decarbonise

v.

To make an area or process environmentally cleaner by removing existing carbon or by reducing the amount of carbon produced. Also: decarbonize.

— decarbonisation n.

Example Citations:

Our commitment is also influenced by the CO₂ we have already released, the positive feedback loops that amplify climate change, global dimming and the speed at which human economies can decarbonise themselves.

— Tim Flannery, "The Weather Makers," Atlantic Monthly Press, February 28, 2006

"Energy efficiency provides real options ... It can dramatically decarbonise many sectors," he said, noting that in many cases the technology was already available and what was needed was forceful policies to put it into practice.

— Jeremy Lovell, "British opposition to nuclear power waning — survey," Reuters, January 16, 2006

Earliest Citation:

"However, a methanol economy would successfully 'decarbonise' economic growth in Australia and also help restore degraded areas of land in Australia," Mr Foran says.

— "30 million trees for car fuel, greenhouse cuts," M2 Presswire, August 16, 2000

Notes:

The sense of this verb that means "to deprive of carbon" has been in the language since about 1825. The more common sense that means "to remove carbon deposits from an engine or other device" first appeared around 1915.

Related Words:

anthropocene

bads

carbon neutral

carbon offset

carborexic

global dimming

green accounting

season creep

Category:

Environment