At New York Energy Week 2025, Joseph Stark, Founder and CEO of Air to Earth, presents a comprehensive approach to carbon removal through direct air capture (DAC). His session, “Purifying CO₂ from AIR for Use and Storage on EARTH,” outlines the company’s plan to remove carbon dioxide from ambient air, purify it for industrial use, and prepare it for long-term geological storage.
Air to Earth develops modular DAC systems that support near-term CO₂ sales to industrial markets while building the foundation for permanent carbon removal. Stark highlights both the engineering behind the company’s technology and the broader market, policy, and risk considerations shaping its growth strategy.
Managing Climate Risk Through Carbon Removal
Stark frames carbon removal as a form of risk management. Rising atmospheric CO₂ levels increase the likelihood of costly climate impacts, though the scale and timing of those impacts remain uncertain. He compares this uncertainty to an unhedged floating financial liability. Carbon removal, by contrast, acts as a fixed investment—one that helps reduce that uncertainty and mitigate long-term exposure.
He stresses that the economic choice is not between spending or saving, but between making manageable investments now or accepting unpredictable future costs. Carbon removal reduces volatility and supports long-term planning for businesses and governments alike.
Growth, Emissions, and Structural Challenges
Since 2000, global GDP more than triples. Both developed and developing economies contribute to this growth. However, global CO₂ emissions also increase by 14 billion tons over the same period. While the G7 and other advanced economies reduce emissions through greater efficiency and structural shifts, many of those emissions are effectively transferred abroad through global trade.
Stark points to China’s role as the world’s largest emitter and exporter. While developed countries reduce emissions at home, they continue importing carbon-intensive goods, masking the true emissions profile of consumption. He emphasizes the need to account for emissions based on both production and import footprints to achieve real progress.
The Role of DAC in a Net-Zero Framework
Stark positions DAC as an essential part of any realistic path to net zero. Emissions from hard-to-abate sectors such as steel, cement, fertilizers, and plastics are expected to continue. These industries alone contribute more than 10 billion tons of CO₂ emissions annually. Reducing emissions from these sources is difficult, and in many cases, removal becomes the only viable solution.
He clarifies that DAC is not a replacement for emissions reduction, but a necessary complement. Both efforts—emissions cuts and carbon removal—must happen in parallel. Stark also addresses common critiques of DAC:
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Cost: He argues that the cost of inaction is higher in the long run.
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Scalability: With 130+ companies developing DAC globally, the field is moving rapidly.
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Moral hazard: Cutting emissions remains essential; DAC simply expands the available tools.
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Industry involvement: Fossil fuel companies possess critical expertise in geological storage and should be part of the solution.
Air to Earth’s Business Strategy
Air to Earth’s model focuses on both commercial viability and long-term impact. The company purifies captured CO₂ to beverage-grade standards for immediate sale, generating revenue while supporting market-based carbon removal. Over time, the company also prepares to supply CO₂ to permanent storage sites, qualifying for high-quality carbon removal credits.
This dual-use strategy supports early-stage deployment and cost reduction. The system is modular, allowing for scalable production without requiring large, centralized infrastructure. Each unit includes 72 filters and is designed for consistent operation with low maintenance and high efficiency.
Technical Approach and Innovation
Air to Earth’s system uses a solid sorbent and thermal swing process to extract CO₂ from ambient air. A key differentiator is its use of a radial flow reactor, which increases capture surface area and reduces pressure drop. This design allows the system to capture a larger mass of CO₂ per cycle, lowering energy consumption and operating costs.
In prototype testing, the company achieves “zone one capture,” meaning no CO₂ exits during the intake phase. After regeneration using low-temperature steam, the system produces CO₂ at 99.9% purity—approaching the requirements of commercial food and beverage markets.
The system’s modular design supports consistent scaling. The company’s near-term goal is to operate a commercial plant that produces one truckload of beverage-grade CO₂ per day, generating immediate revenue while also offering certified carbon removal credits.
Driving Toward Cost Competitiveness
Reducing the cost of DAC remains central to Air to Earth’s strategy. Stark notes that while current carbon removal credits often exceed $600 per ton, corporate demand increases sharply around $200 per ton, based on data from Boston Consulting Group.
The company works to reach and ultimately fall below this threshold through technology optimization, system standardization, and sorbent performance improvements. Stark emphasizes that price matters—not just for market access, but for long-term scalability.
At $100 per ton, DAC becomes competitive with decarbonizing fossil fuel use. For example, gasoline could be made carbon-neutral for an 89-cent per gallon premium—an achievable target for many markets. Air to Earth aligns its roadmap with this economic reality, building toward the cost points where carbon removal can scale broadly.
Trade, Policy, and Global Participation
Stark also highlights the role of global trade and policy frameworks. He references mechanisms such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which incentivize low-carbon production by placing a carbon price on imports. Similar proposals are under discussion in the United States.
He emphasizes that policy alignment is necessary to support broad international participation. Carbon tariffs and trade agreements that account for emissions intensity can help drive cleaner production globally while supporting domestic climate goals.
Developing countries, he acknowledges, face different constraints. However, by setting standards for imported goods and rewarding low-carbon producers, advanced economies can help shape a more balanced global approach.
From Prototype to Market Deployment
Air to Earth has completed six iterations of its prototype system and now prepares for commercial rollout. The company partners with leading sorbent suppliers, purification specialists, and CO₂ distributors. It operates a minimum viable prototype and plans to build a full-scale module combining 144 filters across two units.
The commercial plant supports a daily output of beverage-grade CO₂ while providing real-time operating data on system durability and filter longevity. Stark stresses that long-term validation is key—especially for corporate buyers who require credible, high-quality carbon removal credits.
The company is currently raising a seed round to expand operations, build its first commercial plant, and support key technical hires. With a modular system, industrial partnerships, and patent protections in place, Air to Earth positions itself for responsible, stepwise growth.
Scaling Carbon Removal Through Practical Solutions
Air to Earth takes a business-first approach to climate technology. By delivering purified CO₂ to real markets today and preparing for permanent removal in the future, the company builds a bridge between current demand and long-term environmental goals.
The path to scalable carbon removal does not depend on a single breakthrough. It depends on execution, cost discipline, and the ability to operate systems that perform reliably at commercial scale. Stark makes the case that DAC should be judged not just by its ambition—but by its ability to integrate into real markets and reduce emissions in measurable ways.
As carbon removal becomes a core part of global decarbonization strategy, companies like Air to Earth offer a model that combines technical capability, financial realism, and policy alignment. Their work demonstrates how climate solutions can move from pilot-stage experiments to operational systems that deliver impact—today and into the future.
