Carbon removal for individuals

A practical 2026 guide (last updated 2026-01-14)

In short:
Individuals can remove their carbon emissions by purchasing certified carbon removal that physically removes CO₂ from the atmosphere and stores it durably for the long term, with independent verification and public proof of retirement. Unlike traditional offsets, carbon removal reduces the total amount of carbon already in the air. Today, the most accessible and verifiable option for individuals is biochar-based carbon removal certified and tracked in public registries.

This guide explains how individuals can remove their unavoidable carbon emissions today using durable, certified carbon removal.

Who this guide is for

This guide is for individuals acting in a personal capacity. It is not designed for corporate offsetting, compliance markets, or marketing claims.

Even if we live climate-consciously, we still cause emissions through heating, food, travel, and consumption. These residual emissions accumulate in the atmosphere and warm our planet.

Global warming is accelerating faster than emission reductions alone can address. Durable carbon removal is essential because it physically removes the excess carbon dioxide from the air and stores it for the long term.

Public opinion is moving fast: a 2024 global survey by UNDP and the University of Oxford found that 4 out of 5 people want stronger climate action, and consumer research shows many people are willing to pay more for sustainably produced choices, creating a growing group of individuals who want to go beyond good intentions and take measurable action.

In this guide we cover:

  1. What is carbon removal (and what it is not)?
  2. Why reduction alone is no longer sufficient?
  3. What carbon removal options exist for individuals?
  4. How can individuals contribute today?
  5. Why durability and verification matter?
  6. How does certified carbon removal works for individuals?
  7. How much carbon should an individual remove?
  8. Where Remove Carbon Today fits in?
  9. How to start today?

1. What is carbon removal (and what it is not)?

Carbon removal means physically removing carbon dioxide (CO₂) that is already in the atmosphere and storing it in a stable form for the long term.

It is also called:

  • Carbon dioxide removal (CDR)
  • Carbon drawdown
  • Locking away carbon

Carbon removal is not the same as:

  • Emission reduction (cutting future emissions)
  • Avoidance (preventing future emissions)
  • General "offsetting", compensation or carbon credits, which can mean different things

To stabilise the climate, science shows we must:

  1. Reduce emissions as fast as possible, and
  2. Remove the excess CO₂ that is already in the air

Both reduction and removal are necessary.

2. Why reduction alone is no longer sufficient?

Human activity has added large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂) to the atmosphere over time. This CO₂ traps too much heat and is the primary driver of global warming.

The CO₂ stays in the atmosphere for centuries. As a result, even if global emissions were reduced to zero, the already-emitted CO₂ would continue to warm our planet. Reducing emissions alone is not enough - carbon removal is also needed.

This is why scientists increasingly emphasise durable carbon removal, not just reductions, as a necessary part of reaching net zero and eventually reversing climate warming.

This approach aligns with the Oxford Offsetting Principles: reduce emissions first, and increasingly shift any ‘offsetting’ toward carbon removals with long-lived storage.

For individuals, this creates a simple principle:
Reduce what you can. Remove what you cannot avoid.

3. What carbon removal options exist for individuals?

In theory, many approaches can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. In practice, only a limited number are both durable and independently verifiable today, and even fewer are meaningfully accessible to individuals.

Below are the main carbon removal categories, using a durable carbon dioxide removal (CDR) framing commonly used across the carbon removal industry.

For individuals, the practical question is not "what exists in theory?" but "what can I buy today with durable storage and public proof?" In most cases, biochar is the most accessible option today; other durable methods are real, but less available or delivered over longer timelines.

Biochar (most accessible today)

What it is
Biomass residues (often agricultural waste) are converted into biochar, a stable, carbon-rich material. When applied to soils, biochar stores carbon for centuries while also improving soil health, water retention, and agricultural productivity.

Durability
Carbon is locked away for 100+ years, often centuries, with low reversal risk when produced and applied correctly.

Verification & integrity
Quantified under established methodologies, third-party verified, and issued as removal certificates that are tracked and retired in a public registry.

Availability for individuals
Widely available today at small or large volumes, making it one of the most practical ways for individuals to purchase durable, certified carbon removal.

Direct Air Capture with Storage (DACCS)

What it is
Machines capture CO₂ directly from ambient air and store it permanently underground or mineralise it into stable rock formations.

Durability
When stored geologically or mineralised, carbon is expected to remain locked away for centuries to millennia, with very low reversal risk.

Verification & integrity
Measured at the point of capture and storage; verification frameworks are well defined, though project-specific.

Availability for individuals
Typically high cost and limited capacity. Individual purchases are often future-delivered over multi-year timelines as early-stage projects scale and storage infrastructure expands.

Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) / CO₂ mineralisation

What it is
Crushed minerals react chemically with CO₂, converting it into stable carbonate forms.

Durability
Once mineralised into solid carbonates, carbon storage occurs on geological timescales, typically centuries to thousands of years.

Verification & integrity
Measurement and verification approaches are advancing, with increasing standardisation.

Availability for individuals
Emerging and scaling; availability depends on provider and geography. Less widely available to individuals than biochar today.

Biomass-based durable removal (beyond biochar)

What it is
Biomass is processed and the carbon is stored durably through pathways other than biochar (for example, durable materials or geological storage) depending on the method.

Durability
Depends on the storage pathway; engineered biomass-based approaches can achieve centuries-long storage when carbon is placed in stable materials or geological storage.

Verification & integrity
Method-dependent; some pathways are already certified and verified, while others are still standardising.

Availability for individuals
Access varies by project and provider; less consistently available for individuals than biochar.

Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement (OAE)

What it is
Alkalinity is increased in ocean systems to enhance long-term CO₂ uptake and storage.

Durability
In theory, enhanced alkalinity can store carbon for centuries or longer, but durability and impacts are still being studied and verified at scale.

Verification & integrity
Early-stage; measurement and verification frameworks are still developing.

Availability for individuals
Limited and experimental; not yet widely accessible for individual participation.

Nature-based approaches (useful, but different risk profile)

What it is
Trees, soils, and ecosystems absorb CO₂ through natural processes.

Durability
Storage is typically measured in decades rather than centuries and can be reversed by fire, disease, or land-use change.

Verification & integrity
Quantification and long-term guarantees are more challenging than for engineered durable storage.

Availability for individuals
Commonly available, often as part of broader climate portfolios. However, nature-based approaches are not substitutes for durable carbon removal.

Nature-based “offsets” are often marketed as "carbon neutral", but they rely on temporary storage and do not provide the same durability, traceability, or claim certainty as durable, engineered carbon removal.

Why Remove Carbon Today starts with biochar

At Remove Carbon Today, we started with biochar because it combines durability (100+ years), low reversal risk, and robust certification at meaningful scale, making it a credible and accessible entry point for individuals who want to remove carbon today. It is also one of the few options that an individual can buy today with third-party verification and public registry proof of retirement.

4. How can individuals contribute today?

Individuals can take climate action in different ways. The main differences between available options are what they fund, whether they remove CO₂ or mainly reduce/avoid emissions, and how certain and timely the impact is. If your goal is to remove your personal footprint with clear proof, look for certified, ex-post carbon removal that is retired in a public registry (option C).

A) Broad climate contribution portfolios

Some consumer offerings pool funds across a wide range of climate-related activities. These portfolios may include a mix of avoided emissions, emission reductions, nature-based projects, and sometimes carbon removal.

  • What you fund: a broad set of climate actions rather than a specific amount of CO₂ removed
  • Certainty: impact depends on portfolio composition and methodology
  • Timing: climate benefits may occur over time rather than immediately

These options are designed to support climate action broadly, but they may not provide a clear one-to-one link between your purchase and a specific quantity of CO₂ removed.

B) Future-delivered carbon removal portfolios

Some platforms allow individuals to support durable carbon removal technologies that are emerging, such as direct air capture or mineralisation pathways.

  • What you fund: future delivery of carbon removal as projects scale
  • Certainty: high durability once delivered, but dependent on future project execution
  • Timing: removals are often delivered over multi-year timelines

These options help finance the development and growth of durable carbon removal, but typically involve waiting years for removals to be delivered and confirmed.

C) Direct purchase of certified, ex-post carbon removal

A smaller set of offerings allows individuals to directly purchase already-issued (ex-post) carbon removal certificates representing CO₂ that has already been removed and durably stored.

  • What you fund: a specific, verified amount of CO₂ already removed
  • Certainty: high - removals are independently verified, already issued, and traceably recorded in a public registry
  • Timing: removal is completed and retired, with proof provided shortly after purchase

This approach offers the most direct link between individual action and quick, measurable climate impact.

Where Remove Carbon Today fits

Remove Carbon Today focuses exclusively on direct, certified, ex-post carbon removal with durable storage for 100+ years (option C). The individual customers choose an amount, and once a full ton is reached, the corresponding removal certificate is retired in the public registry on your behalf and recorded publicly, with confirmation link provided within one month.

This makes it possible for individuals to act quickly, transparently, and meaningfully - without waiting years for impact.

5. Why durability and verification matter?

Not all carbon removal is equal. High-quality carbon removal should allow you to answer six simple questions:

  1. Is it real?
  2. How much was removed (net)?
  3. For how long?
  4. Is it independently verified?
  5. Can it be claimed only once?
  6. Is it publicly registered?

These questions are answered by the following core quality criteria of high-quality carbon removal:

  • Additionality & credible baselines (would not happen otherwise)
  • Quantification (including lifecycle emissions, net of impacts)
  • Durability (100+ years, ideally much longer)
  • Independent verification (third-party auditing)
  • No double counting (unique claim)
  • Traceable retirement (public registry record)

Without these elements, claims are difficult to trust.

For individuals, independent verification and traceable retirement are especially important, because you cannot inspect the removal yourself.

6. How does certified carbon removal work for individuals?

At scale, carbon removal projects are developed and operated by specialist companies using recognised methods and third-party standards.

Certified, ex-post carbon removal follows a defined, third-party process designed to ensure that each tonne of CO₂ removed is real, verified, and claimed only once. For individuals, the process typically works as follows:

1. CO₂ is physically removed and durably stored

A carbon removal project removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere using a recognised removal method and stores it in a stable form designed for long-term storage.

2. Independent auditors verify the removal

Accredited third-party auditors verify how much CO₂ was removed, net of lifecycle emissions, and confirm that the project meets the applicable quality and durability requirements of the applied removal method.

3. Removal certificates are issued

Once verified, a registry issues carbon dioxide removal certificates, each representing one ton of net CO₂ removed and stored. These certificates are tradeable assets.

4. Certificates are sold on the carbon removal market

The certificates are primarily sold to organisations as part of the voluntary carbon market. Increasingly, they are also made available to individuals, often through platforms that sells certified removals in smaller, accessible units.

5. Individuals purchase already-issued (ex-post) certificates

Individuals purchase these certificates (or parts of them) which means that the corresponding CO₂ has already been removed and verified, rather than promised for future delivery.

6. Certificates are retired on the individual’s behalf

When a carbon removal certificate is purchased, it is permanently retired so it cannot be sold or claimed again.

7. Retirement is recorded in a public registry

The retirement is recorded in a public registry, providing traceable proof that the removal has been claimed once and only once.

This system ensures that carbon removals used by individuals are real, measured, independently verified, and not double-counted.

Why Remove Carbon Today uses Puro.earth certificates

Remove Carbon Today uses Puro.earth certificates because they meet the highest current standards for durable, engineered carbon removal and provide clear, public proof of retirement.

Puro.earth focuses exclusively on engineered carbon removal methods with long-term storage, applies independent third-party verification, and maintains a public registry where each CO₂ Removal Certificate (CORC) is tracked from issuance to retirement.

This allows individuals to purchase carbon removal with high confidence that the CO₂ has been physically and durably removed, verified, and claimed only once, with transparent public records that they can independently check at any time.

7. How much carbon should an individual remove?

There is no single number that fits everyone — but there are clear ways to approach carbon removal meaningfully.

For individuals who have already reduced their emissions, carbon removal is about addressing what remains unavoidable.

A practical way to think about it is:

  • Focus on your residual emissions that are hard or impossible to eliminate (such as flying, heating, food, or consumption)
  • Decide whether you want to take targeted, ongoing, or full responsibility for those residual emissions.
  • Start with what feels realistic and matches how you think about responsibility and impact

In practice, people tend to choose one of three paths:

1. Remove specific emissions
Some people start by removing emissions from specific activities, such as flights, everyday food or coffee, or a new purchase like clothing, a smartphone, or a laptop. This works well if you want a clear link between actions and removals.

2. Remove the remainder on an ongoing basis
Others set up a monthly amount to continuously remove their residual emissions over time. This approach mirrors how emissions occur in daily life and supports steady progress toward net zero.

3. Remove your full remaining footprint
Some individuals choose to remove a larger amount in one go - such as one ton, their annual footprint, or even their estimated lifetime emissions. This approach fits people who want to take clear responsibility and reach personal net zero without delay.

What matters most is not choosing the smallest possible number, but choosing an amount that reflects your values and turns intent into real, durable, and independently verified impact.

8. Where Remove Carbon Today fits in?

Remove Carbon Today exists to make certified, ex-post carbon removal easily available to individuals.

We focus solely on offering already-issued (ex-post) carbon removal certificates to individuals with durable storage, independent verification, and public registry retirement. We provide a public confirmation link within one month of purchase.

In practical terms:

  • We purchase carbon dioxide removal certificates (CORCs) in bulk from certified, independently verified partners
  • We make removals available to individuals through our store in small or large quantities (kilogram-sized purchases are aggregated into full tons for retirement)
  • Once a full ton is sold, we retire one CORC on behalf of the customers
  • We record the retirement in the public Puro registry
  • Customers receive a public registry link confirming the retirement (within one month from purchase)

Our role is simple:
You choose the amount and pace of your removal, we manage and retire the certificates, and you receive public proof.

We focus exclusively on:

  • High-quality carbon removal (not avoidance or reductions)
  • Durable storage for 100+ years
  • Independently verified and certified projects
  • Already-issued ex-post CO2 removal certificates (not a future promise of removal)
  • Publicly registered and retired

9. How to start today (in under 5 minutes)?

If you want to remove your carbon emissions today:

  1. Accept that some residual emissions are unavoidable
  2. Choose certified, ex-post carbon removal (not vague offsets)
  3. Start with a clear, simple amount
  4. Ensure you receive a public registry link showing retirement

This turns climate concern into concrete action — with evidence.

In summary

Carbon removal allows individuals to:

  • Take responsibility for residual emissions
  • Go beyond reduction alone
  • Support solutions that physically remove CO₂ and help lower the excess already in the air

Reducing emissions slows the problem.
Removing carbon helps fix it.

Remove Carbon Today makes carbon removal accessible to individuals by sourcing certified, already-issued (ex-post) carbon removal and retiring the certificates on their behalf, with a public registry link as proof of retirement.

If you are ready to start, choose an amount to remove today - we will confirm your removal with public proof within one month.

Start removing your carbon today

Further reading

FAQ: Carbon removal for individuals

What does "carbon removal" actually mean?

Carbon removal means physically removing carbon dioxide (CO₂) that is already in the atmosphere and storing it in a stable form for the long term.

It differs from emission reductions (cutting future emissions) and avoidance (preventing future emissions).

Durable carbon removal typically refers to storage lasting centuries or longer, rather than decades.

Who is Remove Carbon Today?

Remove Carbon Today is an online store that makes durable, certified carbon removal accessible to individuals.

We offer already-issued (ex-post) carbon dioxide removal certificates with verified storage lasting 100+ years, tracked and retired in public registries such as Puro.earth.

Our focus is helping people take meaningful, verifiable action on their unavoidable emissions with proof of removal provided within one month.

How do I know the carbon is really removed?

Remove Carbon Today relies on crediting platforms, such as Puro.earth, for carbon removal methodologies, certification, independent verification, and public registry tracking.

Removals are issued as CO₂ Removal Certificates (CORCs) after third-party auditing, and certificates are retired when used so they cannot be claimed again.

Within one month of purchase, you receive a confirmation link that allows you to verify the retirement of your removal in the public registry.

When is my carbon removal completed?

Your removal is completed within one month of purchase, once the corresponding carbon removal certificate is retired on your behalf and recorded in the public registry. You will receive a confirmation email with a public registry link.

How is removal different from traditional offsets?

Traditional carbon offsets usually fund emission reductions or avoidance, such as projects that aim to prevent future emissions from occurring (for example, renewable energy or efficiency improvements). These approaches reduce the rate at which emissions grow, but they do not remove carbon dioxide that is already in the atmosphere.

Carbon removal is different. It physically removes CO₂ that has already been emitted and stores it durably, typically for centuries or longer. This makes carbon removal essential for mitigating global warming by reducing the total amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere, not just cutting future emissions.

In short: reductions and avoidance limit future emissions, whereas carbon removal deals with past emissions. Both are needed, but they serve fundamentally different roles.

Why do you focus on biochar?

Biochar is one of the most practical durable carbon removal options available to individuals today at meaningful scale. It stores carbon for 100+ years (often centuries) with low reversal risk when produced and applied correctly, and it can be measured, independently verified, and certified under established standards.

Remove Carbon Today starts with biochar and will make additional durable carbon removal methods available as they become sufficiently mature, verifiable, and accessible for individuals.

What is your pricing based on?

Pricing reflects the underlying cost of certified carbon removal certificates and the operation of the service. We price removals based on the average cost we pay for each verified CO₂ Removal Certificate (CORC), plus a transparent 10% margin to run, maintain, and improve the service (including payment processing, customer support, and ongoing development).

Durable, independently verified removals (like biochar) usually cost more than conventional offsets because they fund real, measured, ex-post CO₂ removal and long-term storage, rather than reduced or avoided emissions.