As world leaders gather for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, a new race is emerging: Which country will lead in removing carbon from the atmosphere?

More than two trillion tons of carbon dioxide have been emitted since the Industrial Revolution began. Now, there’s a corresponding trillion-dollar opportunity to remove it. That urgency is already driving results: Private-sector purchases of carbon removal more than doubled in the first half of 2025.

The U.S. has been one of the early leaders in this emerging global market, , but other countries are actively vying for first place. Reports that the government may cut funding for Direct Air Capture Hubs risk ceding leadership at a pivotal moment for national competitiveness, while other countries are pressing forward to capture a larger share of the carbon removal market.

The U.S. has a strong history of bipartisan support for carbon removal, including through the 45Q tax credit, a federal incentive that helped galvanize the sector. The stakes are high if the U.S. retreats from being a market leader: Carbon removal is forecast to create more than 440,000 new American jobs, while delivering a range of additional co-benefits. Cutting support now would cast doubt on whether those jobs and opportunities will remain in the U.S. — or move to countries that are doubling down.

Canada has pledged to become “a global leader in carbon removal and sequestration.” The European Union is advancing its Carbon Removal Certification Framework to create a robust market for verified removals. Nations across the Asia-Pacific region have the building blocks to become carbon removal powerhouses. 

And in the Global South, carbon removal is delivering both climate and community benefits. The buildout of direct air capture in Kenya, for example, can provide the infrastructure for communities to tap into geothermal buildout as an affordable power source. In India, enhanced weathering — which involves applying crushed minerals to fields — is improving soil health and providing new revenue for farmers. Multiple project developers are also active in Brazil and throughout Latin America. 

The competition is not only about which country will lead, but how countries can work together during moments like COP30 and its corresponding frameworks, like Article VI for global carbon markets. Collaboration is accelerating across borders, which helps to develop cohesive global policies. The Group of Negative Emitters is one such example: a multinational effort aiming not only at reaching net zero emissions, but having countries become net-negative in emissions through the use of carbon removal. 

This spirit of collaboration is critical — but it must be matched with regional action. Sustained growth will depend on each country matching global collaboration with national policies that unlock private sector investment and deployment across a range of carbon removal pathways. Billions of dollars have already flowed into carbon removal from the private sector. To sustain that momentum, governments need policies that send clear market signals, including continued support for Direct Air Capture Hubs in the U.S. and other enabling frameworks. Without them, the carbon removal ecosystem risks missing critical opportunities for research, innovation and long-term growth. 

COP30 will test which countries are ready to move from ambition to action. Those that invest in carbon removal today will not only capture the economic and social benefits, but help define the next era of the carbon removal industry.

As world leaders gather in Belém, the trillion-dollar question remains: which region will lead the carbon removal market? The race is on.

Ben Rubin is Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Carbon Business Council, a global coalition of more than 100 companies united to scale carbon removal and drive economic growth. The opinions represented in this contributed article are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the views of Latitude Media or any of its staff.

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