The European Union is debating whether to include carbon dioxide removal (CDR) as part of its 2030 targets on the road to climate neutrality by 2050. In our view, creating sustainable CDR could allow delivery of negative emissions at scale after 2030.

In October 2020, the European Parliament supported a 60% target for emissions reduction by 2030 without CDR. Last month, the European Council agreed to a 55% target that includes CDR. It will therefore be necessary to reconcile the two approaches.

A singular comprehensive target that includes CDR could offer more flexibility for EU policymaking (V. Scott and O. Geden Nature Energy 3, 350–352; 2018). But hitting net zero in 2050 through a complex cocktail of emissions and removals is insufficient if storing the removed CO₂ is not durable. A separate 2030 CDR-policy regime would provide clarity to project developers and ensure that high environmental and sustainability standards are upheld.

An independent scientific body will need to assess whether EU climate policy is consistent with the targets and whether near-term targets are suitable for achieving longer-term goals. It must incorporate social science into its assessments because techno-economic feasibility might not be the main constraint for many CDR options. The coming decade should herald a public conversation about the acceptability of the different possibilities.