How Much Is Captured CO₂ Worth?

Written By Teacher: Elizabeth Ward

My name is Elizabeth Ward. I am a former Early Childhood, Elementary, and English as a Foreign Language educator. I have taught third grade Science and Social Studies as well as Kindergarten in both urban and rural Oklahoma public schools. I taught online EFL to students of all ages in China for four years. I also have experience in curriculum development and content design for teachers in the physical and digital classroom. As a former teacher I have a passion for supporting teachers and making their jobs easier. I currently live in the greater Houston area with my husband and four dogs. 

The economic value of captured carbon dioxide depends on factors such as its intended use, market demand, and technological advancements in carbon capture and utilization. Exploring this topic helps students understand how carbon capture can contribute to climate solutions while also presenting economic opportunities and challenges. It encourages critical thinking about sustainability, innovation, and the role of policy in shaping a low-carbon economy. Invite your students to investigate carbon capture further with this video or this lesson plan from MIT. 

Written By: MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative

The MIT Climate Change Engagement Program, a part of MIT Climate HQ, provides the public with nonpartisan, easy-to-understand, and scientifically-grounded information on climate change and its solutions.

“Carbon capture” technologies are used to separate carbon dioxide (CO2) from other gases—usually in the waste streams of power plants and industrial facilities that burn fossil fuels. In this way, the CO2 is kept out of the atmosphere, where it would contribute to climate change.

But carbon capture operations need something to do with all the CO2 they’re keeping out of the air. There are a few commercial markets for captured CO2, such as in carbonated beverages or greenhouses that use piped-in CO2 to grow plants. And there are other, more speculative proposals to transform CO2 into valuable products like plastics and fuel. But “utilization is very challenging,” says Howard Herzog, a Senior Research Engineer in the MIT Energy Initiative who has been working with carbon capture for over 30 years.

One problem, according to Herzog, is that “markets for CO2 are generally much smaller than the amount of CO2 we put out there.” Greenhouses and soda companies only need so much CO2, and if carbon capture grows enough to make a serious dent in climate change, it will quickly outstrip these markets.