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Boosting crops and soil whilst permanently locking up CO₂ with UNDO

Boosting crops and soil whilst permanently locking up CO₂ with UNDO
Boosting crops and soil whilst permanently locking up CO₂ with UNDO
Boosting crops and soil whilst permanently locking up CO₂ with UNDO
Boosting crops and soil whilst permanently locking up CO₂ with UNDO
Boosting crops and soil whilst permanently locking up CO₂ with UNDO

What is enhanced rock weathering?

Enhanced rock weathering speeds up a natural process: crushed basalt spread on farmland dissolves in rain, locking atmospheric CO2 into bicarbonate and releasing nutrients that improve soil and crops.

Project summary

Context

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is vital for limiting global warming to 1.5ºC. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), human activities need to be actively removing 10 Gigatonnes of atmospheric CO2 annually by the year 2050 in order to have a chance at meeting this warming target set by the Paris Climate Accords. Recent research using large-scale models shows that in the UK alone, enhanced rock weathering has the potential to remove up to 30 million tonnes of CO₂ per year – enough to address 45% of the UK’s annual emissions. ERW and other promising, high permanence carbon removal methods must complement deep decarbonisation efforts.

For millions of years, CO₂ has combined with rainwater to form carbonic acid. When this dilute acid falls on mountains, forests and grassland, the CO₂ interacts with rocks and soil, mineralises and is safely stored as solid carbon for hundreds of thousands of years. This natural weathering process is accelerated by spreading crushed silicate rock such as basalt on agricultural land, vastly increasing the surface area of the rock and therefore increasing its contact with CO₂. 

The crushed silicate rock that is spread is full of macro and micronutrients that slowly enriches the soil as it weathers. Acting as a soil enhancer, landowners can expect to see stabilised soil pH, increased crop yield and increased pest resistance over time as a result of spreading the material. 

Project

Ecologi is currently supporting UNDO’s UK projects, which focus on delivering operations with farmers in the north of England and Scotland.

To date, UNDO have spread 170k tonnes of basalt on 163 farms, totalling 8.6k hectares. This equates to approximately 30k tonnes of projected carbon removal.

Locations

Scotland, United Kingdom

Timeline

Follow the latest milestones and updates from this project.

Dec 2025
UNDO 5

UNDO 5

Goal of spreading enough silicate rock to permanently lock up 1 million tonnes of carbon.

Jun 2024
UNDO 4

UNDO 4

Some of the Ecologi team head up to Stirling, Scotland, to find out more about the process behind enhanced rock weathering.

Dec 2023
UNDO 3

UNDO 3

UNDO have spread 170k tonnes of basalt on 163 farms, totalling 8.6k hectares.

This equates to approximately 30k tonnes of projected carbon removal.

Jun 2022
UNDO 2

UNDO 2

Launched UNDO brand

Dec 2021
UNDO 1

UNDO 1

Spread the first 1k tonnes of crushed basalt rock in Scotland

Benefits

Climate

Enhanced rock weathering is the acceleration of a natural carbon removal process, which sees crushed silicate rock such as basalt spread on local agricultural land. When the rock comes into contact with rainwater, it is slowly dissolved, locking up the CO2 from the atmosphere as a solid bicarbonate, whilst safely releasing nutrients and minerals into the soil to help the farmer improve soil and crop health. It’s a real win-win carbon removal technology. 

ERW is among the most permanent forms of carbon removal, with 1000+ years of storage, with little risk of reversal.

Nature

The process of rock weathering not only sequesters carbon but also enriches the soil with minerals that support plant growth. This benefits local biodiversity by improving the soil structure and nutrient content, leading to healthier plants and ecosystems. As more plants thrive, the overall environment becomes more resilient, supporting a wider range of species and contributing to ecosystem services like water retention and soil stabilisation.

Alongside carbon removal, UNDO is helping to deliver co-benefits such as:

  • Supporting ocean deacidification and the formation of shells for marine creatures

People

Ecologi is currently supporting UNDO’s UK projects, which focus on delivering operations with farmers in the north of England and Scotland.

Alongside carbon removal, UNDO is helping to deliver co-benefits such as:

  • Raising soil pH for farmers, increasing nutrient uptake in crops

  • Potentially reducing lime and fertiliser costs for farmers

  • Helping support global food security 

  • Creating green jobs and engaging with rural farming communities in the fight against climate change

  • Releasing minerals such as magnesium and calcium which improve soil fertility, pest resistance and crop yield

SDGs supported

No Poverty

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Zero Hunger

Rethink how we grow, share and consume our food. We can provide nutritious food for all.

Clean Water and Sanitation

Ensure access to water and sanitation for all.

Responsible Consumption and Production

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Climate Action

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Life Below Water

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.

Life on Land

Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss.

Verification

These partners help deliver the project and verify its impact.

Verifiers

Puro Earth
Puro Earth

Puro.earth certifies carbon removal suppliers based on its Puro Standard.