The core issue driving climate change is the carbon buildup in Earth’s atmosphere due to human activity, particularly since 1850, just before the Industrial Revolution. Given this, it’s logical to focus on reversing the situation. While carbon sequestration and storage solutions have gained attention, it’s clear that reducing carbon emissions and striving for Net Zero is far more effective in the long term. Transforming our energy, transportation, and agricultural systems now, while transitioning to renewable energy sources, will have a much faster and greater impact than relying on carbon capture or storage technologies alone.

There are innovative approaches and technologies emerging that aim to capture carbon either at the source of emissions—such as from heavy industry—or even directly from the air. These technologies may also convert captured carbon into useful products. In addition, responsible land management and agricultural practices can store CO2, as can natural processes like the oceans, which absorb approximately 25% of the CO2 emitted by human activity annually (UC Davis, 2019).

Point-source carbon capture companies use various methods to extract CO2, including solvents, enzymes, and absorbent materials. The captured CO2 is then compressed for storage (requiring massive pipelines and significant energy costs) or converted into low-carbon products like baking soda or even cement— traditionally a high-emission material. Despite recent advances and significant capital investment, the carbon footprint and costs of capturing, transporting, and storing CO2 remain higher than the cost of simply emitting it.

Unfortunately, relying solely on these companies to remove and sequester CO2 is not a feasible solution. The scale of the climate crisis demands that we prioritize efforts to reduce emissions across all sectors and transition away from fossil fuels. Carbon capture, while potentially part of the solution, cannot be the primary focus if we are to effectively combat climate change.