Toward a New Carbon Economy

This briefing by RMI proposes a 'new carbon economy' that treats carbon dioxide as a valuable raw material rather than a waste product to achieve a net-negative emissions footprint while maintaining the supply of essential carbon-based materials.

• The 'new carbon economy' is defined as an economic system that converts carbon dioxide from a waste product into a raw material for food, materials, and fuels, aiming for a net-negative emissions footprint. This system integrates five core activities: Point Source Carbon Capture (PSC/CCS), Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR), Carbon Utilization (CCU), Carbon Storage, and Carbon Transportation.
• RMI identifies a lack of coordination and a missing overarching vision across the carbon management ecosystem, which is delaying infrastructure investment and risking the misallocation of resources. Specific issues include the slow development of shared storage and transport infrastructure, and a lack of alignment between CDR stakeholders and other carbon management activities.
• The transition to a new carbon economy requires resolving strategic conflicts regarding the use of carbon capture. RMI argues that while PSC is critical for decarbonizing the cement industry, it should not be utilized to prolong the operation of coal-fueled electricity generators.
• There is a significant gap in the infrastructure required for carbon transportation in the United States. According to a U.S. DOE report, the U.S. will need between 30,000 and 96,000 miles of CO2 pipelines by 2050, whereas only approximately 5,300 miles are currently operational.

APA

RMI (2026). Toward a New Carbon Economy. https://rmi.org/resources/toward-a-new-carbon-economy/

Chicago

RMI. Toward a New Carbon Economy. 2026. https://rmi.org/resources/toward-a-new-carbon-economy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Toward a New Carbon Economy |date=13 April 2026 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/toward-a-new-carbon-economy/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2026toward, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Toward a New Carbon Economy}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2026}, month = apr, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/toward-a-new-carbon-economy/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }