Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is no longer an emerging concept; it is becoming embedded in corporate climate governance, government policy, and international partnerships. Canada is at the centre of that shift. The CDR Center supports buyers, developers, and governments in building a credible, high-integrity CDR market in Canada, helping this country seize a moment that will not wait.
Photo: CarbonRun
For the second year, the Pembina Institute's CDR Centre surveyed over 250 organizations operating in Canada to understand corporate interest in purchasing carbon removal credits. The findings reveal a market in transition, interest is spreading across new industries and regions, but substantial untapped potential remains.
Read the reportCompanies and institutions must reduce their carbon emissions as deeply and quickly as possible, but emissions reductions alone won't be enough. Some of the carbon dioxide already built up in the atmosphere needs to be actively removed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, and that's where carbon dioxide removal comes in.
To stay on track, the world will need to remove five to ten gigatonnes of carbon dioxide annually by 2050. CDR is how we address that legacy. Canada is well-positioned to lead: the geology, the renewable energy resources and the growing regulatory foundations are already in place to play a significant role in meeting that need.
International companies are not choosing Canada by coincidence; they are choosing it by strategy. From enhanced rock weathering on Canadian farmland to mineralization projects in British Columbia to Climeworks establishing its Canadian headquarters in Calgary, the deal flow from 2025 into 2026 tells a consistent story: Canada is where serious CDR investment is going. Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan have all taken meaningful steps to build the regulatory foundations that give developers and investors the certainty they need to act.
Our research shows that 65% of companies consider CDR regulatory clarity as the single biggest factor prompting them to act. Supply is growing. Regulations are taking shape. What will ultimately determine Canada's success in this space is whether corporate and institutional buyers step forward with confidence. The CDR Centre exists to shorten that path, building awareness, providing guidance and connecting buyers with the credible projects and information they need to move from curiosity to commitment.
CanCO2Re Initiative brings together experts from across disciplines to advance Canada's understanding of carbon dioxide removal. Through webinars, working groups and shared resources, it is building the knowledge and connections the sector needs to grow with integrity.
It’s a national research effort that connects researchers across 11 fields of study, from engineering and climate science to law, economics, and communications, through institutions including the University of Calgary, University of Alberta, University of Toronto, Simon Fraser University, and the Pembina Institute.
Compliance systems available to Canadian carbon dioxide removal initiatives
A case study of a carbon dioxide removal credit pre-purchase from five Canadian suppliers in collaboration with MaRS
Jorden Dye
c: 587-433-2664
e: jordend@businessrenewables.ca
Jean Todea (Mountain Time)
c: 403-863-6560
e: jeant@pembina.org
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