Tag Archives: CO2

Very few construction companies know their carbon footprint.

By | October 18th 2026
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Between 76 and 86 million tons of construction debris are generated annually in Germany. Credits: Freek Wolsink, pexels

Diesel, electricity, cement, gypsum, truck tolls, waste disposal: A CO₂ surcharge is now included in the prices of these items. Construction companies pay for their CO₂ emissions through this surcharge, but only five percent of construction companies in Germany know their actual CO₂ footprint. This is the conclusion reached by researchers at the Technical University of Dresden in a representative study. They surveyed 601 companies nationwide in the winter of 2025/2026… Read more »

Artificial photosynthesis in sight: Molecule stores sunlight for sustainable fuels

By | August 25, 2025
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Credits: Deyanira Geisnæs Schaad

A research team at the University of Basel has developed a molecule that mimics natural photosynthesis and simultaneously stores two positive and two negative charges under the influence of light. This molecule could be an important step towards CO2-neutral fuels such as hydrogen, methanol, or synthetic gasoline, which release only as much carbon dioxide during combustion as was required for their production. Photosynthesis… Read more »

New method increases efficiency of copper in CO2 conversion into fuels

By | August 25, 2025
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Credits: disign, pixabay

Researchers from the Interface Science Department at the Fritz Haber Institute have investigated how pulsed electric potential treatments improve the ability of single-crystal copper surfaces, used as model catalysts, to convert carbon dioxide into fuels such as ethylene and ethanol. The method enables targeted control of the structural and chemical changes on the copper surface, increasing the selectivity and efficiency of CO2 conversion. These findings could help reduce CO2 emissions and promote renewable energy. Continue reading

Human activities reduce global carbon stores by 24 percent

By | August 19, 2025
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Credits: Ramazan Ceran, pexels

Human activities such as deforestation, agricultural expansion, and forest management have reduced natural carbon stores on land by 24 percent, equivalent to 344 billion tons of carbon. This was calculated by a research team led by Raphael Ganzenmüller of LMU Munich. By combining high-resolution Earth observation data with historical and current land-use data and machine learning, the team created a detailed global… Continue reading

Breakthrough: Conversion of CO2 by bacteria is understood

By | August 18, 2025
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Credits: Matthias Heyde, unsplash

Researchers at the Technical University of Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, working in the Unifying Systems in Catalysis Cluster of Excellence, have deciphered the molecular mechanism by which bacteria efficiently convert carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide. The study, published in the journal Nature Catalysis, reveals for the first time all catalytically relevant states of the nickel-containing enzyme carbon monoxide dehydrogenase at atomic resolution, a breakthrough for bioinspired catalysis with far-reaching potential… Continue reading

Ein Netz für das Klimagas: Planung eines CO?-Transportnetzes für Deutschland bis 2045

By | August 13, 2025
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Um die Klimaneutralitätsziele Deutschlands bis 2045 zu erreichen, ist ein flächendeckendes, sicheres und wirtschaftlich tragfähiges CO?-Transportnetz unerlässlich. Zwei Fraunhofer-Institute, das Fraunhofer-Institut für System- und Innovationsforschung (ISI) und das Fraunhofer-Institut für Algorithmen und Wissenschaftliches Rechnen (SCAI), arbeiten im Rahmen des Exzellenzclusters CINES an der Entwicklung eines solchen Netzes. Durch die Kombination von strategischer Standortplanung und physikalischer Simulation schaffen sie… Continue reading

European forests are losing their ability to sequester carbon

By | August 11, 2025
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Credits: Merrit Thomas, unsplash

A study by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) shows that European forests have significantly lost their capacity to absorb carbon in recent years. The study identifies several factors causing this decline and calls for a fundamental change in forest management. Forests play a central role in the fight against climate change because they absorb CO2 from the atmosphere... Continue reading

Germany: Deficiencies in the implementation of the EU Methane Regulation

By | July 30, 2025
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Symbolic image. Credits: Pugnalom

Since August 5, 2024, the EU Methane Regulation has required the coal, gas, and oil industries to record and report methane emissions, as well as to detect and repair leaks. Routine venting and flaring of gas is prohibited. However, one year after its entry into force, the German Environmental Aid (DUH) has criticized significant implementation gaps in Germany. Lack of authorities and legislative proposals: Eleven of 16 federal states have… Continue reading

Kenya PtX Atlas shows potential for green ammonia from renewable energies

By | July 29, 2025
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Credits: Google DeepMind, pexels

A new interactive map, the Kenya PtX Atlas, identifies suitable locations for the production of green ammonia from renewable energy sources in Kenya. Developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology (IEE), the atlas is based on a report prepared in collaboration with the H2Global Foundation and Strathmore University. The project, “H2Global meets Africa,” is funded with €4,2 million… Read more »

Global soil organic carbon content increases due to climate change

By | July 11, 2025
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Global and continental SOC change trends under scenarios SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5 with 11 global climate models from ACCESS-CM2, ACCESS-ESM1-5, BCC-CSM2-MR, CanESM5, GFDL-ESM4, INM-CM5-0, IPSL-CM6A-LR, MIROC6, MPI-ESM1-2-HR, MPI-ESM1-2-LR, and MRI-ESM2-0. (a) Average SOC change during the future period, (b) SOC change as the difference between the average SOC from 1981 to 2019 and that during the four future periods of the 2050, 2100, 1,5°C global warming, and 2,0°C global warming scenarios.

A recent study published in Engineering sheds light on the climate-change-induced increase in land surface organic carbon (SOC). The study, conducted by a team of scientists including Yanli Liu, Xin Chen, and Jianyun Zhang, used a random forest model to analyze historical data and predict future trends in SOC content based on climate scenarios from the Coupled Model Intercomparison... Continue reading