In the race to contain the climate emergency, governments worldwide are scrambling to cut carbon emissions. From encouraging people to walk instead of drive, to planting millions of trees, the aim is to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

But some are planning to put them – yes, the actual CO2 emissions – into the ground, using a form of technology called Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). This allows us to trap up to 90 per cent of the CO2 that would normally enter the atmosphere, under our feet.

Capturing carbon and storing it is a complicated process, but promises massive pay-offs in the long run. So what does the process involve?

Put simply, emissions are injected into an absorber that contains a solvent which collects the CO2, while other components are released in the air. The captured CO2 is then separated by the solvent using heat, so it can be transported by pipeline or ship and placed in underground geological formations, such as oil and gas reservoirs, unmineable coal seams and deep saline repositories.

This procedure is employed to limit the impact of heavily polluting plants such as fossil fuel power stations, as well as industries producing cement, iron, steel and chemicals, as it’s difficult to find eco-friendly alternatives.

What is carbon capture and storage and why are environmentalists concerned? | Euronews