Mineral that can remove CO2 pollution from the atmosphere created in lab

Scientists have found a way to produce a mineral, known as magnesite, in a lab that can absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, offering a potential strategy for tackling climate change.

By reducing a process that normally takes thousands of years to a matter of days, the research could boost the burgeoning field of carbon capture and storage (CCS).

As the world struggles to cut spiraling greenhouse gas emissions, experts broadly agree that technologies that suck CO2 from the air will be an essential tool to curtail global warming.

Magnesite is a naturally occurring rock used in jewellery and for various industrial processes, and its carbon-storing capacity was already known to scientists.

Every ton of magnesite is capable of removing around half a ton of CO2 from the atmosphere.