Carbon Dioxide Utilization and Removal: Building Circular Carbon Economy
Main Article Content
Abstract
Ethiopia, vulnerable to climate extremes like droughts affecting 20 million annually, faces a 68% emissions rise by 2030 without intervention, per NDC 3.0. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and utilization (CCU) technologies offer pathways to net-zero by 2050, yet deployment lags due to technological immaturity, barriers, and socioeconomic inequities in a 120 million population reliant on agriculture (70% of the workforce). This study evaluates CDR/CCU viability, barriers, employment transitions, SDG synergies, and policy-financing needs to inform equitable scaling, targeting 50 MtCO₂e annual removal and 1.2 million green jobs by 2030. Methods: Multidimensional assessment integrated raw data (TRL, scalability, negativity, and costs) via bubble charts, barrier heatmaps, lifecycle balances, scalability matrices, employment projections, SDG linkages, regional vulnerabilities, policy timelines, complexity priorities, and financing mixes. Quantitative modeling employed correlations (e.g., r = 0.62 for scalability-negativity), econometric simulations, and geospatial analysis across 10 technologies and 9 regions. Findings: CDR outperforms in negativity (0.82 mean) and permanence (3,060 years) but trails CCU economically (-27.5 USD/tCO₂); barriers peak economically (8.3 severity) with $1.92B financing gaps; transitions yield 2.5 million jobs and a 20.6-point SDG uplift (strongest SDG 7 linkage, 10/10); Oromia anchors potential (5.8 growth); policies favor regulatory (5 instruments), and complexity prioritizes renewables (120k jobs, Figure 12); $3.5B is mobilized via 35% international finance. Novelty: First integrated Ethiopia-centric framework blending technoeconomic, barrier, just transition, and policy analyses, revealing 70:30 CDR-CCU portfolios for 10 GtCO₂/year at 80 USD/t aggregate, with regional equity modeling reducing vuln-poverty correlations by 25%. Viable for resilient net-zero, amplifying co-benefits amid 1.5°C risks. Allocate $1B phased investments (40% renewables/forestry), harmonize regulations, and reskill 500k workers for inclusion.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
Article Details
How to Cite
Goshu, B. S., & Muhammad Ridwan. (2026). Carbon Dioxide Utilization and Removal: Building Circular Carbon Economy. Economit Journal: Scientific Journal of Accountancy, Management and Finance, 6(3), 199-226. Retrieved from https://www.biarjournal.com/index.php/economit/article/view/1571
Section
Articles
References
African Climate Policy Centre. (2024). African perspectives of a just transition to low carbon economies. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. https://uneca.org/sites/default/files/ACPC/2024/African_perspectives_of_a_just_transition_to_Low_Carbon_economies.pdf
Ashton, C., et al. (2021). Equity in negative emissions. Nature Climate Change, 11(8), 656–662. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-021-01092-3
Bach, L. T., et al. (2019). CO₂ removal with enhanced weathering. Biogeosciences, 16(24), 4629–4645. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4629-2019
Bastin, J.-F., et al. (2019). The global tree restoration potential. Science, 365(6448), 76–79. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax0848
Beltrán, A., & Otálora, G. (2022). The Ethiopian energy sector and its implications for the SDGs and climate action. Energy Strategy Reviews, 42, Article 100881. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2022.100881
Bipartisan Policy Center. (2025). Integrating carbon dioxide removal with industrial processes: Challenges and policy opportunities. https://bipartisanpolicy.org/issue-brief/integrating-carbon-dioxide-removal-with-industrial-processes-challenges-and-policy-opportunities/
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Carbon Capture Coalition. (2025). 2025 federal policy blueprint. https://carboncapturecoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/CCC-2025-Federal-Policy-Blueprint.pdf
Carbon Emissions and National Sustainable Development Goals Coupling Coordination Degree Study from a Global Perspective: Characteristics, Heterogeneity, and Spatial Effects. (2023). Sustainability, 15(11), 9070. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/11/9070
Carbon Gap. (2023). The accountability gap. Carbon Gap Report. https://carbongap.org
Clean Energy Ministerial. (2025). Developments with carbon management (CCUS and CDR). https://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/content/uploads/2025/08/carbon-management-programmes_26aug2025.pdf
Climeworks. (2024). Annual impact report. Climeworks AG.
Comprehensive analysis of carbon emissions, economic growth, and employment. (2021). PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8445877/
Dagnachew, A. G., et al. (2023). Ethiopia's path to net zero and climate-resilient development. World Resources Institute. https://africa.wri.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/ethiopias-path-net-zero-climate-resilient-development.pdf
Davis, S. J., et al. (2018). Net-zero emissions energy systems. Science, 360(6396), eaas9793. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aas9793
DOE. (2024). Carbon management program. U.S. Department of Energy.
East African Trade Union Confederation. (2025). Climate change and just transition training manual. EATUC. https://eatuc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Climate-Change-and-Just-Transition-Training-Manual.pdf
Energy Transitions Commission. (2022). Mind the gap: Seizing opportunities from carbon dioxide removal. https://www.energy-transitions.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/ETC-CDR-Executive-Summary-Mind-the-Gap.pdf
European Commission. (2023). Fit for 55 package. EC Publications.
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. (2025). Ethiopia NDC 3.0. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/2025-09/Ethiopia%20NDC%203.0%20Final.pdf
Fuss, S., et al. (2018). Negative emissions—Part 2. Environmental Research Letters, 13(6), 063002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aabf9f
Fuss, S., et al. (2025). Effective and fair policy to mobilize industrial carbon dioxide removal. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-025-10235-8
Global CCS Institute. (2022). Global status report. GCCSI.
Global CO₂ Initiative. (2021). Market outlook. GCI Report.
Global CO₂ Initiative. (2025). The role of carbon markets in financing carbon dioxide removal. https://www.greenfinanceinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/The-Role-of-Carbon-Markets-in-Financing-Carbon-Dioxide-Removals.pdf
Goshu, B.S. (2026), Key Drivers of Ethiopia's Digital Ecosystem: An Exploratory Factor Analysis Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals, Matondang Journal, 6(1), 27-43
Goshu, B.S. (2026). From Billions of Seedlings to Sustainable Livelihoods: A Critical Review of Ethiopia's Green Economy Strategy, Afforestation Outcomes, and Community Co-Benefits, Rowter Journl, 5(1), 68-8
Griscom, B. W., et al. (2017). Natural climate solutions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(44), 11645–11650. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1710465114
Haya, B., et al. (2022). Low-confidence carbon credits. Nature, 601(7892), 198–201. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-03976-2
IEA. (2023). CCUS report. International Energy Agency.
IEA. (2025a). Carbon capture utilisation and storage. https://www.iea.org/energy-system/carbon-capture-utilisation-and-storage
IEA. (2025b). Driving down the cost of carbon removal: Why innovation matters. https://www.iea.org/commentaries/driving-down-the-cost-of-carbon-removal-why-innovation-matters
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). (2020). Innovation outlook: Smart charging for electric vehicles. https://www.irena.org/publications/2020/Dec/Innovation-Outlook-Smart-Charging
IPCC. (2022). Climate change 2022: Mitigation. Cambridge University Press.
IRENA. (2023). Renewable power generation costs. International Renewable Energy Agency.
Just Transition Africa. (2023). Just transition Africa report. https://justtransitionafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Just-Transition-Africa-report-ENG_single-pages.pdf
Just Transition for All. (2022). A case study of Ethiopia. https://justtransitionforall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Ethiopia_ET_Paper.pdf
Kerr, S., et al. (2025). Transforming US agriculture for carbon removal with enhanced weathering. Nature, 627, 324–330. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08429-2
Lebling, K., Gangotra, A., Hausker, K., & Byrum, Z. (2025, May 16). 7 Things to Know About Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/carbon-capture-technology
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2023). Carbon utilization infrastructure markets research and development. National Academies Press.
Nemet, G. F., et al. (2018). Beyond basic needs. Energy Policy, 119, 433–446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2018.04.028
Pires, J. C. M., et al. (2023). Carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and sequestration. ACS Engineering Au, 3(6), 417–436. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsengineeringau.3c00049
Rinberg, T., Cullenward, D., Hamman, J., & Freeman, J. (2020). Carbon removal mechanisms. CarbonPlan. https://carbonplan.org/research/carbon-removal-mechanisms
Roe, S., et al. (2019). Contributions of the BES sector. Global Change Biology, 25(12), 4127–4144. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14791
Roe, S., et al. (2025). Separating CO₂ emission from removal targets comes with limited consequences. Environmental Research Letters, 20(6), 064012. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad4f2a
Royal Society of Chemistry. (2025). Negative emission technologies: A way forward? Sustainable Energy & Fuels. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5SU00162E
Sanna, A., et al. (2014). A review of mineral carbonation. Chemical Society Reviews, 43(23), 8049–8080. https://doi.org/10.1039/C4CS00035H
Schäfer, S., et al. (2025). Who cares about carbon dioxide removal? Assessing actors, policy debates and governance options. Climate Policy. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2025.2485204
Schulze, E.-D., et al. (2012). Large-scale bioenergy. Global Change Biology Bioenergy, 4(5), 465–474. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1757-1707.2011.01139.x
Smith, P., et al. (2019). Biophysical and economic limits. Global Change Biology, 25(11), 3800–3815. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14774
U.S. Department of Energy. (2025). Carbon dioxide removal: Purpose, approaches, and recommendations report. https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/CDR%2520Purpose%252C%2520Approaches%252C%2520and%2520Recommendations%2520Report.pdf
U.S. Interagency Working Group. (2023). Technical support document: Social cost of carbon. U.S. Government.
UNEP. (2023). Emissions gap report. United Nations Environment Programme.
United Nations Development Programme. (2025). Financing Ethiopia's green transition. https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2025-01/undp-working_paper_series-financing_ethiopias_green_transition_5c_final.pdf
van den Bergh, J. C. J. M., et al. (2020). Rebound effects in energy transitions. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 132, 110066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110066
Woolf, D., et al. (2010). Sustainable biochar. GCB Bioenergy, 2(4), 225–238. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1757-1707.2010.01043.x
World Economic Forum. (2025). Defossilizing industry: Scaling-up carbon capture and utilization to 2030. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Defossilizing_Industry_Scaling-up_CCU_2025.pdf
World Economic Forum. (2025, September). Explainer: What is Carbon Capture and Utilization? https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/09/what-is-carbon-capture-and-utilization/
World Resources Institute. (2023). Ethiopia's path to net zero. https://africa.wri.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/ethiopias-path-net-zero-climate-resilient-development.pdf
World Resources Institute. (2025). 7 things to know about carbon capture, utilization and sequestration. https://www.wri.org/insights/carbon-capture-technology
Yang Liu, ... Xiaona Bao. (2022). Carbon Economy - an overview. ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/carbon-economy
Yirga, C., et al. (2025). Harnessing Africa's renewable potential with an integrated just transition framework. Circular Economy and Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-02119-3
Ashton, C., et al. (2021). Equity in negative emissions. Nature Climate Change, 11(8), 656–662. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-021-01092-3
Bach, L. T., et al. (2019). CO₂ removal with enhanced weathering. Biogeosciences, 16(24), 4629–4645. https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4629-2019
Bastin, J.-F., et al. (2019). The global tree restoration potential. Science, 365(6448), 76–79. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax0848
Beltrán, A., & Otálora, G. (2022). The Ethiopian energy sector and its implications for the SDGs and climate action. Energy Strategy Reviews, 42, Article 100881. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2022.100881
Bipartisan Policy Center. (2025). Integrating carbon dioxide removal with industrial processes: Challenges and policy opportunities. https://bipartisanpolicy.org/issue-brief/integrating-carbon-dioxide-removal-with-industrial-processes-challenges-and-policy-opportunities/
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Carbon Capture Coalition. (2025). 2025 federal policy blueprint. https://carboncapturecoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/CCC-2025-Federal-Policy-Blueprint.pdf
Carbon Emissions and National Sustainable Development Goals Coupling Coordination Degree Study from a Global Perspective: Characteristics, Heterogeneity, and Spatial Effects. (2023). Sustainability, 15(11), 9070. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/11/9070
Carbon Gap. (2023). The accountability gap. Carbon Gap Report. https://carbongap.org
Clean Energy Ministerial. (2025). Developments with carbon management (CCUS and CDR). https://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/content/uploads/2025/08/carbon-management-programmes_26aug2025.pdf
Climeworks. (2024). Annual impact report. Climeworks AG.
Comprehensive analysis of carbon emissions, economic growth, and employment. (2021). PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8445877/
Dagnachew, A. G., et al. (2023). Ethiopia's path to net zero and climate-resilient development. World Resources Institute. https://africa.wri.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/ethiopias-path-net-zero-climate-resilient-development.pdf
Davis, S. J., et al. (2018). Net-zero emissions energy systems. Science, 360(6396), eaas9793. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aas9793
DOE. (2024). Carbon management program. U.S. Department of Energy.
East African Trade Union Confederation. (2025). Climate change and just transition training manual. EATUC. https://eatuc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Climate-Change-and-Just-Transition-Training-Manual.pdf
Energy Transitions Commission. (2022). Mind the gap: Seizing opportunities from carbon dioxide removal. https://www.energy-transitions.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/ETC-CDR-Executive-Summary-Mind-the-Gap.pdf
European Commission. (2023). Fit for 55 package. EC Publications.
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. (2025). Ethiopia NDC 3.0. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/2025-09/Ethiopia%20NDC%203.0%20Final.pdf
Fuss, S., et al. (2018). Negative emissions—Part 2. Environmental Research Letters, 13(6), 063002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aabf9f
Fuss, S., et al. (2025). Effective and fair policy to mobilize industrial carbon dioxide removal. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11027-025-10235-8
Global CCS Institute. (2022). Global status report. GCCSI.
Global CO₂ Initiative. (2021). Market outlook. GCI Report.
Global CO₂ Initiative. (2025). The role of carbon markets in financing carbon dioxide removal. https://www.greenfinanceinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/The-Role-of-Carbon-Markets-in-Financing-Carbon-Dioxide-Removals.pdf
Goshu, B.S. (2026), Key Drivers of Ethiopia's Digital Ecosystem: An Exploratory Factor Analysis Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals, Matondang Journal, 6(1), 27-43
Goshu, B.S. (2026). From Billions of Seedlings to Sustainable Livelihoods: A Critical Review of Ethiopia's Green Economy Strategy, Afforestation Outcomes, and Community Co-Benefits, Rowter Journl, 5(1), 68-8
Griscom, B. W., et al. (2017). Natural climate solutions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(44), 11645–11650. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1710465114
Haya, B., et al. (2022). Low-confidence carbon credits. Nature, 601(7892), 198–201. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-03976-2
IEA. (2023). CCUS report. International Energy Agency.
IEA. (2025a). Carbon capture utilisation and storage. https://www.iea.org/energy-system/carbon-capture-utilisation-and-storage
IEA. (2025b). Driving down the cost of carbon removal: Why innovation matters. https://www.iea.org/commentaries/driving-down-the-cost-of-carbon-removal-why-innovation-matters
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). (2020). Innovation outlook: Smart charging for electric vehicles. https://www.irena.org/publications/2020/Dec/Innovation-Outlook-Smart-Charging
IPCC. (2022). Climate change 2022: Mitigation. Cambridge University Press.
IRENA. (2023). Renewable power generation costs. International Renewable Energy Agency.
Just Transition Africa. (2023). Just transition Africa report. https://justtransitionafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Just-Transition-Africa-report-ENG_single-pages.pdf
Just Transition for All. (2022). A case study of Ethiopia. https://justtransitionforall.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Ethiopia_ET_Paper.pdf
Kerr, S., et al. (2025). Transforming US agriculture for carbon removal with enhanced weathering. Nature, 627, 324–330. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08429-2
Lebling, K., Gangotra, A., Hausker, K., & Byrum, Z. (2025, May 16). 7 Things to Know About Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/carbon-capture-technology
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2023). Carbon utilization infrastructure markets research and development. National Academies Press.
Nemet, G. F., et al. (2018). Beyond basic needs. Energy Policy, 119, 433–446. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2018.04.028
Pires, J. C. M., et al. (2023). Carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and sequestration. ACS Engineering Au, 3(6), 417–436. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsengineeringau.3c00049
Rinberg, T., Cullenward, D., Hamman, J., & Freeman, J. (2020). Carbon removal mechanisms. CarbonPlan. https://carbonplan.org/research/carbon-removal-mechanisms
Roe, S., et al. (2019). Contributions of the BES sector. Global Change Biology, 25(12), 4127–4144. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14791
Roe, S., et al. (2025). Separating CO₂ emission from removal targets comes with limited consequences. Environmental Research Letters, 20(6), 064012. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ad4f2a
Royal Society of Chemistry. (2025). Negative emission technologies: A way forward? Sustainable Energy & Fuels. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5SU00162E
Sanna, A., et al. (2014). A review of mineral carbonation. Chemical Society Reviews, 43(23), 8049–8080. https://doi.org/10.1039/C4CS00035H
Schäfer, S., et al. (2025). Who cares about carbon dioxide removal? Assessing actors, policy debates and governance options. Climate Policy. https://doi.org/10.1080/14693062.2025.2485204
Schulze, E.-D., et al. (2012). Large-scale bioenergy. Global Change Biology Bioenergy, 4(5), 465–474. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1757-1707.2011.01139.x
Smith, P., et al. (2019). Biophysical and economic limits. Global Change Biology, 25(11), 3800–3815. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14774
U.S. Department of Energy. (2025). Carbon dioxide removal: Purpose, approaches, and recommendations report. https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2025-01/CDR%2520Purpose%252C%2520Approaches%252C%2520and%2520Recommendations%2520Report.pdf
U.S. Interagency Working Group. (2023). Technical support document: Social cost of carbon. U.S. Government.
UNEP. (2023). Emissions gap report. United Nations Environment Programme.
United Nations Development Programme. (2025). Financing Ethiopia's green transition. https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/2025-01/undp-working_paper_series-financing_ethiopias_green_transition_5c_final.pdf
van den Bergh, J. C. J. M., et al. (2020). Rebound effects in energy transitions. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 132, 110066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.110066
Woolf, D., et al. (2010). Sustainable biochar. GCB Bioenergy, 2(4), 225–238. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1757-1707.2010.01043.x
World Economic Forum. (2025). Defossilizing industry: Scaling-up carbon capture and utilization to 2030. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Defossilizing_Industry_Scaling-up_CCU_2025.pdf
World Economic Forum. (2025, September). Explainer: What is Carbon Capture and Utilization? https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/09/what-is-carbon-capture-and-utilization/
World Resources Institute. (2023). Ethiopia's path to net zero. https://africa.wri.org/sites/default/files/2023-10/ethiopias-path-net-zero-climate-resilient-development.pdf
World Resources Institute. (2025). 7 things to know about carbon capture, utilization and sequestration. https://www.wri.org/insights/carbon-capture-technology
Yang Liu, ... Xiaona Bao. (2022). Carbon Economy - an overview. ScienceDirect. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/carbon-economy
Yirga, C., et al. (2025). Harnessing Africa's renewable potential with an integrated just transition framework. Circular Economy and Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-025-02119-3