The EU has a long way to go towards its 2050 net-zero goal, but without getting real about what negative emissions can and cannot do, this goal will be very hard to reach. 

Our new report, Zeroing in on net-zero, analyses the role of carbon dioxide sequestration and permanent removals in the climate plans of five member states:  Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden. 

Our findings? Countries are flying blind on the way towards net-zero. Negative emission plans show massive blind spots, are often unsubstantiated, and are sometimes missing entirely. 

Before the next batch of national climate planning tools is due in 2029, the European Commission has a golden opportunity to fix the rules for member states’ climate planning in the post-2030 climate package.