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

Galvanize pairs general expertise on the real estate sector with knowledge of the financial opportunities that can come from decarbonizing real estate assets—think of lower costs as a result of energy efficiency and on-site renewable energy. —Justin Worland, TIME, 21 Feb. 2025

Meanwhile, the emphasis on centralized hydrogen hubs is giving way to onsite and distributed hydrogen production, a more practical approach for businesses looking to decarbonize without relying on extensive infrastructure. —Ethan Stone, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2025

While emerging technologies will no doubt aid in the transition away from fossil fuels, established technologies such as heat pump plants, electric boilers, and solar photovoltaics and thermal can be used in a multi-phased approach to decarbonize the UCSD campus in the next decade. —Ainsley Bock, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2025

The cement industry is a tricky sector to decarbonize, as building and construction companies are naturally risk-averse and slow-moving. —Katie Fehrenbacher, Axios, 18 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for decarbonize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize