Sweetening the deal for sustainability — while removing carbon dioxide

Chaneil_James_Anstey · January 26, 2026, 3:24pm

Here’s a novel pathway to a more sustainable planet: carbo-loading for the public good.
In a new study published in Nature Synthesis, chemists at Yale and the University of California-Berkeley have developed a two-step process that removes carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and converts it into carbohydrates, aka sugars.
Previous studies from various research institutes, including Yale, have explored ways to convert CO2 into simple molecules, such as methanol and formate, that can be used as industrial feedstocks for other products and to reduce greenhouse gases.
The new study pushes this idea further.