Carbon Dioxide Extraction Is Worthwhile

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere is one of the main drivers of climate change. Prof. Dr. Stefan Pauliuk, Kavya Madhu, and their team from the University of Freiburg’s Institute of Environmental Social Sciences and Geography are investigating the environmental friendliness of technical systems that extract CO₂ from the air. To do so, the Freiburg research group for sustainable energy and material flow management is conducting life cycle assessments of carbon capture technologies: Do the machines extract more CO₂ from the air than they emit during their life cycle?

The team is analyzing two different types of carbon capture technology and has come to the following conclusion: If the systems are implemented with renewable energy, they make a good contribution to climate protection – even when taking into account the amount of CO₂ emitted during construction and use.

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