Argonne expertise and facilities help the nation reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in the fight against climate change.

Decarbonization is critical to the global fight against climate change. For more than 75 years, Argonne has delivered scientific solutions and technology to the nation in support of the drive toward a carbon-free economy. Today, our researchers and facilities are at work every day addressing two major aspects of decarbonization: reducing greenhouse gas emissions and capturing carbon from the atmosphere.

The United States has committed to goals for decarbonization over the next three decades:

• Cutting greenhouse gas emissions from the electrical grid in half by 2030
• Decarbonizing the electrical grid by 2035
• Decarbonizing the U.S. economy by 2050

Argonne’s broad and deep portfolio of decarbonization R&D programs leverages a world-class scientific workforce and unique large-scale facilities, including four national user facilities funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science and one funded by the Department’s Office of Nuclear Energy. We carry out fundamental, use-inspired and applied R&D that helps decarbonize transportation, the electrical grid, industry, buildings and agriculture.

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we develop innovative energy storage materials and zero-carbon fuels, expand the boundaries of carbon-free sources of energy such as nuclear and renewable power, and boost energy efficiency across sectors. We advance technology to capture carbon from the air and from industrial sources, and explore ways to use captured carbon in fuels and sequester carbon in soil and biomass.