How to Become a Net Zero Company
Carbon Offsetting for Businesses Explained
How Businesses Can Purchase Carbon Removals
Speak to our Farming Manager
Ontario Hay Trial Report
The Kingston Wollastonite Rebate
UNDO Farmers Program in Canada
How Silicon Boosts Crop Health
All Resources
Farmer & Landowner FAQs
Our Science
Our Technology
Quarries & Mines
Climate Glossary
Downloads
Podcasts
In the Media
" />
Barclays has signed a landmark agreement with UK-based climate technology company UNDO to permanently remove 6,538 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This represents the largest enhanced rock weathering (ERW) deal of its kind to date in Britain by a British offtaker, and a major step forward for the carbon removal sector.
A Landmark Agreement
Under the offtake, we will spread finely crushed silicate rock across 10,000 acres of farmland as part of our project in Ontario, Canada. As the rock naturally weathers, it captures and stores CO₂ while also enriching soils, delivering both climate and agricultural benefits.
Commenting on Barclays’ first major carbon removal offtake, Daniel Hanna, Global Head of Sustainable and Transition Finance at Barclays, said:
“Having reduced our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 95%, we are complementing our core net zero operations strategy by investing in permanent carbon removal. UNDO’s approach to enhanced rock weathering offers the potential for a scalable solution to permanent carbon removal, which is pioneering, and one we’re proud to support through this landmark offtake.”
Why Enhanced Rock Weathering?
Carbon removal is not a replacement for rapid emissions reduction; it is a necessary complement. Even if emissions were to stop tomorrow, the world would still need to remove billions of tonnes of CO₂ already in the atmosphere to keep climate goals within reach.
Enhanced rock weathering accelerates a natural process that has regulated Earth’s climate for millions of years. When silicate rock is finely crushed and spread on farmland, it reacts with CO₂ in rainwater and soil, converting it into bicarbonate that is safely transported to the oceans and stored for hundreds of thousands of years.
The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, estimates that ERW, if deployed at scale, could remove up to four billion tonnes of CO₂ annually, equivalent to 40 percent of the global carbon removal needed by 2050.
Because ERW uses abundant natural minerals and existing farming infrastructure, it is one of the few solutions that can achieve gigatonne-scale removal while also supporting soil health, crop resilience, and farming communities.
Barclays’ Net Zero Operations Strategy
This partnership complements Barclays’ net zero operations strategy, which is primarily focused on decarbonising the most emission-intensive areas of the bank’s operations. Since 2018, Barclays has achieved a 95% reduction in its Scope 1 and Scope 2 market-based absolute emissions, driven by a multi-year programme of real estate right-sizing, energy efficiency improvements, and a shift to renewable electricity sourcing.
In 2024, Barclays generated approximately half a billion pounds in revenues from sustainable and transition-related activity and invested £239 million into over 20 climate technology companies via its £500 million Barclays Climate Ventures programme.
By backing carbon removal with UNDO, Barclays is helping to expand a category of solutions that will be vital in achieving global climate goals.
Scaling With Credibility
We are at the forefront of deploying enhanced rock weathering at commercial scale. Since our founding in 2022, we have worked with leading partners across science, farming and industry to bring ERW from theory into practice.
UNDO already partners with leading brands including British Airways, Microsoft and McLaren Racing, and is targeting the spreading of millions of tonnes of rock each year as a step towards billion-tonne scale operations.
In April 2025, UNDO was named one of four global winners of the $100 million XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition.
Jim Mann, Founder and CEO of UNDO, said:
“This offtake is a powerful vote of confidence in UNDO’s ability to scale rapidly. With the backing of forward-thinking organisations like Barclays, we are expanding enhanced rock weathering across farming communities, delivering measurable co-benefits such as stronger soils, healthier crops and higher yields. This landmark partnership validates the expansion of one of the most impactful carbon removal solutions available today.”
The Role Of Insurance In Scaling Carbon Removal
The Barclays and UNDO agreement is underwritten by CFC, a specialist insurance provider that supports high-quality carbon market initiatives by mitigating risk and enabling transactions.
Insurance is increasingly seen as a critical enabler for carbon removal. It provides banks and investors with confidence that projects will deliver, unlocking more capital for scaling solutions like ERW.
George Beattie, Head of Innovation at CFC, said:
“The private sector has a vital role to play in meeting global climate goals, and insurance can be a powerful tool to de-risk these financing activities, giving banks and investors the confidence to commit more capital to credible projects. We’re proud to support Barclays and UNDO in delivering this innovative transaction.”
From Farms to Gigatonnes
Our operations are rooted in farming communities. By working directly with farmers, we ensure that rock spreading not only captures carbon but also strengthens soils and crops. Wollastonite and other silicate rocks can help stabilise soil pH, release beneficial nutrients like calcium and magnesium, and improve plant resilience.
These agronomic benefits are central to our model. Carbon removal becomes both a climate intervention and an agricultural one, supporting food security and farming resilience while storing carbon durably.
Looking ahead, we are targeting the spreading of millions of tonnes of rock each year as a step towards billion-tonne-scale operations. Our ambition is to remove over one billion tonnes of atmospheric CO₂ in accessible, affordable, nature-friendly ways.
Looking Forward
This agreement marks a milestone for enhanced rock weathering in the UK, showing how finance, science and farming can come together to deliver permanent, high-quality carbon removal.
With Barclays’ support, we are continuing to expand our reach, scaling from pilot projects to gigatonne potential. Alongside farmers, scientists, insurers and corporate buyers, we are building the foundations of a carbon removal sector that is both credible and scalable.
As climate change accelerates, solutions like enhanced rock weathering will be essential. Agreements like this are proof that the momentum is building.
Explore Enhanced Rock Weathering
How crushed rock and rainwater lock away CO2 for the long term. What this means for soils, measurement, and permanence.
