Carbon Dioxide Removal Ireland (CDRi) is signaling great potential for the development of removal technologies in this country, calling for urgent action that would unlock significant economic and environmental benefits for Ireland.
CDRi highlights that Ireland has the expertise, the natural resources, and the drive to lead in CO2 removal, noting that what has been missing so far is urgency.
The EU is legally committed to reaching climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest and to work towards net-negative emissions beyond that. Both CDR and emissions reductions will be needed to achieve these goals.
Changes like the serious decline in EU natural carbon sinks (forests and soils that absorb CO2) signaled by the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change in 2025, result in significant costs that show up in rising insurance premiums as climate-driven disasters put strain on Irish households.
In Ireland specifically, both the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and the Climate Change Advisory Council have explained that the country has serious work to do on addressing emissions, even facing potential climate-related fines of $9–30 billion (€8–26 billion).
CDRi stresses that instead of using public money to pay fines, Ireland would be better off investing resources in a world-class domestic CDR industry, which can create employment opportunities and elevate rural livelihoods throughout the country.
Building on findings by Carbon Removal Canada, CDRi estimates that an Irish CDR industry removing 10 million tonnes of CO2 annually could support an estimated 10,000 jobs and add approximately $2.3 billion (€2 billion) to GDP.
To turn this vision into reality, Ireland needs to take immediate action to support the supply, demand, and innovation side of CDR.
Relevant: NEG8 & Prochem Partner On An Engineering Study For A New DAC Project In Ireland
On CDR supply, the country should work on targeted financing that would enable investment in first-of-a-kind projects, boosting building confidence in early-stage CDR developers. On the demand side, CDRi states that government procurement of Irish CDR credits would give the industry the stable revenue it needs for growth.
In terms of CDR innovations, Ireland’s universities and research institutions are already doing work in this direction, and dedicated R&D support and innovation prizes would help turn that science into deployable solutions.
In a publication, CDRi says, “Other European countries are already moving forward. The longer Ireland waits, the harder it becomes to compete for the investment, talent, and supply chains that define this emerging industry.”
