In the effort to cut emissions and (hopefully) reverse Climate Change, we often talk about carbon neutrality. This is the idea that one (an individual, business, or country) is taking actions to remove the same amount of carbon from the atmosphere that they produce. This is the goal of the Paris Agreement – and we have to get there by 2050.

But once CO2 is in the atmosphere, how do we get it out? Natural systems pull carbon out of the air as a matter of course – plants sequester carbon as do our oceans. With green house gas production still increasing, relying on these natural systems to pull CO2 is not enough to slow down Climate Change, let alone start to reverse it.

The organization XPrize that aims to encourage innovation in a range of world-changing sectors, is currently hosting a competition to foster just these kinds of technologies. The NRG Cosia Carbon XPrize is $20 million and garnered 38 entries from around the world. The goal is to develop technologies that will turn industrial CO2 emissions into valuable products. Some of the entries include alternative cements, bioplastics, methanol, carbon nanotube fibers and more. In addition to these exciting new technologies, implementing simpler practices like planting trees, preventing deforestation, and including green roofs and living walls into our built environment can also contribute to pulling CO2 out of the atmosphere.