Carbon capture and storage (CCS) may sound simple and promising enough. It involves the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) at its source—such as an industrial plant—before it can enter the atmosphere, storing it deep underground in geological formations such as oil wells.

“The bottom line is that carbon capture just increases CO2,” says Mark Jacobson, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, California. “It increases air pollution. It increases fossil fuel mining, fossil fuel infrastructure, pipelines, and it results in more oil being drilled. In the end, all it does is keep the fossil fuel industry in business . . . so it’s basically a scam.”