This report explores options for an EU purchasing programme for permanent carbon removals to address a critical gap in climate change mitigation. While cutting emissions remains the primary objective of EU climate policy, achieving climate neutrality and eventually net-negative emissions will also require large-scale deployment of carbon removals. To achieve this, cost-effective and socially beneficial carbon removal technologies must be developed and deployed swiftly.

A key challenge: The demand for permanent carbon removals is too low. To tackle this, the report:  

• Identifies and assesses policy options for an EU purchasing programme
• Proposes a detailed policy design for a purchasing-programme in the short-term (2025-2030)

We build on a literature review, expert interviews, and an assessment of fourteen relevant existing policies to identify different policy options for a purchasing programme and evaluate them in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, and coherence. This assessment was discussed and deepened through an expert stakeholder workshop, featuring 100 in-person and 150+ online participants on May 21st, 2025.

For the short term (2025-2030), we recommend a purchasing programme built on an ‘EU Removals Fund’,  complemented by elements of a 'Centralised Procurement Agency' and a 'Coordinated Buyers Club'. This mix combines speed, oversight, and adaptability while mobilising Member State and private sector contributions. It is the fastest route to generate demand incentives and support technology development.

This work is part of a project for the European Commission's DG CLIMA "Strategy for the Financing of Permanent Carbon Removals" (September 2024 - December 2025). Ramboll Management Consulting (Belgium) leads the project, in collaboration with Ecologic Institute, with additional inputs from Carbon Counts, Climate & Company, and CE Delft.