Schneider Electric has signed its first high-durability carbon removal agreement with Swiss carbon removal specialist Climeworks, marking Climeworks’ largest portfolio deal to date. The partnership will see 31,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide permanently removed from the atmosphere by 2039.
Under the agreement, Climeworks will deliver carbon removal for Schneider Electric using three technology-based solutions: Direct Air Capture and Storage (DACS), Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), and Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW). Each of these methods can lock away carbon for thousands of years, significantly exceeding the durability of most traditional offset projects.
The deal forms part of Schneider Electric’s pathway to achieving net zero across its entire value chain by 2050. The company has pledged to reduce its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 90% by 2030 (against a 2017 baseline) and achieve “net-zero ready” operations. The credits generated through Climeworks projects will neutralise a portion of Schneider’s residual emissions once these reductions are met.
“Both carbon removal and carbon reduction are fundamental to achieving our climate goals,” said Esther Finidori, Schneider Electric’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “This agreement represents an important step in diversifying our carbon removal portfolio with high-durability solutions as we prepare for the journey to 2050.”
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has validated Schneider Electric’s net-zero targets, which require emissions reductions of at least 90% and the use of high-quality removals to offset residual emissions. The agreement with Climeworks signals Schneider’s commitment to scaling both technology-based and nature-based carbon removals in line with evolving standards.
Climeworks co-CEO Christoph Gebald described the partnership as a milestone: “Schneider Electric is nothing short of an institution, and we are proud to provide them with the most durable carbon removal available. Demand for solutions that can store CO₂ permanently will only grow, making early access essential for forward-looking companies.”
Carbon removal technologies are still maturing, but require large-scale infrastructure development to reach the billions of tonnes needed by mid-century. Climeworks said long-term commitments such as Schneider Electric’s are vital to provide certainty to project developers and investors, while also helping to drive down costs.
The collaboration also aims to advance energy efficiency and cost-reduction pathways for Direct Air Capture, while refining monitoring and verification for Enhanced Rock Weathering. Schneider Electric will also continue to support nature-based projects through initiatives such as the Livelihoods Carbon Fund and its subsidiary EcoAct.
By diversifying across multiple carbon removal pathways, Schneider Electric and Climeworks hope to strengthen the credibility and scalability of a sector seen as indispensable to global net-zero targets.
