This chapter illustrates how to put a regenerative strategy into action by introducing a pioneering business case. The company Carbon Engineering is developing cutting-edge technologies, such as Direct Air Capture and AIR TO FUELS, to capture, sequester and, more importantly, apply captured carbon dioxide in the production of synthetic fuel, carrying out a regenerative strategy. Through a qualitative research design, we show how this company (1) demonstrates explorer and prospector behaviour, going beyond the reduction of emissions to achieve net zero and even net negative emissions, or positive environmental externalities; (2) redefines its purpose, vision and mission, passing from a profit-only logic to systemic socioecological resilience through eco-emotional wealth and environmental performance; (3) develops a new, wider form of stakeholder management to engage market and fringe stakeholders; and finally (4) frames a new time perspective, the long- and very long-term view that sustainable development requires – an intra- and intergenerational commitment.

Here I examine flue gas capture of CO2 along with geologic sequestration. While CCS could reasonably be categorized as a form of emissions reduction rather than a climate intervention, I present it as the latter because the capture step is so similar to what would be required for direct air capture, and the sequestration step is identical. I first clarify that the real value in BECCS is the carbon capture, not the inefficient bio energy production. After delving into the mechanics and economics of the CCS process, I review the status of large CCS facilities around the world, noting that we are scaling this technology at a small fraction of the pace required. While there is a small market for carbon use in products, the vast majority of what we might extract needs to be pumped underground in secure storage sites. As there is no market value in such carbon sequestration, this technology will not begin to scale substantially until government policy mandates or incents it via regulation or carbon charges.