"The world has far fewer places to securely store carbon dioxide deep underground than previously thought, steeply lowering its potential to help stem global warming, according to a new study that challenges long-held industry claims about the practice. The study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, found that global carbon storage capacity was 10 times less than previous estimates after ruling out geological formations where the gas could leak, trigger earthquakes or contaminate groundwater, or had other limitations."
""Carbon storage is often portrayed as a way out of the climate crisis. Our findings make clear that it is a limited tool" and reaffirms "the extreme importance of reducing emissions as fast and as soon as possible," said lead author Matthew Gidden, a research professor at the University Maryland's Center for Global Sustainability. The study was led by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, where Gidden also is a senior researcher in the energy, climate and environment program."
Global carbon storage capacity is about ten times smaller than previous estimates after excluding geological formations that could leak, trigger earthquakes, contaminate groundwater, or have other limitations. With that reduced capacity, carbon capture and storage can at most lower human-caused warming by about 0.7°C (1.26°F), far short of earlier estimates near 5–6°C. Carbon capture remains largely undeployed at scale despite billions invested, and currently captured CO2 is a tiny fraction of annual emissions. Carbon storage therefore represents a limited tool and reinforces the extreme importance of rapid, deep emissions reductions.
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