Nature-based vs technology solutions
Soils, biochar, DAC: strengths and limits of each family
Climate teams structuring a 3 to 5 year purchasing strategy.
Nature-based: accessible volumes, affordable prices, co-benefits. Technology: strong permanence, high prices, limited scalability. A mixed portfolio is now the norm.
Beyond removal vs avoidance, another distinction structures the market: nature-based solutions and technology solutions. Each family has its own economics and its own logic.
Nature-based: soils, agroforestry, forests, mangroves. Broad volumes, rich co-benefits.
Technology: DAC, BECCS, industrial biochar. Strong permanence, high prices.
Recommended mix: majority nature-based, minority technology for permanence.
Nature-based: strengths and limits
Nature-based solutions cover every approach relying on living ecosystems. Agriculture: soil carbon from regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, livestock with improved grazing management. Forest: new plantings (afforestation and reforestation), conservation and forest restoration (REDD+, IFM), mangroves and peatlands. Strengths: very large potential volumes (global soil sequestration potential reaches several gigatonnes per year per the IPCC), affordable prices (typically 20 to 200 €/tCO₂e), documented co-benefits (biodiversity, water, rural livelihoods, climate resilience). Limits: semi-permanent storage (10 to 100 years for soils, longer for forests), exposure to climate hazards (fires, droughts, pests), more complex MRV than for technology.
Technology solutions: strengths and limits
Technology solutions rely on dedicated industrial facilities. Direct Air Capture (DAC) pulls CO₂ from the atmosphere via chemical filters and stores it underground: Climeworks, Carbon Engineering, Heirloom are the main players. BECCS (Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage) burns biomass for energy while capturing emitted CO₂. Industrial biochar turns biomass into stable charcoal buried in soils. Accelerated carbonation (concrete or basalt rocks) mineralises CO₂. Strengths: long permanence (1,000+ years geologically, 100+ years for biochar), direct measurability (weigh what goes in, weigh what comes out), no exposure to climate hazards. Limits: very high prices (300 to 1,000 €/tCO₂e for DAC), limited volumes (Climeworks Mammoth in Iceland captures 36,000 t/year), strong dependence on low-carbon energy.
The permanence question
Permanence is the criterion that structures the price premium between nature-based and technology. For soils, we speak of semi-permanent storage: the stable fraction of humus stays 100 years or more, but the labile fraction can re-mineralise within a few years if practices are abandoned. Standards require a monitoring horizon (typically 20 to 40 years) and a buffer pool. For forests, permanence depends on management and exposure to risks (fire). For biochar, permanence is intrinsic to the material (stable aromatic carbon). For geological DAC, permanence is measured in millennia. The stronger the permanence required, the higher the price. This hierarchy justifies the technology premium for buyers aiming for strict net-zero alignment.
Co-benefits: a real nature-based differentiator
Nature-based solutions offer a range of measurable co-benefits that technology solutions do not replicate. Regenerative agriculture: improved soil biodiversity (earthworms, mycorrhizae, microbiota), better water retention, reduced erosion, landscape restoration, economic support to farmers (€30 to €120/ha/year additional income in France). Forests: biodiversity protection, water cycle regulation, resources for local communities. These co-benefits are valued by the Gold Standard programme through its Safeguarding Principles, and form a strong argument for the corporate narrative. For a buyer whose communication speaks to consumers or employees sensitive to biodiversity, nature-based carries an emotional weight that DAC cannot replicate.
The recommended mix in 2026
The emerging consensus among serious corporate buyers: a mixed portfolio. A nature-based majority (typically 70 to 80 %) for volume, cost and territorial impact. A technology share (15 to 25 %) for strong permanence and net-zero alignment. The remainder potentially in high-integrity avoidance (CCP-certified REDD+, Gold Standard cookstoves). The exact proportion depends on budget, sector and communication strategy. For €100,000 budget: 80 % nature-based, 15 % biochar, 5 % avoidance. For €1M budget: possibility to add DAC. For ambitious net-zero strategies (Microsoft, Stripe), DAC share rises to 30-50 % as the target year approaches.
When to shift towards technology removals
Three moments justify a technology shift. (1) Net-zero strategy approaching deadline: as 2050 nears, the removal share must increase, with growing long-permanence requirements. DAC and BECCS become structurally necessary. (2) Hard-to-abate sectors: industries whose residual emissions will be hard to bring to zero (aviation, cement, heavy chemicals) must plan for durable removals to reach real net-zero. (3) Will to signal strong ambition: market pioneers (Microsoft, Frontier consortium) source DAC to signal to investors and clients that they take the topic seriously. Timing of the shift depends on your trajectory: 2030+ for most, earlier for those who want to position themselves as leaders.
Arka's current scope
Arka today focuses on nature-based, specifically soil carbon from regenerative agriculture, in partnership with Gaïago. This is our historical starting point, anchored in France and Europe, with an economic model that benefits farmers and a strong territorial narrative. Our selection methodology is however technology-agnostic: the five evaluation dimensions (programme, developer, MRV, environmental and social safeguards, regulatory fit) apply regardless of technology. Our catalogue will progressively widen to other verified typologies (biochar, agroforestry, other nature-based or technology approaches). For a buyer wanting to start a BVCM strategy with a strong narrative, French soil carbon is today an excellent entry point.
For an annual budget of €50,000 to €500,000, a typical mix: 70 to 80 % high-integrity nature-based, 20 to 30 % technology.
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