CO₂ as a Raw Material. A building block of a climate-neutral carbon economy (Discussion Paper)
Many everyday products contain carbon – examples are various plastics, detergents and cosmetics. Today, these are mostly made from mineral oil and natural gas. At the end of their useful lives, the carbon in these products is usually emitted into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide (CO₂), thereby contributing to climate change.
In the future, carbon-neutral carbon sources or closed carbon cycles to manufacture such products will be required. However, biomass and recycled materials will probably not suffice as carbon sources. This is why Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU), i.e. the extraction of carbon from CO₂, is crucial. The CO₂ is captured either at industrial facilities or directly from the atmosphere and then used to manufacture products.
The Discussion Paper by the “Energy Systems of the Future” (ESYS) initiative provides an overview of the extent to which the use of CCU is feasible, necessary and useful. It also addresses the following questions:
- How significant will CCU be compared to other carbon sources?
- To what extent can CCU be implemented in Germany?
- What sort of carbon footprint does CCU have?
- What framework conditions are necessary for using CCU?
- Why is developing CCU value chains currently an unattractive prospect for companies?
In the publication, the ESYS experts indicate that we should not place excessive expectations on CCU: The impact of CCU on the climate is complex and the high energy demand makes CCU an expensive option for mitigating climate change, even in the long term. This means that reducing the carbon demand, achieved by increased recycling, for example, should definitely be prioritised.
Nevertheless, ESYS experts identify CCU as an important building block for achieving carbon neutrality. The regulatory framework for CCU use should be defined within the next few years – preferably with a global perspective.
The ESYS report was prepared following a workshop and interviews with experts from the scientific community, industry and environmental organisations. In addition, ESYS has commissioned a study that analyses present-day carbon flows and their development trends and provides an overview of the state of existing CCU technologies. The study is performed by DECHEMA.
Erlach, Berit/ Gierds, Jörn/ Fischedick, Manfred/ Matthies, Ellen/ Pittel, Karen/ Sauer, Dirk Uwe: „CO₂ as a Raw Material. A building block of a climate-neutral carbon economy” (Discussion Paper), Series on “Energy Systems of the Future” (ESYS), 2025, DOI: https://doi.org/10.48669/esys_2025-2
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