Negative emissions will challenge global resource supply and environmental limits

Meeting the climate goals will most likely require the large-scale deployment of Negative Emissions Technologies or Practices (NETPs), yet their sustainability implications remain poorly understood. Here, we conduct a prospective life cycle assessment of multiple NETPs, integrating mineral resource, health, and absolute sustainability indicators to quantify the impacts of CO₂ removal (CDR) between 2030 and 2050. Our comprehensive analysis reveals previously overlooked bottlenecks: biochar and bioenergy with carbon capture and storage could sharply raise nutrient demand, further compromising food security, while direct air carbon capture and storage and ocean liming could critically exacerbate the mining levels of key mineral resources, despite generating the least collateral damage. These findings will help guide the sustainable and safe expansion of the CDR industry by balancing multiple risks, thereby minimizing unintended environmental and resource-related consequences.