Carbon Capture and Storage Technologies Chemical Innovations and Environmental Impact Assessment

Abstract

Carbon capture and storage technologies have emerged as critical mitigation strategies for reducing anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and achieving global climate targets. As fossil fuel dependent energy systems continue to contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, innovative chemical solutions for carbon capture, transport, utilization, and long term storage have gained substantial attention. This study investigates the role of chemical innovations in advancing carbon capture efficiency and examines their environmental impacts using a comprehensive structural assessment framework. The research integrates perspectives from green chemistry, environmental impact assessment, and sustainable energy transition theory to evaluate how solvent innovation, sorbent material advancement, process optimization, and regulatory compliance influence environmental performance and sustainability outcomes. A quantitative research design was employed using survey data collected from 368 engineers, environmental scientists, energy policy experts, and industrial practitioners engaged in carbon capture initiatives. SmartPLS 4 structural equation modeling was used to evaluate measurement reliability, structural relationships, and mediation effects. The conceptual model proposes that chemical innovation intensity, process efficiency optimization, and regulatory compliance directly influence environmental impact reduction and long term storage safety, with lifecycle assessment practices functioning as a mediating construct. The findings demonstrate that advanced solvent systems and novel sorbent materials significantly enhance capture efficiency while reducing energy penalties. Process optimization shows a strong positive effect on environmental impact reduction. Lifecycle environmental assessment partially mediates the relationship between chemical innovation and sustainability performance. The model explains 65 percent of variance in environmental impact reduction and 59 percent in storage safety performance, indicating strong predictive capacity. This study contributes theoretically by integrating chemical engineering innovation with environmental governance frameworks in an empirically validated model. Practically, the findings highlight the importance of green solvent development, energy efficient regeneration processes, and robust monitoring mechanisms for sustainable deployment of carbon capture systems. The research concludes that while carbon capture technologies offer substantial climate mitigation potential, their environmental effectiveness depends on continuous chemical innovation and comprehensive lifecycle evaluation.