Direct Air Capture: Hype, Hope, and the Climate Reality Check

Can We Vacuum the Sky? Direct Air Capture Between Hype, Hope, and Hard Truths

🚀 Kicking Off With Climate Reality, Not Fantasy

Direct Air Capture (DAC) is often painted in extremes… either a silver bullet that will solve climate change or a techno-fantasy that distracts from real solutions. In our recent Terra.do Expert Event, hosted by Angela Tseng and led by climate advisor Silvan Aeschlimann, we opted for a more grounded conversation.

Silvan, who brings a rare blend of economics, journalism, and hands-on CDR expertise, bypassed the usual preamble of climate science and jumped straight into what DAC is today, not what it promises to be in a brochure.

What followed was a candid, clear-eyed exploration of a still-maturing climate technology and its place in a complex global decarbonization puzzle.

• He shared insights from his work on CDR roadmaps, startup advisory, and tech evaluations.
• The goal wasn’t to sell DAC but to interrogate it from all sides.
• The conversation served as both a primer and a provocation for professionals exploring real climate solutions.

Watch the event recording — Direct Air Capture with Silvan Aeschlimann

This article presents a breakdown of the “Direct Air Capture: Climate Solution or Cover for Big Emitters?” event hosted by Terra.do with Silvan Aeschlimann, reflecting on the big questions and practical takeaways explored.

How DAC Works: Precision, Permanence, and Control

At its core, DAC is a form of engineered carbon removal that draws CO₂ directly from ambient air. As Silvan described it, it’s like a “giant vacuum cleaner” – one that doesn’t just sweep the floor, but sucks carbon out of the sky. It’s not a metaphor; it’s a functioning process already underway.

Take the Climeworks Mammoth plant in Iceland, currently the world’s largest operational DAC facility. There, captured CO₂ is injected into underground basalt formations, where it reacts with the rock and solidifies, locking carbon away for thousands of years. This isn’t theoretical. It’s mineralization in action, offering one of the most permanent carbon removal methods available.

But permanence and precision aren’t the only value DAC offers. What sets it apart is its control.

• DAC offers operational flexibility — it can be turned on or off, unlike nature-based methods.

• Its CO₂ output is pure and measurable, which enables better accounting and verification. → Other methods, like biomass-based removal, often face storage durability and land constraints.

🧑‍🎓 Teen Tech: DAC’s Growing Pains and Real Potential

As Silvan put it: DAC is in its “teenage” phase. Not an infant anymore, the early science and proof-of-concept work is largely done. But not yet an adult either. The sector is experiencing real turbulence, including recent layoffs and signs of consolidation.

This is the natural next step for a field moving beyond hype. As attention (and dollars) have flooded in, the space has expanded and now it’s recalibrating. We’re seeing which technologies can scale, which business models work, and which companies can survive a shifting political and funding landscape.

Still, these growing pains shouldn’t be mistaken for failure.
→ Silvan emphasized that only the most viable companies will survive this phase.
→ The industry is undergoing a necessary weeding-out process as it matures.
→ Importantly, DAC's trajectory is global and cannot be derailed by setbacks in one country alone.

🧨 Tackling the Top 3 Critiques Head-On

During the session, we took time to directly engage with the most common and pressing criticisms of DAC….not to dismiss them, but to take them seriously and respond with nuance.

Critique #1: It's Too Expensive.

→ At ~$1,000 per ton, it’s not cheap but these are first-gen, proof-of-concept plants.
→ With policy support and scaling, the price could fall to $150–$250/ton.
→ Tax credits like $180/ton in the U.S. can close the gap further.

Critique #2: It Distracts from Emissions Reductions.

→ Silvan was clear: cutting emissions is priority #1.
→ DAC is for legacy carbon already in the air, not a license to keep polluting.
→ Think: stop the bottle and empty the stomach.

Critique #3: It’s a Polluter’s Excuse.

→ Valid concern, but policy can help.
→ Investments in DAC must go hand-in-hand with system-wide decarbonization.
→ Infrastructure like EV charging must be accelerated in parallel.

🧩 Why DAC Still Belongs in the Climate Puzzle

Climate models are clear: we’ll need to remove around 10 gigatons of CO₂ annually by 2050. That can’t be done with one tool alone and DAC offers a critical piece of the solution set.

→ DAC doesn’t rely on forests, soil, or crops.
→ It’s controllable, measurable, and doesn’t risk reversal like biomass-based options.
→ It’s ideal for hard-to-abate sectors and cleaning up legacy emissions.

But near-term, DAC won’t dominate.
→ Nature-based methods are more mature and will scale faster, initially.
→ DAC’s real strength is in durability, not affordability….yet.
→ A smart carbon strategy balances both.

📉 Cost Breakdown: Why It's High and How It Might Drop

DAC’s eye-watering price tag isn’t random. Silvan broke it down in clear terms.

→ Capex (equipment, buildout) makes up about 60% of total costs.
→ Energy, often heat, is another major driver.
→ Ideal sites like Iceland benefit from geothermal power, but they’re rare.

Still, the future holds promise

→ These early plants weren’t optimized, they were proving feasibility.
→ Economies of scale, better materials, and smarter design are coming.
→ Many expect next-gen DAC to hit the $150–$250/ton mark.

🌍 DAC Beyond Borders: Politics, Policy, and Momentum

U.S. government funding freezes have rattled the sector but DAC isn’t a U.S.-only story.

→ Europe, the Nordics, and Japan are investing steadily in DAC and storage tech.
→ China’s more focused on biomass CDR for now, but the global picture is dynamic.
→ Private capital and international collaboration are keeping the momentum going.

Policy volatility is real, but so is global interest. DAC has quietly entered the mainstream of climate infrastructure planning even if that means weathering political storms.

💼 There’s a Role for You in DAC

Silvan’s own path from journalism and economics to climate tech underscores that climate work isn’t just for scientists and engineers.

→ DAC needs business, policy, comms, and ops talent just as much as engineers.
→ Storytelling, transferable skills, and real-world grit are in high demand.
→ There’s no one path.. just a growing field looking for sharp, curious minds.

If you’ve got range and a climate commitment, DAC is a place to apply both.

🪙 What Smart Companies Are Actually Doing

For most companies, $1,000 per ton is not scalable but ignoring DAC isn't wise either.

→ A portfolio approach works best: combine DAC with cheaper, near-term methods.
→ DAC’s permanence is valuable for credibility and long-term risk management.
→ Smart buyers diversify to spread cost, hedge against tech and policy shifts.

Investing in DAC now may be expensive but waiting too long could cost more in missed opportunity and climate liability.

🧭 Where We Go From Here

This wasn’t a conversation about hype, it was about what’s real. DAC is imperfect, but necessary. Pricey, but promising. Complex, but already here.

To move forward, we need:

→ Strong policy, smart incentives, and rigorous standards.
→ Clear communication, especially to avoid moral hazard.
→ More people willing to learn, lead, and shape the carbon removal field.

Ready to go deeper? Take the Carbon Removal: Technologies and Risks course and find your place in this evolving, urgent space.
→ Includes a deep dive into portfolios, permanence, and risk.
→ Perfect for climate-curious professionals and future carbon strategists.
→ Additional resources like roadmap reports are part of the course.