Climate Engineering – The Reality of Carbon Removal

In a world where it is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve climate targets, science and start-ups have developed groundbreaking technologies. It is now possible to remove CO2 directly from the atmosphere in order to save the climate. But after the hype comes the reality check. By 2050, several billion tonnes of CO2 have to be sucked out of the air every year – so far, just 1 million tonnes have been removed. Is that enough?

This documentary takes a deep dive into the emerging CO2 removal industry. The wealth of ideas and pioneering spirit are immense: from huge direct air capture plants in Iceland to CO2-binding concrete and biochar, to using the sea as a CO2 storage facility and underground carbonisation – the solutions are diverse. But are the current efforts, the available financing and the political framework conditions sufficient to remove the billions of tonnes of CO2 to achieve global climate targets?