Carbon capture is projected to scale. Researchers from MIT recently came up with an improved process that includes new filtering membranes that made carbon capture six times more efficient in their experiments. Carbon capture is necessary if the world wants to reach net-zero emissions. As of today, installed carbon capture capacity is 50 million metric tons per year equivalent to a meager 0.1% of annual global CO2 emissions. Another 50 million metric tons of capacity is under construction and 575 million is planned as per the International Energy Agency. There is still a long way to go: by 2030, the IEA predicts a tenfold increase from today’s capacity to about 1% of current global CO2 emissions.
Source: IEA, April 2025.