New Guidelines Released to Support Global Scale-Up of High-Integrity Carbon Removal

In a major development for climate action and carbon market standards, Microsoft and Carbon Direct have unveiled the 2025 edition of the Criteria for High-Quality Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR). Now in its fifth year, the updated framework reflects the latest scientific insights, industry experience, and regulatory changes to help scale effective and verifiable carbon removal solutions worldwide.

First introduced in 2021, the Criteria serve as a global benchmark for evaluating CDR projects. This year’s edition includes enhanced technical standards, improved measurement and verification protocols, and new guidance for ocean-based carbon removal technologies such as Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE) and Direct Ocean Removal (DOR)—marking one of the first detailed frameworks for these marine approaches.

With climate science indicating the need to remove 5–10 gigatonnes of CO₂ annually by mid-century to limit warming to 1.5°C, the updated Criteria aim to close the quality and scale gap in today’s carbon removal market. Recent global policy shifts—including U.S. funding initiatives, EU certification frameworks, and COP29’s guidance on carbon trading—are creating momentum for rapid CDR deployment.

Microsoft’s own procurement program, which has grown from 1.3 million tonnes in 2021 to over 22 million tonnes in fiscal 2024, has directly shaped the 2025 update. The company has reviewed more than 400 project applications to date.

Jonathan Goldberg, CEO of Carbon Direct, emphasized the need for “science-based standards that guide both carbon removal and broader sustainability strategies.” The Criteria are built on six core principles, including environmental justice, additionality, durability, and robust monitoring.

Looking ahead, Microsoft and Carbon Direct plan to continue refining the framework, exploring emerging CDR methods such as wetland restoration and CO₂ utilization technologies.

Source: carbon-direct.com