What is Carbon Sequestration?
Carbon sequestration is the long-term storage of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere to mitigate or defer global warming. It involves capturing CO₂ from various sources, such as power plants or the atmosphere itself, and then storing it in reservoirs, including geological formations, oceans, vegetation, or soils.
Why is Carbon Sequestration important?
Carbon sequestration is vital for reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, thereby helping to combat climate change. By locking away carbon, it contributes to achieving net-zero emissions and can even lead to negative emissions, which are necessary to prevent the most severe impacts of global warming.
Related terms
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Frequently asked questions
Carbon can be sequestered in natural reservoirs like forests, soils, and oceans (biological sequestration), or in geological formations such as saline aquifers, depleted oil and gas reservoirs, and unmineable coal seams (geological sequestration).
The permanence of carbon sequestration varies depending on the method. Geological storage aims for very long-term (hundreds to thousands of years) storage, while biological sequestration, though valuable, can be subject to reversal (e.g., deforestation).
Carbon capture refers to the process of capturing CO₂ from emissions sources or the atmosphere. Carbon sequestration is the subsequent step of storing that captured CO₂ permanently or for the long term.