Carbon capture technologies face criticism and a new conversion breakthrough

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is promoted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and many national net‑zero strategies as essential for cutting emissions from hard‑to‑decarbonise sectors such as cement. The United Kingdom has pledged up to £21.7 billion for CCS development, but the approach has drawn criticism over high costs, ties to fossil‑fuel interests and a record of limited performance.

A separate international research team led by the Université de Montpellier in France and the University of Adelaide in Australia has demonstrated a new method that converts CO₂ directly from mixed industrial exhaust into carbon monoxide, a key feedstock for synthetic fuels, without the costly purification step. The process achieved near‑complete conversion in tests and operated continuously for over 100 hours, suggesting potential for large‑scale industrial use.

Both developments highlight the ongoing debate over the role of carbon capture in meeting climate goals and the search for more efficient, cost‑effective technologies.