African countries should adopt a selective, location-specific approach to carbon dioxide removal (CDR), balancing climate goals with development priorities, according to a new report.
CDR could attract climate finance, create jobs and support agriculture, ecosystem restoration and industrial development, but these benefits are not guaranteed.
Africa's carbon removal sector remains at an early stage, with limited scientific evidence, infrastructure, technical expertise and monitoring capacity.
Biochar and enhanced rock weathering offer potential opportunities, while Kenya's Rift Valley is emerging as an early hub for direct air carbon capture and storage.
The report warns that uncertain carbon markets, externally developed standards and environmental risks could limit benefits unless countries strengthen local institutions and safeguards.
Carbon dioxide removal could create opportunities for climate finance, agriculture and employment, but projects must be assessed against local development needs and environmental risks, researchers say.
African countries should adopt a selective, location-specific approach to carbon dioxide removal (CDR), balancing opportunities to tackle climate change with their development priorities, according to a new report by the African Tech Futures Lab (ATFL), a network of African experts working on emerging technologies.
The report, The Future of Carbon Dioxide Removal in Africa: Feasibility, Opportunity, and the Choices Ahead, examines the growing role of carbon removal in climate policy, investment and early-stage projects across the continent.
Carbon dioxide removal involves taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and storing it for extended periods to help limit climate change.
According to the report, CDR could attract climate finance while supporting agricultural productivity, ecosystem restoration, waste management, employment and industrial development.
However, these benefits are not guaranteed. Projects must demonstrate who will benefit, how those benefits will be measured and whether carbon removal represents a better use of land, water, energy, biomass and capital than other development options.
Carbon removal remains at an early stage in Africa
The report finds that CDR activity across Africa remains at an early stage, with significant differences in scientific evidence, infrastructure and technical capacity between countries.
Many of the technologies, markets and standards shaping the sector are being developed and controlled outside the continent.
The researchers argue that African countries should neither overlook the potential of carbon removal nor place excessive expectations on its contribution to economic development.
Instead, governments should assess different technologies according to local resources, infrastructure, environmental conditions and development priorities.
The report emphasises that there is no single carbon removal approach suitable for the entire continent.
Africa's land, biomass, mineral, renewable energy and geological resources vary considerably between countries and regions, making some technologies more viable in certain locations than others.
Uncertain markets and limited technical capacity pose challenges
The report warns that the emerging carbon removal market remains fragile and is largely shaped by decisions made outside Africa.
Voluntary carbon markets and corporate buyers have supported the first generation of projects, but demand remains concentrated among a limited number of buyers, prices are uncertain and many technical standards are established elsewhere.
Future regulatory carbon markets could create additional opportunities, although African projects are not guaranteed access to them.
Limited scientific evidence and local technical capacity present further challenges.
The report identifies gaps in geological and resource data, research infrastructure, laboratories, monitoring and verification systems, and technical expertise.
Strengthening these capabilities could deliver benefits beyond carbon removal, supporting agriculture, energy, mineral development, infrastructure and climate planning.
Biochar and enhanced rock weathering offer potential
The report identifies biochar and enhanced rock weathering as possible areas for experimentation because they require comparatively less infrastructure and could provide agricultural benefits while supporting local economic activity.
Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by heating organic matter under conditions with little or no oxygen. When applied to soil, it can store carbon and, under suitable conditions, improve soil properties.
Enhanced rock weathering involves spreading finely crushed minerals on land to accelerate natural chemical processes that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
However, the report cautions that both approaches require stronger scientific evidence, reliable monitoring systems and quality controls before their benefits can be established at scale.
Afforestation and reforestation also remain important carbon removal options, but the report stresses the need for safeguards to protect land rights and ensure that stored carbon is accurately accounted for and remains out of the atmosphere over time.
Direct air carbon capture and storage, which uses technology to extract carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere before storing it, is considered highly dependent on local conditions.
Kenya's Rift Valley has emerged as an early centre for this approach because of its geothermal energy resources and suitable geological formations.
Other technologies face greater barriers
The report finds that some carbon removal methods face more substantial obstacles to deployment in Africa.
Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, which captures carbon dioxide generated from using biomass for energy, requires sustainable biomass supplies and supporting infrastructure.
Ocean alkalinity enhancement, which aims to increase the ocean's capacity to absorb carbon dioxide, remains largely at the research stage because of technical, ecological and governance uncertainties.