Direct air capture — removing CO₂ directly from the atmosphere rather than from industrial exhaust streams — is a technology frontier where Canada has established clear global leadership. Svante is developing advanced sorbent materials optimized for the 0.04% CO₂ concentration in ambient air, while Carbon Engineering (acquired by Occidental Petroleum) built one of the world's first commercial DAC facilities in Squamish, British Columbia.
DAC matters because even aggressive emissions reduction won't be sufficient to meet climate targets — the world will need to actively remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. DAC is one of the few scalable approaches to negative emissions, and the technology is rapidly improving in cost and efficiency. Canada's combination of cheap clean energy (hydroelectric), geological storage capacity, and technical expertise makes it an ideal location for DAC deployment.
The strategic calculus for Canada is that DAC could become a major export industry — not just the technology and hardware, but carbon removal credits and services. As carbon markets mature and compliance requirements tighten, countries and companies will need verified carbon removal at scale. Canada's head start in both the technology and the geology positions it as a potential global hub for the carbon removal economy.