11 Aug 2026
How much land is needed for CO₂ removal? The STEPSEC web portal shows potentials, scenarios, and trade-offs of land-based CDR measures.
How much land is available in Germany for removing CO₂ from the atmosphere? Which land-based measures are suitable where – and what trade-offs may arise? A new interactive website developed by the STEPSEC research project makes research findings on these questions accessible and easy to explore.
Achieving climate targets requires more than substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. To address unavoidable residual emissions, carbon dioxide removal (CDR) – the removal of CO₂ from the atmosphere – will also be necessary. The CDRterra research programme investigates the potential, risks and requirements of different land-based CDR approaches, providing a scientific basis for assessing possible pathways towards climate neutrality. Part of this research was conducted within the STEPSEC collaborative project, led by Prof. Dr Julia Pongratz (LMU). STEPSEC analysed the potential of land-based CDR measures under realistic ecological and societal conditions. Its research focused, among other approaches, on afforestation, forest management and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), as well as their impacts on biodiversity, water resources and land use.
Interactive maps make research findings visible
The new STEPSEC website presents the results of the four-year research project through interactive maps. These maps illustrate the land-use potential for land-based CDR measures in Germany and show how strongly these potentials depend on different land-use scenarios. Land is a finite resource and is already under considerable pressure from agriculture, forestry, settlements, energy production and nature conservation. Additional land use for CDR can intensify existing competition between land-use demands, but may also create opportunities for synergies.
The STEPSEC analyses therefore focus not only on theoretical CO₂ removal potentials, but also on their feasibility under real-world conditions, taking into account soil and water availability, developments in agriculture, as well as socio-economic and political framework conditions.
CDR at the intersection of climate mitigation, land use and biodiversity
Land-intensive measures such as afforestation compete with other forms of land use in Germany. This raises important questions concerning food security, biodiversity and the equitable allocation of land. At the same time, nature-based afforestation can contribute to carbon sequestration while supporting ecological functions. STEPSEC therefore highlights the importance of considering CDR in an integrated manner and in the context of multifunctional land use.
Explore the interactive STEPSEC website.
Find out more about CDRterra here.