Decarbonization: ways and prospects for beneficial use of carbon dioxide

Nowadays, humanity is on the edge of a new scientific and technological era, however, the future of man himself is ambiguous. On the one hand, the scientific knowledge accumulated in various fields of science has made it possible to seriously talk about the imminent 4th scientific and technological revolution, which, presumably, will mark the beginning of a new era of advanced technologies. On the other hand, the negative anthropogenic impact on the planet’s ecosystems, as well as the problem of limited resources, makes us now reconsider our activities in order to reach “sustainability” and mitigate the climate change. In an attempt to offer a universal solution to these problems, the concept of sustainable development which is designed to balance the pace of economic development without causing damage to the environment beyond the current pace today has become widespread. Along with the “sustainable development” in developed countries, another concept of “circular economy” has gained prominence, which is gradually becoming popular in Russia as well. Despite the fact that this concept covers almost all types of materials used by man for their rational and repeated use, such a familiar substance as CO2 is one of the most problematic issues of our time. That is mostly because it is not yet available for useful and “circular” utilization in the quantities that are necessary for the effective combating climate change. The relevance of the study lies in the consideration of ways to use carbon dioxide as a useful resource. A brief analysis of current initiatives in the field of decarbonization and a consideration of ways for the beneficial use of CO2 in the future are results of this study.