Carbon capture could be an important tool for tackling climate change. Can we find productive ways to use that carbon?

As fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, there is renewed interest in what can be done to capture carbon dioxide. Until now, most of the investment in carbon capture has gone into projects to take those emissions and store them underground forever. But what if we could make use of that captured carbon?  To find out what role carbon capture and utilization, or CCU, could play in tackling climate change, host Ed Crooks is joined by three experts in the sector. He is joined by Sarah Lamaison, who is the CEO and co-founder of CCU start-up Dioxycle, Tim van den Bergh, the climate tech innovation lead at the World Economic Forum, and John Ferrier, a senior research analyst at Wood Mackenzie. Together they unpack what CCU actually is (and isn’t), and where it can deliver the biggest punch; for example in the chemical industry, which is a sector in large part built on carbon. Sarah explains how Dioxycle’s carbon electrolysis can turn carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide into high-value molecules such ethylene using electricity and water. It is effectively “dual” decarbonization: it uses captured carbon instead of fossil feedstock, and also avoids process emissions. But despite those compelling advantages, CCU faces some steep challenges. The gang examines the policy landscape, and the economics that can make or break CCU projects. John outlines why support has historically skewed toward carbon storage rather than utilization: it offers measurable, near-term reductions and simpler business models. To accelerate the growth of CCU, it needs clearer incentives, and standardized lifecycle assessment of carbon emitted and avoided.  Sarah compares Europe’s current framework, which can disadvantage CCU, with more supportive tax credits that are available in the US. She explains that the choice of product to be made using CCU really matters. For fuels, conventional feedstocks such as crude oil and natural gas are hard to beat on cost. For complex chemical pathways, there is room for CCU to undercut incumbents as efficiency improves. Tim looks at the system level, calling for global, aligned policies, early markets in cost-competitive niches and “patient capital” to bridge the valley of death that innovative companies face as they scale up. There’s a strong case that can be made for CCU, if policy, finance, and industry can travel in the same direction. This episode explains what would be needed to make that a reality, taking businesses from promising pilots to deployment at scale and cost parity with conventional feedstocks. UpLink is a World Economic Forum initiative focused on impactful early-stage innovation. It builds ecosystems that enable purpose-driven, early-stage entrepreneurs to scale their businesses for the markets and economies that are essential to a net-zero, nature-positive and equitable future. You can learn more in the World Economic Forum and Wood Mackenzie’s new report on scaling CCU, available here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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Covering breaking news in clean tech, going deep on global energy policy, and debating the levers that need to move to accelerate the energy transition. Energy Gang is the podcast covering clean energy technology, renewable energy, and the environment. The world of clean energy moves fast, and you need a reliable source to stay on top of the news that matters. You’ll find it on Wood Mackenzie’s Energy Gang.How will changes to the US government affect decarbonisation and energy security? When will hydrogen, nuclear and carbon capture deploy at scale? Where’s the money for the energy transition green finance coming from and how much more is needed? What’s the outlook for EVs? What are the energy predictions for solar energy? What's the latest on climate change?Get answers to questions like these, bi-weekly on Tuesdays at 7am ET. Plus, get special live episodes recorded at the biggest climate and energy events throughout the year, like COP30 and Climate Week NYC. Don’t worry if you can’t make it in person, Energy Gang brings you all the updates on energy policy, energy finance and energy innovation you need to hear.Energy Gang is presented by Wood Mackenzie and hosted by Ed Crooks, Vice-Chairman of Energy at Wood Mackenzie and a former Financial Times and BBC News journalist. Regular guests are Amy Myers-Jaffe (Director of NYU’s Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab), and Dr Melissa Lott (Partner at Microsoft) – plus a roster of industry leaders and policy influencers, like Jigar Shah (Industry figurehead and former director of the Loan Programs Office in the US Department of Energy), Caroline Golin (Head of North America, Global Energy Market Development and Policy at Google) and Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt (Former Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources).If you like The Energy Transition Show, Catalyst with Shayle Kann, The Big Switch from Columbia University, Open Circuit with Stephen Lacey or The Green Blueprint, you’ll enjoy Energy Gang.Want to get involved with the show? Reach out to podcasts@woodmac.com to:Bring Energy Gang to your eventBe a guest on the showSponsor an episodeAsk a question to Ed Crooks or one of our guestsCheck out another leading clean tech global podcast by Wood Mackenzie, Interchange Recharged: https://www.woodmac.com/podcasts/the-interchange-recharged/Wood Mackenzie is the leading global data and analytics solutions provider for renewables, energy and natural resources. Learn more about Wood Mackenzie on the official website: https://www.woodmac.com/