Columbia University researchers, led by Professor Klaus Lackner, have developed ‘artificial trees’ that can capture carbon dioxide from the air up to 1,000 times faster than natural trees.

These compact devices are coated with a resin that passively absorbs CO₂.

When moistened, the resin releases the CO₂, allowing it to be reused.

Each unit captures about one metric ton of CO₂ daily, roughly equal to the emissions of 20 to 75 cars.

The devices operate continuously, regardless of weather conditions.

Currently, the cost of CO₂ capture is around US$200 per ton, but projections suggest it could fall to US$30 to US$100 with further advancements.

🔗 Source: YourStory

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ The economics of artificial trees reveal a scaling paradox

While Columbia’s technology captures carbon 1,000 times faster than natural trees, the economics present substantial hurdles for widespread deployment.

Current artificial carbon capture systems cost between $100-$600 per metric ton of CO2 removed, compared to just $10-$50 for natural forest-based sequestration 1.

This cost differential explains why global Direct Air Capture (DAC) capacity currently stands at only 0.01 million tonnes annually, despite estimates that we’ll need to remove up to 10 billion tonnes annually by 2050 to meet climate targets 2.

The gap between current capacity and future needs illustrates why Professor Lackner’s vision of “hundreds of millions of units” represents both a technological triumph and a daunting economic challenge.

For context, just 27 DAC plants currently operate worldwide, though over 130 large-scale facilities are in development 3.

2️⃣ The energy equation determines net climate benefit

Columbia’s artificial trees face a critical implementation challenge: the substantial energy required to operate the technology.