Tracking the Progress of the Direct Air Capture Industry

This database by the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, in collaboration with RMI and the Direct Air Capture Coalition, tracks the technological development of the DAC industry using milestones identified in The Applied Innovation Roadmap for CDR published by RMI in 2023.

This project's goal is to accelerate the near-term deployment of DAC by clarifying the state of the field and showing where progress is occurring.

Explore a brief summary of the process of Direct Air Capture, resource requirements, and policy initiatives.

Introduction to Direct Air Capture

As an industry largely populated by startups, DAC is characterized by variety. RMI's Applied Innovation Roadmap for CDR (2023) categorized DAC technologies to present a clear overview of the industry and recommend technology-based goals for each approach to support large-scale DAC deployments. This database applies their framework to the industry today – including current companies, funding, and technological advances – and identifies where progress is occurring.

Methods of Direct Air Capture

Turning CO2 into a commodity is attracting attention, as average DAC costs remain high. This database presents emerging ways in which the DAC industry is seeking to utilize captured CO2 directly or as a feedstock to create other products, rather than sequester it underground.

Utilization of Captured CO2