Current carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies are falling far short of what’s needed to address climate change, capturing only approximately 5% of global annual CO2 emissions. Scientists are expressing alarm over the slow pace of development and deployment of these crucial technologies. The findings highlight a significant gap between the ambition to limit global warming and the practical implementation of solutions to actively remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Experts emphasize that drastic acceleration in CDR is essential, alongside emissions reductions, to meet internationally agreed climate targets. While various methods exist – including afforestation and direct air capture – scaling them up remains a major challenge. The current rate suggests a substantial risk of failing to achieve net-zero emissions goals and limiting the worst impacts of climate change. Further investment and policy support are deemed critical to boost CDR capacity.