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Environment

Will carbon dioxide removal tech help or hinder climate targets?

Billions of dollars are pouring into the carbon dioxide removal industry, which aims to clean up emissions and slow global warming, but few companies have delivered results. Is the technology a planetary saviour or a risky bet?

By James Dinneen

29 November 2023

A direct air capture plant operated by Heirloom in California

Heirloom Carbon/Handout via REUTERS

What do Microsoft, Ikea and Shopify have in common? All have promised to become “carbon negative” companies, aiming to not only cut their emissions, but go beyond that to remove carbon dioxide from the air. With such pledges becoming increasingly popular as boardrooms flex their green credentials, the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) industry is seeing an investment boom.

At the moment, around 2 billion additional tonnes of CO₂ are taken out of the atmosphere each year, over and above existing carbon sinks,…

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