The Resilient Green Economy: $7.9 Trillion and Growing
According to LSEG‘s analysis, the global green economy has reached a market capitalization of $7.9 trillion as of Q1 2025, representing 8.6% of listed equity markets. More significantly, green revenues from products and services exceeded $5.1 trillion for the first time, while the green bond market achieved record issuance of $572 billion in 2024—a 10% annual increase.
This growth persists despite substantial political headwinds. The Trump administration’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, suspension of renewable energy projects on federal lands, and termination of $20 billion in EPA green grants have created policy uncertainty. However, LSEG data demonstrates that long-term economic fundamentals continue driving green investment, with the sector delivering 59% cumulative outperformance since 2008.
Enhanced Rock Weathering: From Barclays to Blockchain
The ERW sector exemplifies this resilient growth trajectory. Barclays Bank’s landmark agreement with UNDO to permanently remove 6,538 tonnes of CO₂ through enhanced rock weathering on 10,000 acres of Canadian farmland represents the largest ERW contract for a UK supplier. This partnership validates ERW’s commercial viability and financial sector confidence in permanent carbon removal technologies.
UNDO’s approach involves spreading finely crushed silicate rocks across farmland, accelerating natural weathering processes that capture atmospheric CO₂ while improving soil health and crop yields. This dual benefit—carbon removal and agricultural enhancement—positions ERW as a scalable climate solution with positive economic co-benefits.
Flour Yield’s Blockchain Innovation
While UNDO partners with traditional mining operators for rock sourcing, Flour Yield Token (operated by Insela UAB) is revolutionizing the ERW space through blockchain integration. The project leverages basalt from Balkan Basalt’s quarry in Albania—a 47-hectare facility with 100 million tonnes of basalt capacity—to create tokenized carbon removal assets.
This blockchain approach addresses key ERW sector challenges identified in the LSEG report: transparency, scalability, and investment accessibility. By tokenizing carbon removal through ERW, Flour Yield democratizes access to permanent carbon dioxide removal investments while providing real-time verification and tradability of carbon credits.
Market Outlook: Adaptation Solutions Drive Growth
The LSEG report highlights adaptation solutions as an emerging trillion-dollar opportunity, with companies generating over $1 trillion in adaptation-related revenues in 2024. ERW projects like Flour Yield directly contribute to this growth vector by providing climate adaptation benefits—improved soil resilience, enhanced agricultural productivity, and permanent carbon storage.
Research indicates that ERW purchasing intentions are rising sharply, with respondent interest expected to increase from 15% to 42%. This momentum, combined with adaptation finance growing at a 21% CAGR between 2018-2022, creates significant tailwinds for innovative ERW projects.
Investment Thesis: Long-Term Fundamentals Trump Political Volatility
Despite Trump-era policy reversals affecting short-term renewable energy flows, the underlying economics of green technology remain compelling. Corporate green investment maintains resilience, with approximately 500 large corporations achieving 3% carbon intensity reductions in 2024. State-level initiatives and international cooperation continue advancing climate finance, creating investment opportunities independent of federal policy.
For ERW specifically, growing corporate demand for permanent carbon removal—evidenced by major institutional buyers like Barclays—supports long-term sector viability. Flour Yield’s blockchain approach positions the project to capture this demand while offering investors transparent, tradeable exposure to verified carbon removal assets.
The LSEG report’s findings demonstrate that green investment fundamentals transcend political cycles. Projects combining proven technology, clear environmental benefits, and innovative financial structures—like Flour Yield’s tokenized ERW approach—represent compelling opportunities in an increasingly resilient green economy.