Climate rewind: Scientists turn carbon dioxide back into coal

The research team led by RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, have developed a new technique that can efficiently convert CO₂ from a gas into solid particles of carbon.

Published in the journal Nature Communications, the research offers an alternative pathway for safely and permanently removing the greenhouse gas from our atmosphere.

Current technologies for carbon capture and storage focus on compressing CO₂ into a liquid form, transporting it to a suitable site and injecting it underground.

But implementation has been hampered by engineering challenges, issues around economic viability and environmental concerns about possible leaks from the storage sites.