decarbonize

verb

de·​car·​bon·​ize (ˌ)dē-ˈkär-bə-ˌnīz 

decarbonized; decarbonizing; decarbonizes

transitive verb

1

: to remove carbon from (something)

It's usually not necessary to dismantle the engine to decarbonize it anymore.

—Allen D. Berrien

2

: to reduce the levels of carbon emissions (such as carbon dioxide) caused by or involved in (something, such as a facility, process, or organization)

… we must decarbonize the energy supply by developing forms of power that emit less greenhouse gas or none at all.

—Daniel Ben-Ami

[Steve] Cohen is confident that we will be able to decarbonize our economy in time to avoid catastrophic climate impacts.

—Renee Cho

intransitive verb

: to reduce the production of carbon emissions

Certainly, people at Airbus say they need to decarbonize, and research on battery technology for electric planes has been disappointing.

—Ned Potter

decarbonizer noun

Examples of decarbonize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Back then, Germany was a global leader in manufacturing solar cells as part of an early effort to decarbonize their coal-heavy power grid. —Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 12 Apr. 2024

In addition, Boeing’s leadership must begin to look ahead, to speak publicly about building the next all-new jet and advancing technology to decarbonize aviation. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024

First, green tech players—in particular, solar panel and battery manufacturers—have a strong presence on the list, thanks to government support in the form of subsidies and ambitious renewable energy targets, access to crucial raw materials, and the world’s desire to decarbonize fast. —Fang Ruan, Fortune Asia, 20 Mar. 2024

First California plan nears approval Jan. 14, 2024 The researchers highlighted how California could eliminate emissions by finding ways to decarbonize the the state’s cement factories. —Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2024

This is incredible progress at a time when there is no place for laggards in the race to decarbonize. —María Mendiluce, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

Industrial polluters, who have few options to decarbonize, currently get most of their permits for free while power producers have to buy them. —John Ainger, Fortune Europe, 2 Apr. 2024

The World Fund was founded in 2021 and invests in startups developing technology to decarbonize the energy, buildings, transport and agriculture industries. —Jennifer Kite-Powell, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024

The Biden administration announced $6 billion in funding Monday for projects that will slash emissions from the industrial sector — the largest-ever U.S. investment to decarbonize domestic industry to fight climate change. —Isabella O'Malley, Fortune, 25 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1