9 Carbon Removal Credits to Achieve Corporate Net-Zero
Text adapted from: Guidebook of Carbonfuture, “Carbon Removal for Net-Zero: A Strategic Guide for Corporate Sustainability”, (authors: Kevin Hatman, Dominic Lüdin, Theresa Rößler, Leila Toplic)
Last update: September 22nd, 2026
Introduction
With corporate net-zero deadlines fast approaching (more and more corporate targets are set for even before 2050), corporate sustainability leaders face the challenge of meeting their net-zero commitments effectively.
While cutting emissions is crucial, eliminating all emissions is nearly impossible for most industries. Achieving net zero requires both constantly reducing emissions and actively removing carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere at the same time, starting today.
Why Durable Carbon Removal (Carbon Dioxide Removal = CDR) Matters
Durable CDR is essential for stabilizing the climate. It involves extracting CO₂ from the atmosphere or biosphere and locking it away for multiple centuries or longer. Early integration of durable CDR into corporate sustainability strategies helps companies secure a stable supply of high-quality removals, avoid overpaying in the future, stay ahead of upcoming regulations, and minimize reputational risks associated with lower-quality offsets.
Understanding Durable CDR
Durable carbon removal ensures long-term removal and storage of CO₂, preventing its re-release into the atmosphere. Unlike carbon avoidance, which prevents new emissions, durable CDR actively reduces atmospheric CO₂ over the long term.
Carbon Avoidance vs. Carbon Removal
Carbon removal extracts CO₂ from the atmosphere and stores it in a stable form, while carbon avoidance prevents new emissions. Durable CDR ensures measurable and verifiable long-term storage, unlike methods that store carbon in ecosystems, which can be reversed through deforestation, wildfires, or land-use changes.
Taking a Multi-Pathway Portfolio Approach
A portfolio approach to carbon removal involves bundling multiple projects and technologies. This allows companies to diversify and select projects that best fit their needs, manage costs, and mitigate risks from potential delivery shortfalls.
The Main Currently Available Durable CDR Technologies
Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS): Converts biomass into fuels or electricity, capturing and storing the resulting CO₂.
Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS): Captures CO₂ directly from the atmosphere for geological storage or use in building materials.
Biochar Carbon Removal (BCR): Creates biochar from biomass, providing co-benefits like improved soil fertility and green energy.
Terrestrial Storage of Biomass: Stores woody biomass in engineered vaults that prevent decomposition, keeping its carbon out of the atmosphere durably.
Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW): Uses crushed silicate rocks to react with CO₂ in rainwater, locking it away for thousands of years.
Why Your Business Needs Durable CDR Now
The carbon removal industry is expanding rapidly, with significant market growth and rising corporate commitment. Early adoption helps businesses achieve their net-zero goals, secure stable pricing, lower reputational risk, and navigate future market and regulatory landscapes effectively.
SIX`s Strategic Partnership with Carbonfuture
In 2024, SIX made a strategic investment in Carbonfuture, a leading global digital infrastructure provider for the carbon removal market.
Jointly, SIX and Carbonfuture are developing a reliable, scalable, and integrity-driven durable Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) ecosystem. This strategic investment marks the entry of SIX into the growing carbon removal market and an expansion into a new asset class.
Carbonfuture specializes in managing the entire lifecycle of CDR credits, from initial project support and due diligence to comprehensive digital tracking and independent third-party verification. Using its data-driven digital infrastructure, Carbonfuture provides monitoring, reporting, and verification services to ensure the integrity, transparency, and reliability of CDR credits. By offering de-risked CDR credit portfolios through multi-year purchase agreements, Carbonfuture has gained the trust of both suppliers and buyers, including multiple major companies. Carbonfuture, founded in 2020, is headquartered in Freiburg, Germany, with offices in Zurich and San Francisco.
The expansion into the carbon removal market aligns with the broader strategy of SIX to expand into new asset classes and complements its recent ESG offerings. Through the strategic partnership with Carbonfuture, SIX aims to jointly develop the carbon removal ecosystem and supports Carbonfuture in scaling its infrastructure solutions. Furthermore, by providing high-quality, durable CDR credits through the Carbonfuture platform, we help our clients on their journey towards achieving „net zero“.
Case Study
How Carbonfuture Is Supporting Swiss Re’s Transition to Durable CDR
Swiss Re, a leading reinsurance provider, has been balancing its operational emissions with carbon credits since 2003. Now, they are shifting from carbon avoidance to durable removals, aiming for a portfolio comprised of 100% durable carbon dioxide removal (CDR) by 2030. This transition is driven by Swiss Re’s internal carbon price, known as the Carbon Steering Levy, which incentivizes emissions reductions while funding removals. Their share of durable removals will increase by 10% annually — from 0% in 2020 to 100% in 2030 — ensuring a structured shift toward high-integrity carbon removal solutions.
Swiss Re pioneered the world’s first long-term carbon removal purchase agreement in 2021, committing $10 million over 10 years with Climeworks. In 2023, they expanded their efforts through a landmark partnership with Carbonfuture and key supply partner Exomad Green, the world’s largest biochar carbon removal (BCR) supplier. This partnership grants Swiss Re access to multiple high-quality removal projects under a single contract, starting with 70,000 tons of biochar carbon removal credits.
Executive Summary: Why Leading Companies Invest in Durable CDR
Forward-looking companies are starting to invest in durable carbon dioxide removal (CDR) today due to 3 main business rationales:
De-risked Supply with Transparency: Independent Digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (dMRV) ensures accountability and is boosting investor and stakeholder confidence.
Long-term Price Stability: Predictable pricing supports financial planning and shields businesses from future cost volatility.
Customizable CO2 Compensation or Carbon Credit Portfolios: Providers like Carbonfuture offer flexible contracting, enabling companies to integrate multiple CDR technologies and projects under a single agreement — streamlining procurement and minimizing potential supply shortages.
By investing in durable CDR today, companies gain a competitive edge — securing supply, stabilizing costs, and ensuring credibility in an evolving market and regulatory landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions About Carbon Certificates
How can I tell which carbon certificates are of high quality?
High-quality carbon certificates are backed by rigorous digital monitoring, reporting, and verification (dMRV) systems, including independent third-party verification and certification. Detailed tracking and a transparent chain of custody for each carbon credit ensure reliability and delivery on promised climate impact.
What are the benefits of diversifying a carbon credit or compensation portfolio?
A diversified multi-pathway portfolio approach staggered over time can anticipate upcoming regulatory changes and minimize risk of shifting market conditions. It allows organizations to balance cost considerations over time and limits the potential carbon reversal or under-delivery exposure to single projects.
How Much Does Carbon Removal Cost Compared to Carbon Avoidance?
Price/tonne or price per certificate for durable CDR credits are generally much higher than for avoidance credits due to the added technology costs for long-term carbon removal and storage, CO2 transport, tracking, and data systems costs. However, the permanence of the carbon removal and carbon storage and thereby the lasting climate benefit and reduced reversal risk associated with durable CDR means that the long-term cost for CDR may ultimately be lower than for avoidance credits. See again the Like-for-Like Principle.
How Do I Know My Investment Will Have a Lasting Impact?
By focusing on independently verified and certified carbon credits backed by comprehensive monitoring, reporting and verification systems (MRV), companies can ensure best practice with the existing voluntary carbon market standards and upcoming future compliance market requirements.
See for example:
Contact
Get in touch with Lisa Mangertseder, Senior Business Development Manager Carbon Markets, SIX