A team of scientists in China has developed a way to turn methane and carbon dioxide, the two main drivers of global warming, into clean air while creating a useful fuel.

Converting these greenhouse gases into syngas, a useful blend of hydrogen and carbon monoxide using solar and wind electricity, not only reduces carbon emissions — it goes net-negative. This means the process removes more CO2 from the air than it adds.

Running electricity through a mix of nickel, which is good at helping chemical reactions along, and lanthanum oxide (Ni–La₂O₃), a rare Earth element, syngas is created without the need for hot furnaces or burning fossil fuels. The system works longer and more efficiently than anything previously attempted.

This research, published in Science Advances, can help fight climate change while producing valuable fuel that industries use to make chemicals, plastics and clean hydrogen.

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