Carbon Capture: The “Antiviral” to Our Emissions Pandemic

In 2024, global CO₂ emissions reached an all-time high, the world experiencing its hottest day on record in July, raising global concerns on the state of climate change. On April 22, 2025, the White House released an Executive Order for Earth Day, an overview of the key actions being taken on the environment by the Trump administration. Its first key action outlined the promotion of energy innovation for a healthier future – with carbon capture and storage as its primary example. In recent years, patent filings in carbon capture technologies have skyrocketed, and this emphasis from the Trump administration is likely a positive sign for innovators in the space.

An emissions antiviral

Put simply, carbon capture is the act of capturing and removing carbon dioxide emissions and storing them underground to prevent release into the atmosphere. Traditionally applied to air (Direct Air Capture (DAC)), recent innovations have allowed a pivot to targeting carbon dioxide found in the ocean, in a practice called Direct Ocean Capture (DOC). Both practices enable an efficient way to reduce our carbon footprint.

“Capturing and removing carbon from our atmosphere and oceans offers a direct and immediate way to reduce our carbon footprint. While essential, other emission-reduction technologies often take longer to implement and deliver results over the long term,” says David Salem, Ph.D., Senior Patent Agent at ROBIC.

He notes that while carbon capture is an impactful short-term solution to carbon emissions, long term solutions should be considered in tandem.

“Think of it like treating a virus: carbon capture acts as an antiviral—tackling the problem head-on, but does not offer a protection against future infections—while vaccines, like renewable energy and waste reduction, are being developed to prevent future emissions and create lasting immunity against further damage. Only by combining immediate action with long-term prevention can we truly address the climate crisis.”

Facilitating growth through IP protection

Carbon capture has only emerged as a focus for innovators in recent years, with significant growth in global filings since 2020. As nations like the US put greater emphasis on carbon capture, and more jurisdictions offer support for green innovation, we can expect to see continued growth in the years ahead.

As an emerging technology, developing new tools and processes for carbon capture is no easy task, and innovators face challenges in securing funding. Recognising the global importance of this and other Greentech outputs, the intellectual property (IP) system has initiatives in place to facilitate growth.

“Innovation in carbon capture demands extensive research, technical expertise, and most importantly, sustained funding, and IP rights play a critical role in supporting this innovation for a number of reasons. Patents grant companies market exclusivity for up to 20 years in exchange for publicly disclosing their invention, effectively rewarding their contribution to global progress,” says Dr Salem.

Salem also notes the multiple fast-track programs available for Greentech innovators.

“The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) offers a free accelerated examination process for patent applications related to environmentally beneficial technologies–those that help mitigate environmental impacts or conserve natural resources. Given that the standard timeline for securing a patent in Canada is around 6-7 years due to examination backlogs, using CIPO’s Green Innovation initiative can reduce this to as little as 1-2 years if examination is requested at filing.”

Proven innovation

As referenced, Direct Ocean Capture has already emerged in the space as an impactful and potentially disruptive alternative to traditional carbon capture practices, which could save carbon capture businesses both time and money.

“Instead of extracting carbon dioxide from the air, Direct Ocean Capture removes dissolved CO₂ directly from seawater using various electrochemical processes,” Dr Salem explains. “Once the seawater is treated, it is returned to the ocean, where it can naturally absorb more CO₂ from the atmosphere. This not only reduces atmospheric and oceanic carbon levels, but also helps mitigate ocean acidification—potentially supporting the restoration of coral reefs and other vital marine ecosystems.

“The ocean holds roughly 150 times more carbon dioxide than the atmosphere and naturally absorbs about 27% of global CO₂ emissions each year, making it a powerful ally in climate mitigation. Given this capacity, DOC may provide more efficient and cost-effective than DAC in certain contexts. In essence, DOC helps reactivate our oceans’ natural ability to capture atmospheric carbon—an essential function in the fight against climate change,” Dr Salem concludes.

Reducing emissions, globally

In 2025, the US and China were reported to be the two largest emitters of carbon dioxide, followed by India, Russia and Japan. As reflected in the growing number of patents filed, there is a rising global recognition of the need for immediate action, with many countries taking on the responsibility of implementing solutions to both reduce and prevent their respective emissions. Adopting carbon capture as a cornerstone of its environmental strategy under the Trump administration, it is positive to see the US, as well as China, as leaders in the number of patent filings related to carbon capture technologies.