Eco-CCUS: A cost-effective pathway towards carbon neutrality in China

Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies have attracted great expectations to meet carbon neutrality targets by reducing atmospheric CO2 concentrations. However, most of the existing CCUS technologies are based on an industrial approach with disproportionate economic cost and environmental side effects and remain at an early stage of technological development. This study proposed an ecosystem-based CCUS strategy (Eco-CCUS) to exploit the enormous carbon sequestration potential of ecosystems with low economic cost and mature technology. With undeveloped crop residues as feedstock, it was estimated that Eco-CCUS could bring 0.38 Gt CO2 sequestration capacity every year in China (accounting for 36.89% of the CO2 fixation rates of a terrestrial ecosystem) and has a lower economic cost (100.93 ± 9.38 Yuan/tCO2) compared to that of traditional CCUS technologies. Further analysis showed that the low economic cost of Eco-CCUS was closely related to high crop density, low gross domestic product, and medium transportation distance. A Pareto-optimal strategy was employed to help minimize national aggregate economic costs and identify the priority regions during nationwide deployment of Eco-CCUS. Moreover, Eco-CCUS can bring considerable economic benefit for farmers (223.08 ± 19.60 Yuan per capita) with the future highly developed carbon trade market. This study offers a promising and cost-effective technology to help achieve the carbon neutrality goal, contributing to the sustainable economic and ecological development of contemporary rural China.