Net zero demands huge carbon-capture investment – IEA
Project pipeline implies only a quarter of capacity needed by 2030, IEA says
Investment in carbon-capture technology is growing, but the pipeline of proposed projects would need to quadruple to meet 2030 the levels set out in the IEA’s main net-zero emissions (NZE) scenario. The existing slate of projects, some of which will not materialise, implies capture capacity of c.0.3Gt/yr by 2030, way short of the 1.2Gt/yr set out in the NZE scenario. “Carbon-management technologies are an important strategic tool in strong mitigation scenarios but by no means a silver bullet,” the IEA said in mid-April in a report titled Credible Pathways to 1.5°C. “The scale of deployment required in the NZE scenario is huge, equivalent to ten new CCUS‐equipped facilities commissioned each
Also in this section
2 January 2026
This year may be a defining one for carbon capture, utilisation and storage in the US, despite the institutional uncertainty
23 December 2025
Legislative reform in Germany sets the stage for commercial carbon capture and transport at a national level, while the UK has already seen financial close on major CCS clusters
15 December 2025
Net zero is not the problem for the UK’s power system. The real issue is with an outdated market design in desperate need of modernisation
28 November 2025
The launch of the bloc’s emissions trading system in 2005 was a pioneering step, but as the scheme hits 21 its impact as a driver of decarbonisation is still open to debate






