Carbon Capture: Can We Actually Pull CO₂ From the Sky at Scale?

Even in the most optimistic scenarios for emissions reduction, the math of climate change increasingly demands a technology that can remove carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere. This is the domain of direct air capture (DAC).

How It Works

The two dominant approaches are liquid solvent systems and solid sorbent systems. Carbon Engineering uses liquid solvents; Climeworks uses solid sorbents at their facilities in Iceland, where captured CO₂ is injected into basaltic rock for permanent mineralization.

The Scale Gap

All 27 DAC plants worldwide capture roughly 0.01 million tonnes of CO₂ per year. Global emissions exceed 37 billion tonnes annually. Current costs range from $400 to $1,000 per tonne — they need to fall below $100–$200 for meaningful impact.

The Path Forward

The U.S. DOE has committed billions to Regional DAC Hubs. Climeworks is expanding globally. New sorbent materials require less energy. And a growing voluntary carbon market is providing revenue through carbon removal credits.

The Debate

Critics argue DAC creates moral hazard — an excuse to delay emissions cuts. These are legitimate concerns. DAC should never substitute for aggressive decarbonization. But the scientific consensus is clear: some level of carbon removal will be necessary to meet Paris Agreement targets. The question is whether we can scale it fast enough to matter.