IPCC Launches 150-Expert Group on CDR and CCUS Methodology — 2027 Report Mandated

More than 150 scientists and technical experts gathered in Rome at the Food and Agriculture Organization headquarters from 14 to 16 April 2026 for the first Lead Author meeting of the 2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies, Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CDRT-CCUS). This is the first IPCC methodology report dedicated entirely to CDR and CCUS technologies — and its outputs will become the authoritative basis for how governments account for carbon removals in national greenhouse gas inventories.

Why This Report Matters

National greenhouse gas inventories — the foundation of every country's climate commitments — currently lack standardised methods for accounting for many carbon removal technologies. Direct air capture, enhanced weathering, biochar, coastal ecosystem removals, and CO₂-derived materials each present unique methodological challenges. Without agreed IPCC guidance, countries apply inconsistent approaches, creating gaps and comparability problems in global emissions reporting.

The 2027 CDRT-CCUS Methodology Report will fill this gap. It will provide governments with a consistent, scientifically validated framework for estimating both the removals achieved by CDR technologies and the emissions generated in their operation — enabling countries to incorporate CDR into their national inventory submissions under the Paris Agreement transparency framework.

Technologies in Scope

The report covers a broad range of approaches: direct air capture, soil and biomass-based removals, coastal and ocean-based ecosystem approaches (blue carbon), geological CO₂ storage, and the production of durable CO₂-derived materials. The inclusion of ocean-based CDR is particularly significant — it represents the first formal IPCC methodology process for marine removal approaches, which have previously operated without recognised accounting frameworks.

Development Process and Timeline

The report will progress through four Lead Author meetings over 2026 and 2027. Following each meeting, draft sections will be distributed for two formal review rounds: first by scientific experts, then jointly by governments and experts. Final approval by IPCC member governments is scheduled for late 2027. The structured process ensures scientific rigour and political legitimacy — but also means the rules that will govern CDR accounting are being written now, with active stakeholder engagement still possible.

Implications for Carbon Market Participants

For carbon market participants, the IPCC process has direct downstream implications. Once IPCC methodologies are finalised, voluntary standard bodies and UNFCCC mechanisms will reference them when developing or updating credit methodologies. Projects that align their monitoring approaches with emerging IPCC frameworks now will be better positioned for streamlined methodology approval and enhanced buyer confidence. Projects that diverge from IPCC science face potential retroactive scrutiny of their credit integrity claims.