
West Coast Innovations in
Carbon Removal 2026
The State of Carbon Removal in West Coast
Carbon removal on the West Coast is moving from early-stage experimentation to disciplined industrial deployment. What began as a wave of pilot ventures is consolidating into a sector defined by bankability, delivery timelines and integration with existing industrial systems. The region remains technically advantaged, with extensive geological storage, established permitting in provinces such as Alberta and Saskatchewan, access to low-carbon energy, and strong industrial foundations across forestry, mining and energy.
However, a structural advantage without acceleration is fragile. Competing jurisdictions now combine similar geological capacity with faster capital deployment and stronger incentives, notably the US 45Q tax credit. While Canada’s Investment Tax Credit improves project economics, large-scale facilities still require long-term, creditworthy offtake agreements to secure financing. Capital is mobile, and projects will gravitate to markets where funding certainty is greatest.
Carbon removal is increasingly being reframed from discretionary climate expenditure to strategic asset creation. Biogenic and engineered removals, particularly under mechanisms such as Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, are emerging as bankable and tradable instruments. Capturing emissions from forestry residues, pulp mills and wildfire-prone landscapes converts unmanaged carbon flows into certified assets with material balance sheet and trade implications.
Demand remains the binding constraint. Technical readiness has outpaced durable market formation, and voluntary buyers alone cannot underwrite infrastructure-scale deployment. Significant capital requirements, long revenue horizons, fragmented standards and inconsistent policy signals continue to slow progress and heighten credibility risks.
The sector is now defined by delivery. Carbon removal is positioning itself as enabling infrastructure for hard-to-abate sectors, including aviation, maritime transport, defence and heavy industry. Maturity will be measured in operating facilities, verified tonnes delivered and coherent policy alignment, rather than announcements or ambition alone.
Key Takeaways from Carbon Unbound West Coast 2026
1. Carbon removal is firmly on Canada’s public agenda
We closed with remarks from Wade Grant, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, underscoring a clear signal: government is stepping into its role as an enabler of scale. Carbon removal is no longer peripheral. It is becoming embedded in Canada’s climate and industrial strategy.
2. Markets are demanding accountability
The conversation has shifted from pilots to performance. Buyers are prioritising durable credits, bankable infrastructure and credible pathways to scale. The next phase of the market will reward projects that can demonstrate measurable impact, operational resilience and long term viability.
3. Policy is the engine room
Regulation is increasingly determining what gets financed and built. From North America’s evolving voluntary carbon markets to Canada’s offsets framework and global mechanisms such as the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement, policy is not simply influencing the market. It is actively shaping it.
4. Scaling must be responsible
Growth without guardrails is not an option. Indigenous ownership and Free, Prior and Informed Consent, responsible DAC siting, sustainable biomass use and mining linked removals all reinforced a central theme: scale must be grounded in strong social licence and environmental integrity.
5. Investment momentum is building
Investor and buyer supplier sessions were full and focused, generating high intent conversations that compressed months of introductions into minutes. Capital is active, strategic and increasingly informed. The pipeline of investable projects continues to strengthen.
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Our Sponsors
Platinum
Isometric is a carbon crediting standard and registry that issues high-quality, scientifically-backed credits for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) projects. It functions as a registry for carbon credits, where one credit represents one ton of carbon dioxide permanently removed from the atmosphere. Isometric provides a transparent platform to track these credits from issuance to retirement, ensuring scientific rigor, durability, and additionality for every credit. The company's goal is to scale carbon removal responsibly by rebuilding trust in the carbon market through its stringent standards and public registry.

We make filters and rotary contactor machines that capture and remove CO2, a greenhouse gas, from industrial emissions and the air. Our proven carbon capture technology is based on unique solid adsorbents — and it’s scalable, eco-friendly, and commercially available today.
OUR UNIQUE APPROACH TO CARBON CAPTURE
Based on environmentally friendly solid sorbent technology, our carbon capture and removal solutions offer companies in heavy emitting, hard-to-decarbonize industries a commercially viable way to capture and remove CO2 emissions. The CO2 we capture is concentrated to pipeline-grade purity, which can be safely transported and stored underground or used to make other products.

Gold
Carbon Engineering (CE) is a Canadian-based clean energy company leading the commercialization of ground breaking technology that captures CO₂ directly from air, and a second technology that synthesizes it into clean, affordable transportation fuels.
EcoEngineers, an LRQA company, is a consulting, auditing, and advisory firm with an exclusive focus on the energy transition and decarbonization. From innovation to impact, Eco helps its clients navigate the disruption caused by carbon emissions and climate change. Eco helps organizations stay informed, measure emissions, make investment decisions, maintain compliance, and manage data through the lens of carbon accounting. Its team of engineers, scientists, auditors, consultants, and researchers live and work at the intersection of low-carbon fuel policy, innovative technologies, and the carbon marketplace. Eco was established in 2009 to steer low-carbon fuel producers through the complexities of emerging energy regulations in the United States.

Gold Standard is an independent NGO committed to ensuring climate action delivers real impact. Gold Standard exists to encourage leaders to take bold climate action that delivers for nature and people with a clear framework and practical tools that turn commitments into real, measurable impact. We do this by empowering organisations to take actions and channel finance to where it matters most, to deliver measurable benefits for people, nature and the planet.

Silver
At Biochar Club™, we use our patent-pending M-Kiln™ pyrolysis technology to deliver precision-controlled biochar to members at one of the lowest costs in the industry. Working with foresters, composters, growers, and disaster-management specialists, we provide affordable access to high-quality biochar. Members are rewarded for delivering long-term durable carbon storage and soil restoration at scale, verified and monitored in real-time by our integrated KilnOS™, which is auditable to all major international carbon registry standards.
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Fasken is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers and ten offices on three continents. Clients rely on us for practical and innovative legal services. We provide results-driven strategies to solve the most complex business and litigation challenges.

Bronze
Carboneers empowers smallholder farmers by providing investments, advanced technology, and education to transform agricultural biomass waste into biochar. This innovative process locks carbon in a stable, fossil-like form for over a thousand years. It bridges climate finance from the Global North to the Global South, enhancing farmers' incomes while making soils more resilient to climate change.
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Charm Industrial is working to return the atmosphere to 280 ppm CO₂. We design, build and operate a fleet of mobile fast pyrolyzers that convert ag and forest biomass residues into Charm Bio-oil and Charm Biochar for use in permanent carbon removal. At scale, Charm Bio-oil can be used to reduce iron ore into metallic iron to help decarbonize industrial emissions from steelmaking.
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Kickstarter
Cambrian Carbon is redefining what’s possible in mining by turning waste into an asset. Our breakthrough mineral carbonation technology delivers scalable and verifiable carbon storage. Designed for seamless integration into existing systems, our reactor technology has demonstrable performance, with low energy requirements and significant CO2 storage capacity – capable of delivering megatons of CDR per site each year. Our reactor design is based on previous patented technologies, that are currently processing over a quarter of a billion tons of material in the mining industry annually.
Beyond credit generation and meaningful climate change mitigation, we deliver an integrated value stack: carbon credits and maximised resource value resulting in reduced tailings liability, circular economy use of material, enhanced metal recovery and benefits for closure.
We’re already partnered with mining companies globally, with an abundant supply of feedstock. Our technologies are engineered for mining but built for net-zero.
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De-Risking Finance for Carbon Removal Solutions
What will it take to make carbon removal investable at scale? This session cuts straight to the answers, exploring real-world risks, financing models, and insurance solutions that could unlock serious capital. A must-listen for anyone interested in turning carbon removal into a bankable, scalable market.
Carbon Unbound Emissions Report 2025-2026
The following sections provides an overview of the carbon emissions associated with Carbon Unbound West Coast. We highlight the key sources of impact and outline practical steps we will take to reduce our event footprint. This is our effort to quantify emissions with reference to the GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard, and we are working toward fuller alignment in future reporting cycles.
Aim and Priorities
We aim to reduce the carbon footprint of our conferences and move steadily towards Net Zero, while continuing to deliver high-quality events for our community.
Our Priorities
Understanding Our Emissions
We are improving how we collect and calculate emissions data so we can make more informed decisions and track real progress.
Reducing Travel Emissions
We are prioritising location-specific conferences to help further reduce long-distance travel.
Taking Practical Action
We are identifying realistic, achievable ways to reduce emissions across event planning, suppliers, venues, and logistics.
Building a Clear Pathway to Net Zero
Using what we learn from our emissions data, we are developing a long-term plan to reduce our impact event by event.
Scope & Boundaries
The organisational and operational boundaries for this report has been prepared with reference to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard and Scope 3 guidance.
This report covers event related emissions for Carbon Unbound West Coast 2026 only. For this report, Unbound has defined the boundary using an event-operational approach.
Scope & Boundaries
The organisational and operational boundaries for this report has been prepared with reference to the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard and Scope 3 guidance.
This report covers event related emissions for Carbon Unbound West Coast 2026 only. For this report, Unbound has defined the boundary using an event-operational approach.
Organisational Boundaries
The event boundary includes emissions that occur:
- During the defined event dates
- From travel directly associated with attending the event (Attendee and staff travel to and from the event (flights, trains, cars))
- From goods and services procured specifically for event delivery
- Venue energy use during the event
- Catering, materials and supplies used specifically for the event
- Event-related transportation, e.g., equipment delivery, shuttles
- Accommodation for a 2-night stay for all the attendees.
Unbound does not own or control:
Venue buildings
Utility contracts
On-site infrastructure
Accommodations booked by attendees
Excluded from this boundary:
Corporate office operations
Employee commuting unrelated to event travel
Attendee activities unrelated to event participation
Digital platform and software emissions
Supply chain impacts beyond event-specific procurement
Reporting Period
Carbon Unbound West Coast: 22–23 January 2026, Vancouver, Canada.
This event-based inventory represents the first phase of Unbound’s climate reporting. Future annual reporting will expand the boundary to include:
Office/workspace energy use
Employee commuting
Business travel beyond events
Digital infrastructure and software usage
Broader supply chain categories
Heading
Affordable and Clean Energy
Using energy efficient venues and equipment.
Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Continue to promote sustainable industries, research, and innovations to facilitate sustainable development.
Sustainable Cities & Communities
Hosting more local and regional events.
Responsible Consumption & Production
Reducing waste at our events.
Climate Action
Cutting our carbon footprint.
Partnerships for the Goals
Working together for sustainability and foster more cross-border collaborations.
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Indigo to Sell 2.85 Million Tonnes of Carbon Removal to Microsoft, Supporting Soil Health Through Regenerative Agriculture
Why this matters: A buyer at Microsoft’s scale committing long-term reinforces that soil carbon and regenerative agriculture are becoming a serious pillar of CDR procurement. Additionally, the deal supports thousands of American farmers across millions of acres.
Ludovic Chatoux, Co-founder & CEO, Rainbow
'We were especially happy to have Carbon Unbound in Canada this year. It's a fantastic venue for us, especially as buyers, to meet as many carbon project developers as possible. It has one of the largest concentrations of developers on the market.'
- Julien Manceaux, Senior Decarbonization Strategist, TD Bank
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Scaling Demand: What’s Steering Buyer Decisions?
Curious what’s driving decisions in the carbon removal market? This session explored how buyers navigated trade-offs between nature-based and engineered solutions, how governments and corporations shape demand, and how innovative models like pre-purchase agreements and Buyers Clubs scaled impact. Filled with insights on adapting to supply challenges and rethinking incentives, it offered a front-row view of the evolving carbon removal landscape.
'Some buy a little, some start with purchasing a lot. It doesn’t matter so much about the volume, what matters is buying something to signal the demand is there.'
- Tadanao Matsudaira, Deputy General Manager, Decarbonization Group, NYK LINE
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Breakfast Briefing: The Path Toward Decarbonizing Freight & Flight: Aviation & Shipping
The breakfast briefing looked at how CORSIA and the Poseidon Principles could work together to support carbon removal in aviation and shipping. It discussed the main technical, legal, and financial barriers, how sustainable aviation and marine fuels can help reach net zero, and the key opportunities and challenges for growing carbon removal in the next five to ten years.
Charm Industrial has signed a long-term offtake agreement with TD Bank for 44,000 tonnes of carbon removals
Why this matters: TD's commitment reinforces that durable CDR is moving from experimentation to long-term procurement, while demonstrating that the Canadian government's strong CDR initiatives are taking shape. Read more.
'Carbon unbound is one of the best curated and organised events I attend every year. I always learn, get market intelligence and form collaboration or partnerships.'
- Tripp Wall, Founder & CEO, Pantheon Regeneration
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Investor Playbook: Unlocking High-Integrity CDR Across North America
This session explored how investors are shaping the carbon removal market in North America. It unpacked who is investing, where the biggest financing gaps lie, and which co-investment and blended financing models proved most effective. Participants also examined how investors weighed nature-based versus engineered solutions and how emerging regional hubs could collaborate to build a stronger, integrated CDR network.
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Register Your Interest For 2027
The 2026 mission landed on Canada’s west coast. If you wanted to help build the next wave of gigaton-scale solutions in 2027, register your interest and stay connected.




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