Made-from-CO2 concrete, lululemons and diamonds spark investor excitement

Reuters ^ | October 4, 2021 | Jane Lanhee Lee and Nia Williams

[American Number 181269513]

What do diamonds, sunglasses, high-end lululemon sportswear and concrete have to do with climate change?

They can all be made using carbon dioxide (CO2), locking up the planet warming gas. And tech startups behind these transformations are grabbing investor attention.

Some use bacteria. Some use proteins. Some use chemical processes to speed natural reactions. Most pull apart the carbon and the oxygen in CO2 to create another chemical that is used to make consumers goods.

Companies in the area raised over $800 million so far this year, more than tripling from 2020, according to a Reuters review of data from PitchBook, Circular Carbon Network, Cleantech Group and Climate Tech VC.

"I don't want to call it a green tax, but our consumers who really do care … have demonstrated that they're willing to pay a bit of a premium," said Ryan Shearman, chief executiveof Aether Diamonds, which grows diamonds in the lab using captured CO2. On the opposite end of the glamour spectrum, the concrete industry, green also is good for marketing, said Robert Niven, CEO of CarbonCure Technologies, which makes technology that injects CO2 into fresh concrete, and strengthens it by locking in the carbon.

"About 90% of our uptake has been from independent concrete producers large and small that are just looking for that competitive edge."

[BuffaloJack]

Another colossal waste of money to do something Mother Nature would do anyway.

[sasquatch]

As a timberland owner, I’ll initiate a class action suit.

[butlerweave]

Building your house with carbon dioxide (CO2) concrete , how much leaks out over time Oh wait they don’t know because it’s new ,D’oh

[John Galt's cousin]

I think you should also consider using dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO.

[Organic Panic]

The “Climate Doom Clock” keeps flashing “12:00” everytime the power goes out.