Switzerland Seeks International CO₂ Removal Markets

Why this is here: Climeworks’ current technology costs roughly one thousand Swiss francs per ton of CO₂ removed from the atmosphere.

In Switzerland, companies are developing technology to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to help the country reach its net-zero goals. About one-third of Swiss emissions prove difficult to eliminate through traditional methods. Climeworks, a spin-off from ETH Zurich, built a direct air capture machine—a “CO₂-sauger”—currently undergoing its third generation of development.

The company hopes to remove millions of tons of CO₂ with these machines, but requires a market extending beyond Switzerland’s borders. Neustark also pioneers CO₂ removal by capturing the gas at its source, like biogas plants, and storing it in recycled concrete. Switzerland recently signed an agreement with Sweden, following a similar test with Norway, to test cross-border accounting for climate protection measures.

The city of Zurich plans to capture CO₂ from its wastewater treatment plant beginning in 2028 and transport it to Denmark. While Switzerland aims to remove several million tons of CO₂ annually by 2050, it remains to be seen if current efforts will meet that goal. Preparatory work continues to pave the way.