CDR Experience Tour: Insights from Bavaria
23 June 2026
How can Germany become a leader in carbon dioxide removal? Which technologies are already available today? And what framework conditions are needed to turn promising projects into a strong future industry?
These were the questions at the heart of our second CDR Experience Tour, which brought together around 90 representatives from politics, business, science and the media across Bavaria on 18 and 19 June 2026.
Across eight stops, participants explored a broad range of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) approaches – from Direct Air Capture and biochar to modern forest management, Enhanced Rock Weathering and negative emissions in energy infrastructure.
The Debate Has Changed
One observation emerged consistently throughout the tour. Just a few years ago, discussions focused on what Carbon Dioxide Removal actually is and whether these technologies would be needed in the future. Today, the debate is increasingly shifting. The key questions are now: How much CO₂ will need to be removed? How quickly can these solutions scale? And what political and economic conditions are required to make that happen?
No Climate Neutrality Without Carbon Dioxide Removal
The tour began at the Bavarian State Parliament, where representatives from science, policy and industry discussed the role of Carbon Dioxide Removal in achieving climate neutrality. The scientific message was clear: climate neutrality will only be achieved if ambitious emissions reductions are combined with ambitious scaling of carbon dioxide removal.
“We can achieve greenhouse gas neutrality in Germany by 2045 – but only if we pursue both highly ambitious emissions reductions and highly ambitious scaling of carbon dioxide removal.”
Dr. Julia Pongratz, LMU Munich / CDRterra
Carbon dioxide removal is not a substitute for emissions reductions. However, it is an essential complement for addressing residual emissions that are difficult or impossible to eliminate entirely.
Carbon Dioxide Removal Is Already Happening
A central objective of the tour was to make carbon removal tangible. Rather than discussing theoretical concepts, participants visited companies and projects that are already developing and deploying real-world solutions.
Bavarian State Parliament
Opening Session and Scientific Introduction to CDR
The tour opened with discussions on the scientific foundations of Carbon Dioxide Removal and the interaction between regulation, economic development and societal responsibility.
Stadtwerke München – Heizkraftwerk Nord
Negative Emissions in Waste-to-Energy
At Munich’s Heizkraftwerk Nord, participants explored the role that negative emissions could play in existing energy infrastructure and the challenges that still need to be addressed.
“We currently do not have the regulatory framework needed to truly get our negative emissions project off the ground.”
Ralf Simon Tartsch, Stadtwerke München
Phlair
Direct Air Capture
At Phlair, the focus was on the direct removal of CO₂ from ambient air. Alongside a tour of the facility, participants discussed the role of CDR within the EU ETS and the practical procurement of carbon removal credits.
“We want to become the global market leader with Direct Air Capture from Germany.”
Malte Feucht, Founder and CEO of Phlair
The statement reflected the ambition of many German companies to take a leading role in an emerging global industry.
Reverion
Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS)
Reverion demonstrated how electricity generation and carbon removal can be combined technologically. The facility illustrated how future energy systems and negative emissions can complement one another.
A Portfolio, Not a Single Solution
The tour also highlighted that no single technology will be able to deliver the scale of carbon removal required to achieve climate neutrality.
Pina Earth
Modern Forest Management
In the forest, Pina Earth demonstrated how natural carbon sinks can be strengthened and how their climate impact can be measured and verified.
ÖKT
Biochar Production Through Pyrolysis
Participants gained insights into the production of biochar as a durable carbon storage solution and discussed its potential applications in agriculture and industry.
Carbon Drawdown Initiative
Enhanced Rock Weathering
The Carbon Drawdown Initiative presented its work on Enhanced Rock Weathering. Particular attention was given to the measurement and verification of actual carbon removals, as well as the opportunities and challenges associated with scaling the approach.
The tour clearly demonstrated that each carbon removal pathway comes with its own strengths, challenges and applications. To remove CO₂ effectively, at scale and in a resilient manner, a portfolio of approaches will be required.
Carbon Dioxide Removal as a Future Industry
Alongside technological developments, the economic potential of the sector was also evident throughout the tour.
Germany benefits from a strong research landscape, innovative companies and an increasingly specialised ecosystem spanning the entire carbon removal value chain. Numerous discussions highlighted the growing momentum surrounding Carbon Dioxide Removal.
The evening event at BMW Welt reinforced this development. Representatives from industry, finance and politics discussed how carbon removal can become part of long-term net-zero strategies. BMW also shared insights into its procurement of high-quality carbon removals as part of its own climate strategy.
The Technologies Exist – Now They Need to Scale
The tour made clear that the technological foundations for carbon dioxide removal are already in place. Companies are developing concrete business models, researchers are advancing robust standards, and a growing number of stakeholders are focused on practical implementation.
At the same time, participants openly discussed the remaining challenges: insufficient infrastructure, regulatory uncertainty, financing gaps and the need for reliable demand.
German Member of Parliament Julian Joswig summarised this shift succinctly:
“More and more stakeholders are no longer asking whether we need carbon dioxide removals, but how we can scale them responsibly.”
The second CDR Experience Tour demonstrated that carbon dioxide removal is no longer a future concept. German companies and research institutions are already developing solutions across a broad portfolio of methods, and the ecosystem continues to grow.
The technologies are here. The companies are ready. The challenge of the coming years will be to create the conditions that allow promising pilot projects to develop into a strong European future industry.
