decarbonize

verb

de·​car·​bon·​ize (ˌ)dē-ˈkär-bə-ˌnīz 

decarbonized; decarbonizing; decarbonizes

transitive verb

1

: to remove carbon from (something)

It's usually not necessary to dismantle the engine to decarbonize it anymore.

—Allen D. Berrien

2

: to reduce the levels of carbon emissions (such as carbon dioxide) caused by or involved in (something, such as a facility, process, or organization)

… we must decarbonize the energy supply by developing forms of power that emit less greenhouse gas or none at all.

—Daniel Ben-Ami

[Steve] Cohen is confident that we will be able to decarbonize our economy in time to avoid catastrophic climate impacts.

—Renee Cho

intransitive verb

: to reduce the production of carbon emissions

Certainly, people at Airbus say they need to decarbonize, and research on battery technology for electric planes has been disappointing.

—Ned Potter

decarbonizer noun

Examples of decarbonize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ali Zaidi: The United States is positioned to continue to deploy clean energy and continue to decarbonize the economy. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 17 Jan. 2025

These technologies are poised to play critical roles in decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors like heavy industry and aviation. —Robert Rapier, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025

The coalition aims to fight climate change by decarbonizing air travel while creating jobs in Minnesota, said President and CEO Peter Frosch. —Ingrid Harbo, Twin Cities, 14 Nov. 2024

As the surge in renewable energy begins to reduce the emissions from our supply of electricity, attention is turning to the heavy industry sectors such as steel that are harder to decarbonize. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1