CO₂ utilisation or Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) as it is generally called is the transformation of CO₂ captured from industry processes or directly from the atmosphere into valuable products such as building materials, fuels or chemical feedstocks.

CCU makes captured CO₂ a useful raw material rather than a costly liability. Recycling industrial CO₂ emissions which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere both creates new industrial growth opportunities and limits net GHG emissions. This makes CCU part of the emerging circular economy. When CCU technologies combine soon to be cheap and abundant renewable energy with CO₂ from captured emissions or the atmosphere we have the prospect of net negative emissions from industry plus the potential to replace CO₂ feedstocks derived from fossil fuels.

Market analysis and research, such as a January 2020 report released by the Thunderbird School of Global Management (Arizona State University), continues to indicate that carbon-capture products are capable of developing global market opportunities to the value of US$5 trillion.

CCU is also sometimes called Carbon Capture and Manufacture (CCM) or Carbon-to-Value (C2V). In the US it is often called Carbontech. It complements established Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology. But with CCU CO₂ is transformed into products rather than injected into geological reservoirs deep underground as compressed CO₂.

CO₂ Value Australia is a not-for-profit industry body based in Canberra. Our mission is to promote the development and deployment of sustainable industrial solutions which transform captured CO₂ into useful products.

The four Directors of CO₂ Value Australia are:

• John Beever (Chair of GreenMag Group)
• Professor Mark Howden (Director of the Australian National University Climate Change Institute)
• Jez Smith (Chief Scientist Emeritus of Orica) and
• Sophia Hamblin Wang (Chief Operating Officer of Mineral Carbonation International).

The objectives of CO₂ Value Australia are to be:

CO₂ Value Australia members consider CCU to be one of a range of technology solutions needed to deal effectively and sustainably with climate change.

Our members:

• Accept that anthropogenic climate change is happening and is firmly demonstrated by the science;
• Consider CCU technologies can contribute significantly toward the low-carbon circular economy envisaged in the COP21 Paris agreement;
• Agree sustainable CCU solutions must be based on rigorous and accepted technical and economic methods and Life Cycle Analysis standards.

It is the position of CO₂ Value Australia that all climate change mitigation solutions should be assessed on their merits, and where effective and appropriate each technology should be supported. No single solution can achieve the reductions in greenhouse gases needed in the time available.

CO₂ Value Australia seeks to work collegially with other Australian groups involved in climate change solutions and action. CO₂ Value Australia also works internationally, particularly in partnership with CO₂ Value Europe, the world leading Brussels-based ‘think and do tank’ dedicated to global action on CCU.

CO₂ Value Australia members are university researchers, private consultants, new project facilitators, technology start-ups and established industry involved in CCU.

Members share news on developments, relevant programs, project opportunities where and to the extent they choose to do so. Members are also connected with relevant seminars, meetings or conferences.

There are two levels of membership offered to organisations as approved by the Board. Established organisations with ongoing funding pay an annual fee of AUD$10,000 while Start-ups pay a fee of AUD$2,000.