IPCC Launches 2027 Methodology Report on CDR Technologies and CCUS — 150 Experts Convene in Rome

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) held the first lead author meeting of its 2027 Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies, Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CDRT-CCUS) in Rome from 14–16 April 2026. Over 150 authors and review editors gathered at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to begin what will be the first authoritative scientific accounting framework for CDR and CCUS technologies in national greenhouse gas inventories.

Scope: What the Report Will Cover

The 2027 CDRT-CCUS Methodology Report will provide governments with standardised scientific methods for estimating CO₂ emissions and removals from a broad range of technologies. Covered pathways include direct air capture (DAC), soil and biomass-based removals, coastal ecosystem approaches (blue carbon), production of durable CO₂-derived materials, and geological storage via CCS and CCUS. The report will also address methane and nitrous oxide monitoring where relevant to CDR pathways.

This is the first time the IPCC has produced a dedicated methodology report for these technology categories — a recognition that CDR has moved from theoretical discussion to large-scale deployment requiring robust national accounting frameworks.

Process and Timeline

The report follows the structured IPCC process with four lead author meetings scheduled through 2026–2027. It will undergo two formal review stages — first by independent experts, then by a joint government and expert review — before final approval by IPCC member governments. The approved methodology will then feed into national GHG inventory updates globally, reshaping how countries account for carbon removals in their NDC progress reporting under the Paris Agreement.

TrustVal Commentary

The IPCC Methodology Report is the most consequential near-term development for CDR market infrastructure. When the 2027 report is finalised, it will effectively standardise how governments count CDR in national inventories — creating both a compliance floor for Article 6 accounting and a quality benchmark for voluntary market credits. Project developers and dMRV providers that align their data collection and reporting systems with IPCC methodology conventions today will be better positioned when those frameworks become mandatory.

TrustVal tracks IPCC methodology developments closely, because the data standards embedded in these reports directly shape what "audit-ready" means for industrial CDR projects. The transition from voluntary to government-grade CDR accounting will happen faster than most market participants expect.

Sources: IPCC Press Release · ESG Broadcast · CCarbon