliers need to adapt to where the market is headed. The bottom line? Those waiting for the ‘perfect price’ may end up with no supply at all. #CDR #CarbonMarkets #NetZero

📣 London CDR workshop: Carbon removal for net zero We know cutting emissions is essential—but it’s not enough. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is the missing piece for net zero, and the world’s biggest climate leaders are already making their first moves. Join Tech Zero & Supercritical for a hands-on workshop where you’ll learn how to integrate high-quality carbon removal into your net zero strategy with confidence. 📆 Tuesday, 25th March 📍 Farringdon, London ⏰ 9:00 – 11:00 AM This interactive session will break down the science, showcase real-world case studies, and help you develop an actionable approach to CDR—no jargon, no sales pitches, just practical insights. 🔗 Register in the comments. #NetZero #CarbonRemoval #TechZero #ClimateAction

To hit net zero by 2050, the carbon removal market needs to scale 14,000x. We can’t rely on a single method to get there—we need multiple solutions at gigatonne scale. 🔍 Our Novel CDR supply briefing explores the state of cutting-edge carbon removal methods, including DACCS, BECCS, mineralization, and biomass storage. 💡 Key insights: • BECCS is dominating in volume but remains concentrated among a few key buyers. • DACCS is expensive but attracting strong investment due to its high permanence. • Mineralization is proving its credibility but suffers from market confusion. • Biomass storage is the most cost-effective, yet scale remains a challenge. The future of CDR is taking shape. Download the full report for more insights: https://lnkd.in/ev-UBB4X #CarbonRemoval #CDR #NetZero #BECCS #DACCS #Mineralization #BiomassStorage

Nature-based vs. engineered removals: why it’s not either/or 💡 🌱 Nature-based solutions (NBS) like afforestation and agroforestry have been the foundation of carbon removal for decades. They’re cost-effective, scalable today, and provide critical co-benefits like biodiversity restoration. ⚙️ On the other hand, engineered solutions like Direct Air Capture (DAC) are the poster child of permanent carbon removal. Locking away carbon for centuries or even millennia is the outcome we need to hit net zero. But now is not the time to be overly choosy about the permanence of CDR projects. We need to remove carbon right now. Don’t get us wrong – permanence matters. We’ve got to be honest about durability. If a tree dies and re-emits, its associated credit impact is negated. But #NBS are affordable and they’re delivering removals today. At Supercritical we’ve put a lot of thought into how NBS and engineered solutions can work together in a CDR strategy. 🌳 One approach we like is what we call the ‘tree-bridging’ credit. Here’s how it works: → For every permanent carbon credit you purchase (such as one delivered through DAC), you also purchase a tree-based (or other NBS) removals credit. → The NBS starts removing carbon now and continues to do so over the next 40 years. The tree credit (or similar) carries you up until the point when your DAC project gets up and running… → Effectively ‘tree-bridging’ the gap until your removal can be made permanent. A hybrid carbon credit portfolio is the most sensible way to deliver immediate and lasting impact. If you’re ready to build your carbon removal strategy, let’s talk.

We’re not even close to the gigaton-scale carbon removal (CDR) needed to meet the Paris Agreement’s goals. The problem is, supply can’t scale without committed buyers. And buyers are reluctant to commit due to high costs, a lack of clear guidance, and fear of greenwashing accusations. The solution? 🤝 Offtake agreements: the bridge between today’s nascent carbon removal market and the scalable, reliable industry we need. Here’s how it works: 1️⃣ Buyers commit – they agree to purchase X tonnes of carbon removal credits over a set timeframe (e.g., 10,000 tonnes/year starting in 2026). 2️⃣ Suppliers scale – suppliers use these agreements to secure financing, build facilities, and scale operations. 3️⃣ Market grows – the certainty created by offtakes acts as a market catalyzer, bringing down costs and increasing supply. It’s not a new concept. Offtakes have fueled the growth of industries like: Renewable energy (power purchase agreements made wind and solar scalable) Vaccines (advanced market commitments enabled the rapid scaling of COVID vaccines) 🟢 For suppliers, offtakes provide the financial certainty needed to secure loans and investment to build infrastructure and scale. 🟢 For buyers, offtakes guarantee access, locked in at lower prices. This is important because demand for carbon removal credits will soon outpace supply. Without investment today, CDR supply cannot scale to meet demand – and prices will only climb, making it more costly and difficult for companies to meet net zero targets. The science is clear; we need CDR. At Supercritical, we’re helping buyers understand the market, do the due diligence, and structure agreements in the right way to scale high-quality, vetted carbon removal projects. #NetZero #Offtakes #Biochar #CDR

⏳ Final chance to register! If you’re navigating carbon removal offtakes—or thinking about securing supply for your net-zero commitments—this is a webinar you won’t want to miss. Join our panel of experts, including Andreas Gunst from DLA Piper, Hannah Bebbington from Frontier, and George Jones from Supercritical, this Thursday, 20th February, at 5 PM GMT as we dive into what makes a great offtake agreement and how to structure one that actually works. Expect real insights, practical strategies, and expert guidance on: ✅ Building agreements that stand the test of time ✅ Mitigating risks for early-stage CDR technologies ✅ Aligning offtakes with your net-zero goals Don't miss this chance to learn from the experts. Sign up now: https://lnkd.in/ejrPh6xh #CarbonRemoval #NetZero #ClimateAction #Sustainability #CDR

🌳 Planting trees alone won’t get us to net zero. For years, companies have supported tree planting as part of their sustainability efforts. It felt tangible, visible, and easy to communicate. But as scrutiny of the voluntary carbon market grows, it’s clear that not all tree-planting projects are created equal—and many don’t deliver the lasting climate impact businesses need. The shift from a climate contribution attitude to verifiable carbon removal is happening now. Forward-thinking companies are moving towards high-integrity carbon removal solutions that guarantee CO₂ is taken out of the atmosphere. Net zero requires permanent carbon removal, and that means scaling solutions that lock away CO₂ for hundreds of year or longer. That said, trees do remove carbon and can play a valuable role in the transition as we scale more permanent carbon removal technologies. But they need to be done right. So, what does this mean for nature-based projects? It’s time to ask harder questions: 🔍 Permanence—How long will the carbon stay removed? Could it be re-released early? 📏 Measurement—How is carbon storage verified over time? 🌍 Impact—Does the project deliver real environmental and social benefits? Could it have adverse effects? Tree planting can and should be part of the solution—but only when done right. The future of corporate climate action isn’t about looking green; it’s about effective strategies with verifiable results. Read more on the transition from climate contributions to carbon removal: https://lnkd.in/ehf9wVFa #CarbonRemoval #NetZero #CDR #Sustainability #ClimateAction

Carbon removal projects that integrate #biodiversity goals can play a critical role beyond their removal abilities. 1 million species are at risk of extinction due to human activity ❌ Biodiversity is essential for maintaining healthy ecosystems, which provide critical services like food production, water purification, and climate regulation. When we lose biodiversity, we diminish the planet’s ability to sequester carbon or recover from disturbances like climate change, deforestation, and pollution. Have no doubt about it – species extinction creates cascading effects that threaten human and planetary health.   This is why we partner with CDR projects that have positive impact beyond #carbon benefits. Here’s how a few different approaches to carbon removal support biodiversity: 1️⃣ Community agroforestry integrates trees into agricultural systems to sequester carbon while improving soil health and crop yields. Biodiversity benefits: • Creates habitats for pollinators and wildlife • Restores degraded land, making it fertile and productive • Reduces reliance on monoculture farming to improve ecological balance 2️⃣ Biochar is a form of charcoal created by heating organic waste in a low-oxygen environment. It locks away carbon while enriching soil. Biodiversity benefits: • Enhances soil fertility for improved crop yield and healthier ecosystems • Improves water retention, which supports plant and animal life in drought-prone regions • Reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers, which often harm local ecosystems By investing in high-quality carbon removal projects, businesses can deliver measurable benefits for ecosystems, local communities, and the planet. Our rigorous vetting framework ensures that projects like community #agroforestry and #biochar not only sequester carbon but also support thriving ecosystems.

📢 How to do offtakes right: A practical guide to securing carbon removal for net zero. As companies push toward net zero, carbon removal offtakes are becoming a critical tool for locking in future supply and scaling impact. But structuring them effectively—balancing risk, scalability, and climate integrity—can be challenging. Join us on Thursday, 20th February, at 5pm GMT for a practical deep dive into how to build high-quality offtake agreements that work for both buyers and suppliers. Our expert speakers from Supercritical, DLA Piper, and Frontier will share insights on: 🔹 Building resilient agreements that support long-term climate goals 🔹 De-risking offtakes for early-stage technologies like biochar 🔹 Maximizing impact with smart contracting strategies Whether you're new to offtakes or looking to refine your approach, this session will equip you with practical strategies to get it right. 🎟️ Secure your spot here: https://lnkd.in/exjhM3Hh #CarbonRemoval #NetZero #Sustainability #ClimateTech #CDR #OfftakeAgreements