Carbon Capture
Technology that removes CO₂ from emission sources or directly from the air, storing it underground or using it as feedstock.
Carbon capture technology removes carbon dioxide from concentrated sources (industrial smokestacks) or from ambient air, then stores or repurposes it. Two main approaches: point-source capture at fossil-fuel power plants, cement kilns, and steel mills; and direct air capture (DAC) that pulls CO₂ from the atmosphere itself.
Captured CO₂ can be permanently stored underground in depleted oil/gas reservoirs and saline aquifers, or used as feedstock for products like concrete, synthetic fuels, and chemicals. As of 2025, global capture capacity is roughly 45 million tonnes/year — about 0.1% of annual emissions.
Carbon capture is widely considered necessary for sectors that are very hard to decarbonise (cement, steel, aviation) and for offsetting unavoidable residual emissions. It is not a substitute for reducing fossil fuel use, but a complement.