Our Scientific Director, Célia Sapart, recently spoke with Sustainability Mag for an IMS (Inspiring More Sustainability) insight paper on the fate of carbon. The discussion highlighted how carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) can help Europe transition towards a circular carbon economy, and why clarity on carbon management terms is essential.
🔵 Understanding the differences
Confusion is often observed between CCU, carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon direct removal (CDR). These three approaches have different goals and impact, but CCU often suffers from the negative reputation of CCS, which is frequently perceived as a way to prolong the use of fossil fuels, while the objective of CCU is exactly the opposite.
While CCS focuses on storing CO₂ underground and CDR removes CO₂ directly from the atmosphere, CCU reuses captured CO₂ to produce renewable fuels, chemicals, and building materials. “It’s crucial that people understand these distinctions,” says Celia. “Only then can we properly assess the real potential and limitations of each approach.”
🔵 From captured carbon to useful products
In Europe, CCU is helping to defossilise key sectors such as transport and industry. CO₂ can be turned into renewable fuels for aviation and shipping, chemical feedstocks like methanol or olefins, and even stored permanently through mineralisation in construction materials.
🔵 Ensuring true substitution
The importance of CCU products (especially fuels and chemicals) to truly substitute their fossil counterparts rather than adding to them is crucial to ensure these technologies deliver real impact.
🔵 A systemic approach
How essential it is to look at solutions in a systemic and complementary manner and not just quantify the potential of a specific technology without taking into account the context of its deployment. We should combine technology, nature, and behavioural shifts in a way that reinforces all three rather than setting them against each other. This is the only way forward for facing the immense challenges of mitigating climate change while limiting the overshoot of the other planetary limits.
In the interview, our colleague emphasises that CCU is part of a broader toolbox: “Technological, natural, and behavioural solutions must work together. We can’t meet climate goals if we treat them separately.”
🔵 Looking ahead
With growing EU recognition, including in the Emissions Trading System and new renewable fuel mandates, CCU is gaining momentum. The next step is to strengthen incentives that make CCU-based products competitive and accelerate Europe’s move away from fossil carbon.
Find the full interview here.
