On 16 June, more than 200 leaders from government, business, science and civil society gathered in Baarn for the National Summit on Nature-Based Carbon Removal. Organised by Climate Cleanup together with Oncra and the provinces of Gelderland, Utrecht, Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, Noord-Brabant and Drenthe, the summit focused on one central question: how do we accelerate the transition towards a regenerative economy where nature-based carbon removal becomes a key part of the climate solution?
Set in the former Rijkskwekerij, a historic tree nursery now transformed into a biobased venue surrounded by nature, the location reflected the ambition of the day: moving from extraction towards regeneration.
From momentum to implementation
Climate Cleanup director Sven Jense opened the summit with a simple observation: the movement for nature-based carbon removal is no longer emerging, it is gaining momentum. The rapid development of Oncra, together with a growing portfolio of certified carbon removal projects, demonstrates that nature-based carbon removal in the Netherlands is moving beyond promising ideas towards practical implementation. Building trust through transparent certification will be essential to scaling that movement.
A key theme was the idea of carbon as a proxy. Carbon is measurable, making it a practical way to track progress and reward climate action. But restoring carbon through nature rarely happens in isolation. When ecosystems store more carbon, they often become healthier too, improving biodiversity, water retention, soil quality and landscape resilience.
Using carbon as a measurable proxy allows these broader ecosystem benefits to be recognised and rewarded through one robust and verifiable indicator.
From climate challenge to climate opportunity
In his keynote, Tim van Hattum from Wageningen University & Research challenged participants to rethink the future of the Netherlands. He presented two possible scenarios: one where climate impacts continue to intensify, and one where nature-based solutions become a foundation of a resilient society.
Agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, biobased construction and ecosystem restoration can play a major role in that future. Yet, as Van Hattum pointed out, while nature-based solutions could deliver more than 30% of the climate solution, they currently receive only around 3% of global climate finance. Closing that gap, he argued, is not only an ecological necessity, but one of the greatest economic opportunities of our time.
Building a regenerative economy
Economist Irene van Staveren explored the broader economic transition needed to address the climate crisis. Her keynote, From Extraction to Regeneration, highlighted the need to move beyond an economic model focused primarily on extraction and short-term value creation.
At the same time, she emphasised that carbon removal should never replace emission reductions. Cutting emissions remains the priority. Verified carbon removal is an essential complement for addressing unavoidable emissions and restoring the damage already done.
“We are not waiting for the transition. We are the transition.”
Derk Loorbach from DRIFT reflected on the dynamics of systemic change. According to him, societies often experience uncertainty when old systems are declining while new ones are emerging.
His key message was simple: “We are not waiting for the transition. We are the transition.”
The entrepreneurs, policymakers, scientists and communities working on regenerative solutions today are already shaping the next economy. Progress will not come from waiting for perfect conditions, but from continuing to experiment, collaborate and learn.
Turning ambition into action
Throughout the day, participants explored practical challenges and opportunities around policy, markets and biobased construction. Policy discussions focused on how governments can better support innovative solutions, using real-world examples such as barriers around biobased housing and biochar production. Market sessions addressed a crucial question: how do we create reliable value for carbon removal?
Participants agreed that trust, transparency and robust certification are essential for a mature carbon removal market. Oncra plays an important role by providing an independent framework for measuring, verifying and certifying nature-based carbon removal.
A climate-positive summit
Climate Cleanup also aimed to make the summit itself part of the solution. The estimated emissions of the event were 2.4 tonnes of CO₂. To more than compensate for this, Climate Cleanup purchased 5 tonnes of certified carbon removal from projects in the Oncra portfolio. The certificates are publicly recorded in the Oncra registry, ensuring transparency and accountability.
The next step: accelerating together
The biggest takeaway from the summit was clear: the transition is already happening. The challenge now is to accelerate it.
Entrepreneurs need to continue innovating. Governments need to create enabling conditions. Companies need to invest in high-quality carbon removal. Investors need to recognise the value of restoring natural systems.
The transition is not a future event. It is the sum of everything happening right now: in fields, forests, boardrooms and policy discussions across the country.
