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

Doing so would run counter to Biden’s goal of decarbonizing the nation’s electric sector by the middle of the next decade. —Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2024

Because that generally requires decarbonizing transportation and improving energy efficiency, trains, which can run on electricity generated from fossil-fuel as well as non-fossil-fuel sources, are getting a big push. —IEEE Spectrum, 16 May 2024

Lorax will evaluate ways for the museum to curb its water and electricity use, and to decarbonize that usage, said Rebecca Gullott, a senior project manager at Lorax. —Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 16 May 2024

Heat pumps can do that, decarbonizing both heating and cooling. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 21 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1