About CDRterra
How can Germany achieve greenhouse gas neutrality from 2045 onward? What role can removing CO₂ from the atmosphere play, and under what conditions would its use be appropriate and responsible? The CDRterra funding initiative addresses these questions through interdisciplinary scientific research.
Even with ambitious emissions reductions, residual emissions are expected to persist in the long term, for example in agriculture, industry, and transport. Achieving greenhouse gas neutrality requires balancing these emission sources with the removal of CO₂ from the atmosphere. CDRterra investigates to what extent carbon removal approaches could be expanded or complemented, and what conditions would be necessary. The aim is to provide robust scientific evidence to inform climate policy decisions.
International climate targets underscore the relevance of these questions. The Paris Agreement aims to keep global warming well below 2 °C and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 °C. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that, alongside deep emissions reductions, CO₂ removal will likely be required. At the same time, studies show that realistically achievable removal volumes are limited. Emissions reductions and adaptation therefore remain central pillars of climate policy.
Structure of the Research Programme
CDRterra currently comprises two funding phases.
Phase 1 (2021–2025):
Ten collaborative projects investigated fundamental scientific questions on land-based carbon removal methods. The focus was on potentials, risks, sustainability aspects, and systematic comparison of different approaches.
Phase 2 (since November 2025):
In the second phase, 17 collaborative projects are gradually commencing their research. Building on Phase 1 results, they are examining the approaches under more application-oriented conditions. Key topics include feasibility, integration into existing systems, measurability of CO₂ removal, and ecological, societal, and regulatory frameworks.
Synthesis and Transfer
An accompanying synthesis and transfer project consolidates results across the research consortia, evaluates them comparatively, and prepares them for different target audiences. It supports exchange between science, policy, industry, and the public, and helps place findings within broader assessment contexts.
Funding and Coordination
CDRterra is coordinated by Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU Munich). The first phase was funded from 2021 to 2025 by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. For the second phase, additional funding is provided by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space.
Guiding documents
The Research Data Policy of CDRterra Phase 1 reflects the high ambitions of all ten associated consortia of Phase 1 and their partners to transparently share and sustainably publish all research output on the (meta-)data basis for international re-use.
CDRterra Code of Conduct
The CDRterra community developed this Code of Conduct to communicate our common understanding of basic values and rules for respectful cooperation and communication.