Carbon biosequestration - Toward bio-inspired carbon-trapping technologies

Almost half a century after Charles David Keeling's discovery of global warming caused by anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) into the atmosphere, the information accumulated on this phenomenon as part of the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirms that the warming of the atmosphere and oceans and the accelerated increase in atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) constitute unprecedented changes for the planet, with human influence being one of the major causes of these changes. It is estimated, among other things, that the average temperature rise by 2100 could vary from 0.3 to 1.7°C to 2.6 to 4.8°C compared with the period 1986-2005. Depending on the emissions scenarios considered, and despite a possible halt in anthropogenic emissions, 15% to 40% of the CO ₂ emitted will remain present in the atmosphere for at least 1,000 years. What's more, the impact of climate change is already being felt in various parts of the globe: disruptions to hydrological systems, species, agricultural production, as well as deleterious effects on human health. In order to mitigate the impact of these climate changes, various human intervention strategies exist, and consist in reducing the sources of GHG emissions and increasing their capture. In addition to efforts to decarbonize the most GHG-generating sectors, carbon sequestration is also being considered. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies enable CO ₂ to be separated from industrial discharges, transported and confined in deep rock formations such as saline aquifers, for example. Carbon biosequestration is the result of various metabolic activities within living organisms, and consists in the capture, storage and retention of carbon out of the atmosphere. With a view to promoting bio-inspired carbon sequestration techniques, this article addresses the topic of carbon biosequestration by presenting, firstly, the main natural mechanisms responsible for carbon sequestration, its reservoirs, their role in its short- and long-term sequestration, and discusses, secondly, various technologies drawing on these processes for the purposes of CO ₂ emissions mitigation and carbon sequestration.