German Carbon Management Initiative

German Carbon Management Initiative

Advancing carbon management in Germany

Our Positions

With the entry into force of the new Carbon Dioxide Storage and Transport Act (KSpTG) in 2026, the transport and storage of CO2 became permissible in Germany in principle. Other important legal foundations were also established, including amendments to the Act on the Prohibition of Dumping Waste and Other Matter into the High Seas. In addition, CCU/S projects were explicitly included in the CO2 Contracts for Difference funding scheme. However, further legal, regulatory and financial support measures will be necessary to achieve genuine market scale-up. Policymakers must now create the conditions for the efficient, economically viable and sustainable management of CO2—and thus for a climate-neutral future. With its strong industrial base, infrastructure expertise and access to the North Sea, Germany has the potential to play a leading role in carbon management technologies.

  • Provide legal certainty for CO2 exports: Cross-border CO2 storage must be placed on a secure legal footing by ratifying the relevant provisions of the London Protocol or concluding bilateral agreements.
  • Provide targeted support for CCU/S: Funding instruments such as Contracts for Difference (CfDs) and long-term contractual models must create investment certainty and support the market scale-up of CCU/S projects.
  • Mitigate infrastructure risks: During the scale-up phase, operators of major CO2 infrastructure projects must be adequately protected against systemic failure and capacity-utilisation risks.
  • Expand European CO2 infrastructure: Germany needs a high-performance, multimodal CO2 transport infrastructure with European corridors, connections to storage sites and export options via terminals and pipelines.
  • Establish a framework for negative emissions: Technologies for the permanent removal of CO2, such as Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS) and Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), must become economically viable and be firmly embedded in climate strategies.
  • Advance low-carbon hydrogen: Hydrogen produced using low-carbon processes involving CCS must be recognised as part of the German and European hydrogen strategies and supported by reliable regulatory frameworks and appropriate investment incentives.

The German Carbon Management Initiative (DCMI) is the central platform for companies in the CO2 value chain in Germany.

It pools expertise along the entire CO2 value chain – from carbon capture technologies to trade and transportation to the storage and the use of CO2 – in order to promote carbon management in Germany. The initiative promotes dialog between industry, science, environmental associations and politics. The aim is to establish carbon management as an effective climate protection instrument and to create the political and economic framework conditions for the market ramp-up. The initiative is supported by Die Gas- und Wasserstoffwirtschaft e.V. (The German Gas and Hydrogen Industry).

Alongside renewable energies and hydrogen, carbon management is essential for capturing, transporting and safely storing hard-to-avoid and unavoidable CO2 emissions or using them as a raw material. Germany needs a clear legal framework and an efficient CO2 infrastructure in order to keep pace with its European neighbors.

The DCMI is committed to economically viable and socially accepted carbon management. It helps shape the political framework, drives forward the development of the CO2 infrastructure and communicates transparently to the public, politicians and industry about the opportunities and necessity of CCU/S.

Actively Shaping Carbon Management

Initiated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), the Carbon Management Forum brings together expertise from industry, academia and associations. It advises the Ministry on shaping the framework conditions for carbon management and developing the Carbon Management Action Plan.

  • Play an active role in the Carbon Management Forum: DCMI is represented on the Forum’s steering committee and contributes its perspective directly to the policymaking process.
  • Chair the Transport Working Group: DCMI also assumes responsibility for shaping the CO2 transport infrastructure and chairs the Transport Working Group.
  • Contribute members’ expertise: Numerous DCMI members participate in the working groups on transport and storage, contributing expertise from across the entire CO2 value chain.

Industry Voices

  • Germany is set to become a strong leader and valued partner when it comes to implementing CCS on the European stage. As a founding member of the Deutsche Carbon Management Initiative, Höegh Evi is highly motivated to pioneer CCS solutions for the German market. We believe in building strong partnerships and executing innovate thinking to support Germany’s path to zero.

    Nils Jakob Hasle
    Executive Vice President Clean Energy, Höegh Evi
  • ENGIE Supply & Energy Management assumes the role of midstreamer in carbon management: we bundle transport and storage solutions in a growing portfolio and offer our customers pick up CO2 directly at the factory gate and sequester it safely. This portfolio enables us to create planning security, reduce risks and costs, and enable our customers to concentrate on their core business. DCMI supports us in this by connecting stakeholders and accelerating market ramp-up – an important step for the industry.

    Dr. Sebastian Scholz
    VP Green/Clean Gas, ENGIE Energy Management Solutions
  • Measurement technology is the key to successful carbon management. Precise measurements are essential for the safe and efficient implementation of CCUS: they monitor processes, create transparency and strengthen confidence in new technologies. Endress+Hauser actively supports the German Carbon Management Initiative and the industry in this transformation with innovative solutions that make carbon management measurable and therefore possible.

    Frederik Effenberger
    Industry Manager | MM Marketing, Endress+Hauser
  • For OGE, carbon management is a central component of the energy transition. As a leading infrastructure company, we are taking responsibility for actively shaping climate-neutral solutions and safely transporting CO2 within the framework of CCS and CCU. The German Carbon Management Initiative offers a strong platform for the exchange and development of joint strategies in the field of carbon management. Together, we can drive forward the transformation of industry and create sustainable prospects.

    Dr. Klaus Altfeld
    Head of Corporate Development, OGE
  • As the TÜV NORD GROUP, we are sending a clear signal in favour of decarbonisation and actively shaping a low-carbon future. Through our membership in the German Carbon Management Initiative, we are committed to responsibility and innovation: We contribute our technical expertise, our experience in consulting and engineering, and our commitment to safety and sustainability to drive forward carbon management solutions along the entire value chain. Together with our partners, we are laying the foundations for intelligent sector coupling, the expansion of storage storage and transport infrastructure, and the development of future-proof technologies – for a secure, efficient and climate-neutral industry.

    Silvio Konrad
    Management TÜV NORD EnSys GmbH & Co. KG
  • Good connections in Europe and cooperation in the value chain are important for the sustainable future of Dutch and European industry. We have no time to lose to offer industry in the Netherlands and beyond sufficient opportunities for sustainability. This is crucial for achieving climate targets and supporting the energy transition in north-western Europe. One of the possibilities is the DRC project, which offers a response to the growing demand for cross-border transport and storage of CO2.

    Hans Coenen
    Member of the Executive Board of Gasunie
  • Carbon capture and storage (CCS) will make an important contribution to climate protection – especially for industry in eastern and central Germany. We expect that a network for transporting CO2 will also be established in the future. At ONTRAS, we are already working intensively on this potential business area. The German Carbon Management Initiative offers a strong platform for jointly developing strategies and driving forward industrial transformation.

    Ralph Bahke
    Managing Director, Control and Development, ONTRAS
  • At VNG, we see ourselves as designers and enablers of a sustainable infrastructure for industry in eastern and central Germany. Our many years of experience in trading, transport and storage of molecules flows into the analysis of how VNG can support industry in its transformation through carbon management in the future. The German Carbon Management Initiative is a forum for bringing together this expertise and the various technical perspectives. Cooperation and partnerships, as well as reliable, legally secure and capital market-compatible framework conditions are essential.

    Hans-Joachim Polk
    Executive Board Member for Infrastructure and Technology, VNG AG

Partners

We are the German Carbon Management Initiative. Our partners cover the entire CO2 value chain – from capture and transportation to use and storage. Our shared vision is to establish carbon management as an effective climate protection instrument.

  • Endress + Hauser – Partner der Deutschen Carbon Management Initiative
  • Logo von engie – Partner der Deutschen Carbon Management
  • Everllence – Partner der Deutschen Carbon Management Initiative
  • fluxys - Partner der DMCI
  • Gasunie – Partner der Deutschen Carbon Management Initiative
  • Höegh EVI – Partner der Deutschen Carbon Management Initiative
  • OGE – Partner der Deutschen Carbon Management Initiative
  • Ontras – Partner der Deutschen Carbon Management Initiative
  • SEFE – – Partner der Deutschen Carbon Management Initiative
  • Uniper – Partner der Deutschen Carbon Management Initiative
  • TÜV NORD GROUP
  • VNG – Partner der Deutschen Carbon Management

CO2 value chain

  • The capture of CO2 from industrial point sources, biomass and the atmosphere plays an integral role in meeting climate targets and defossilizing industry.

    More information
  • CO2-Transport

    CO2 transport: The development of a CO2 infrastructure is necessary to transport captured CO2 safely to the site of either storage or utilization.

    CO2-Transport
    More information
  • German Carbon Management Initiative

    The secure storage of CO2 in geological formations can make an important contribution to climate neutrality.

    German Carbon Management Initiative
    More information
  • Captured CO2 can be used for industrial processes and thus become an important source of raw materials. The use of captured CO2 is an important aspect of a circular economy.

    More information

Carbon Management

Carbon capture and storage is essential for achieving climate neutrality and facilitating negative emissions. The technologies are available, the political framework is taking shape, and companies are ready to support the successful ramp-up of CCU/S. Germany has the opportunity to take a pioneering role – and that is precisely what we are advocating.

Projects

  • Beacons for Successful Carbon Management

    We present projects – from capture and transportation to CO2 storage and use – that signal the start of a sustainable and viable CO2 economy. Companies are leading the way with innovative solutions, customized technologies and a pioneering spirit.

Contact

I would like to learn more about the German Carbon Management Initiative. 

Support the transformation towards climate neutrality by accelerating economically viable and socially accepted carbon management in Germany. Become part of the German Carbon Management Initiative now.

Rasmus Portmann
Your contact person