Building Markets to Scale Carbon Management Solutions

Overview

As global energy demand grows and the urgency of climate action intensifies, Carbon Management Solutions (CMS) are increasingly recognized as essential tools for helping balance economic resilience, energy security, and emissions reduction. The International Energy Forum's latest report, Building Markets to Scale Carbon Management Solutions, explores how comprehensive policy frameworks and commercial market development can unlock the full potential of CMS, from Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) to clean hydrogen.

Drawing on global project data, emerging patent trends, and private-sector investment patterns, the report highlights how accelerating CMS deployment will require a shift from reliance on public subsidies to more dynamic, market-based strategies.

"The global deployment of CCUS is gaining momentum, but to achieve meaningful impact, we urgently need broader international participation, robust system-level policy frameworks, and cross-sector investment."

Jassim Alshirawi
Secretary General, IEF

Key findings include:

• Global CMS-CCUS deployment is accelerating but remains geographically concentrated.
• Over one-third of active CCUS firms have been established since 2020, signalling a surge in innovation.
• Optimizing the CCUS value chain can enhance scale, reduce costs, and accelerate deployment.
• High capture costs remain a major barrier to scaling carbon management systems.

"Effective carbon management depends on technological breakthroughs and successful projects but more dialogue across governments, industry, and finance communities is needed."

Christof van Agt Ross
Director of Energy Dialogue, IEF

Key Charts

About the International Energy Forum

The International Energy Forum (IEF) is the global home of energy dialogue. With a broad mandate to examine all energy issues, the IEF has a particular focus on Energy Security, Data Transparency and Energy Transitions. Neutral, inclusive, and focussed on building trust for a secure, affordable, and sustainable energy future, the IEF is an intergovernmental organization that brings all voices to the table.

With a membership that spans all six continents, IEF Ministers represent producing, consuming, and transit nations throughout established and emerging global energy supply chains.