New Frontiers in Climate Tech
As the climate crisis intensifies and emissions continue to exceed safe limits, the need for technologies that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is gaining urgency. While global efforts have long focused on reducing emissions at their source, it has become increasingly clear that mitigation alone may not be enough. To meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and prevent runaway climate change, scientists and policymakers are turning their attention to carbon removal. Among the most promising innovations emerging in this space
are biochar, algae-based systems, and direct carbon capture technologies.
Carbon Dioxide Removal, often abbreviated as CDR, is not a silver bullet. But it may be an essential part of any credible path to net-zero emissions. These technologies aim to actively extract CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it in stable forms for decades or centuries. Unlike emissions reductions, which slow the pace of warming, carbon removal has the potential to reverse it. This new frontier is seeing rapid development, investment, and debate. Biochar, a porous, charcoal-like material made from heating organic biomass in the absence of oxygen, is one of the oldest yet most scalable carbon capture solutions. When applied to soil, biochar locks carbon into a solid form that resists decomposition, potentially sequestering carbon for hundreds of years.
At the same time, it improves soil health, enhances water retention, and can reduce the need for fertilizers. Farmers and foresters are increasingly exploring biochar not only as a climate tool, but as a regenerative agricultural input with co-benefits for crop yield and land productivity. One of biochar’s advantages is its simplicity. It can be made from agricultural waste, forestry residues, or even municipal green waste. When deployed at scale and combined with sustainable land management, biochar systems offer a rare win-win solution for both carbon storage and food security. Pilot projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are already proving the viability of community-level biochar as both a low-tech and high-impact intervention.
At the other end of the innovation spectrum, algae are showing promise as biological carbon sinks. These fast-growing aquatic organisms capture CO₂ through photosynthesis at a rate far higher than terrestrial plants. Algae can be cultivated in ponds, photobioreactors, or even offshore platforms, requiring minimal land use. Once harvested, algae biomass can be turned into biofuels, animal feed, fertilizers, or even plastics. Some companies are now working on
algae-based carbon credits, where the captured carbon is stored permanently in products or sediments.
Algae farming presents opportunities especially for coastal countries and island nations. With careful design, it can reduce ocean acidification, support marine biodiversity, and provide alternative livelihoods. However, challenges remain in terms of scale, energy inputs, and lifecycle emissions. Scaling algae solutions to a level that meaningfully impacts the carbon balance will require further research, international cooperation, and standardization.
Perhaps the most talked-about and heavily funded technology in this arena is direct air capture, or DAC. These systems use chemical processes to extract carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere, concentrating it for storage underground or use in industry. While DAC has the potential to remove large volumes of CO₂, the technology remains expensive and energy-intensive. Its long-term success depends on access to clean energy and public acceptance of geological carbon storage.
Companies in the United States, Switzerland, and Iceland have already built pilot DAC facilities. Governments and investors are increasingly viewing carbon removal as a necessary complement to emissions cuts, not a replacement. Several new funding mechanisms and carbon markets are emerging to support these technologies, but concerns remain about cost, scalability, and potential misuse by industries seeking to delay decarbonization.
Sri Lanka and other developing nations may not yet be at the forefront of these technologies, but they are not without opportunity. Biochar initiatives can be integrated into existing agricultural practices, while algae cultivation may suit coastal and lagoon environments. With appropriate support, countries in the Global South could become leaders in nature-based and hybrid carbon capture solutions that align with local economies and ecosystems.
The urgency of climate action means that no option can be left unexplored. Carbon capture technologies will not solve the crisis alone, but they can buy critical time, offer economic value, and restore some balance to a destabilized system. As the window for limiting warming closes, the race is on not just to reduce emissions, but to remove what has already been released.
What happens next will depend on political will, global equity, and the ability to scale innovation responsibly. In the battle against climate change, every molecule of carbon matters, and how we capture it may define the future.
