IB Syllabus focus:
‘From smart-city tools to advanced low-carbon tech, societies deploy innovations that reduce or remove emissions; evaluate one implemented technology in a named context.’
Technological solutions are central to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. From smart infrastructure to advanced carbon removal systems, these innovations play an essential role in climate change mitigation efforts worldwide.
Understanding Technologies for Mitigation
Mitigation technologies aim to reduce emissions at the source or remove greenhouse gases already present in the atmosphere. They complement policy and behavioural changes by providing scalable, science-driven tools that address systemic challenges.
Categories of Mitigation Technologies
Smart-city tools: Integrated energy management, optimised transport, and efficient building design.
Low-carbon energy systems: Renewables such as solar, wind, and geothermal energy.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS): Capturing CO₂ at power plants and storing it underground.
Carbon removal technologies: Direct air capture or reforestation projects.
Advanced agricultural innovations: Precision farming and methane-reducing feed for livestock.
Smart-City Tools
Smart cities use data-driven technologies to improve efficiency and lower emissions. These tools enhance urban sustainability, where most emissions originate.
Smart grids balance electricity supply and demand while integrating renewable sources.
Public transport optimisation reduces reliance on private vehicles, lowering CO₂ emissions.
Energy-efficient building design includes advanced insulation, passive heating, and smart energy monitoring systems.
Smart grid: An energy network using digital technology to monitor and manage electricity flow efficiently, integrating renewable sources and improving reliability.
Smart-city tools reduce emissions through efficiency rather than replacement, making them critical to incremental but significant reductions.
Low-Carbon Energy Systems
Transitioning away from fossil fuels is vital for decarbonisation. Solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal systems provide reliable alternatives.
Solar energy captures radiation directly and converts it into electricity.
Wind energy harnesses kinetic energy of moving air.
Geothermal energy extracts heat from Earth’s subsurface.
These systems significantly reduce reliance on coal and gas, addressing the main contributors to the enhanced greenhouse effect.
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
CCS involves three steps:
Capturing CO₂ from industrial processes or power plants.
Transporting CO₂ via pipelines or shipping.
Storing CO₂ in geological formations such as depleted oil fields.
Carbon capture and storage (CCS): A process of capturing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial sources and storing them underground to prevent release into the atmosphere.
Though energy-intensive, CCS allows continued use of fossil fuels while reducing atmospheric emissions.
Carbon Removal Technologies
Direct air capture (DAC) uses chemical processes to extract CO₂ from the atmosphere. Once captured, the gas can be stored or utilised in products.
This photograph shows a Climeworks DAC array with modular collector units designed to adsorb CO₂ directly from ambient air before regeneration and handling for storage or use. It provides concrete visual context for engineered carbon removal technologies discussed in the notes. The image depicts one implementation; specific plant capacities are not required knowledge for this subsubtopic. Source.
Another method, afforestation and reforestation, enhances natural carbon sinks, contributing to negative emissions. These technologies directly lower existing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases.
Agricultural Innovations
Agriculture contributes significantly to methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. Mitigation innovations include:
Methane-reducing livestock feed additives.
Precision farming with sensors and AI to optimise fertiliser use.
Agroforestry systems that integrate trees into farmland, enhancing carbon sequestration.
Such strategies reduce emissions without compromising productivity, making them crucial for sustainable food systems.
Case Study: Carbon Capture in Norway
Norway’s Sleipner project (1996–present) provides a named context of CCS. Natural gas extraction produces excess CO₂, which is captured and stored in deep saline aquifers under the North Sea.
Over 1 million tonnes of CO₂ are stored annually, making Sleipner the world’s first large-scale CCS project.
It demonstrates both feasibility and long-term security of storage.
Despite high costs, it proves that CCS can operate effectively at scale.
Evaluating Technologies for Mitigation
Benefits
Significant potential to lower global emissions.
Scalable solutions adaptable to different socio-economic contexts.
Create co-benefits such as cleaner air and improved energy security.
Limitations
High financial costs of implementation.
Technological uncertainties, especially for large-scale deployment.
Risk of over-reliance, delaying behavioural and structural changes.
Equity Considerations
Access to advanced technologies is often unequal. Developing countries may struggle with finance and infrastructure, raising issues of climate justice in global mitigation strategies.
Key Takeaways
Technologies range from urban smart tools to advanced carbon capture systems.
They address mitigation by both reducing emissions and removing CO₂.
Case studies, such as Norway’s Sleipner project, illustrate feasibility and challenges.
While promising, these innovations must be coupled with behavioural, economic, and policy measures for effective global impact.
FAQ
CCS captures carbon dioxide directly from industrial sources such as power plants before it enters the atmosphere, making it a point-source solution.
DAC, on the other hand, removes carbon dioxide already present in the atmosphere, which allows it to address diffuse emissions but requires much more energy per tonne captured.
Smart grids manage fluctuations in energy supply by using digital technology to balance demand with renewable inputs like solar and wind.
They enable two-way communication between suppliers and consumers, allowing electricity storage and demand response. This reduces blackouts and improves efficiency in systems with variable renewable generation.
The Sleipner project was the first large-scale commercial CCS project, beginning in 1996.
It stores over 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually in deep saline aquifers beneath the North Sea.
Its long-term monitoring has provided evidence that storage is both safe and effective, setting a global precedent for similar projects.
Leakage of CO₂ back into the atmosphere if storage sites are poorly selected or sealed.
Risk of contamination of groundwater systems.
Induced seismic activity from pressure changes in underground reservoirs.
Monitoring and careful site selection are crucial to minimise these risks.
Agricultural technologies often focus on reducing methane and nitrous oxide rather than carbon dioxide.
Examples include methane-reducing livestock feed, precision fertiliser application, and agroforestry.
Industrial technologies, like CCS or DAC, usually target large-scale carbon dioxide emissions. Together, both types complement each other in addressing different greenhouse gases.
Practice Questions
Question 1 (2 marks)
Define the term carbon capture and storage (CCS) and outline one step in the process.
Mark Scheme:
Definition of CCS as the process of capturing carbon dioxide from industrial sources and storing it underground to prevent release into the atmosphere. (1 mark)
Identification of one step in the process, e.g. capturing CO₂, transporting CO₂, or storing CO₂ in geological formations. (1 mark)
Question 2 (5 marks)
Evaluate the effectiveness of technological mitigation strategies such as smart-city tools, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and direct air capture (DAC).
Mark Scheme:
Description of one technological mitigation strategy (e.g. smart grids, CCS, DAC). (1 mark)
Explanation of how it contributes to reducing or removing greenhouse gas emissions. (1 mark)
Reference to strengths, e.g. scalability, significant emissions reduction, integration with renewable energy. (1 mark)
Reference to limitations, e.g. high cost, technological uncertainty, unequal global access. (1 mark)
Overall evaluative statement balancing benefits and drawbacks of technological mitigation strategies. (1 mark)
