Carbon-Neutral Pathways: Evaluating Renewable Technologies and Negative Emission Solutions

Authors

  • Ming Zhong

    Jiangxi Vocational College of Environmental Engineering, Ganzhou 341000, China; Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanchang 330013, China

  • Jingjing Yu

    Jiangxi Vocational College of Environmental Engineering, Ganzhou 341000, China

  • Qingyu Hong

    Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310008, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i2.12881
Received: 15 December 2025 | Revised: 5 February 2026 | Accepted: 10 February 2026 | Published Online: 11 February 2026

Abstract

The global transition to carbon neutrality is an urgent and multifaceted challenge that requires the deployment of renewable energy technologies and negative emission solutions (NETs) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors. This is a review article that looks at the contemporary environment of renewable technologies, such as solar, wind, biomass, hydropower, and geothermal, and how they might help to decarbonize the power sector and their combination with NETs. The paper also looks at the prospects of carbon capture, utilization, and storage, afforestation and reforestation, soil carbon sequestration, ocean-based, and enhanced weathering as some of the methods of offsetting the residual emissions. The article also outlines the economic, policy, and social factors required to have these solutions scaled up, such as the need to have good policy frameworks, invest in innovation, and the need to have the people on board. Lastly, it also gives the future perspective of having a carbon-neutral global economy, and it highlights that technology must be enhanced, more cooperation between countries must be established, and a holistic, open-ended way of attaining carbon neutrality.

Keywords:

Carbon Neutrality; Renewable Energy; Negative Emissions Technologies; Carbon Capture and Storage; Climate Policy

References

[1] Chen, L., Msigwa, G., Yang, M., et al., 2022. Strategies to Achieve a Carbon Neutral Society: A Review. Environmental Chemistry Letters. 20(4), 2277–2310.

[2] Williams, J.H., Jones, R.A., Haley, B., et al., 2021. Carbon-Neutral Pathways for the United States. AGU Advances. 2(1), e2020AV000284.

[3] Sharma, S., Khurana, M.K., 2024. An Approach to Carbon Neutrality Addressing Obstacles and Remedies in the Framework of Climate Change. In: de Pablos, P.O. (Ed.). Building Climate Neutral Economies through Digital Business and Green Skills. IGI Global: Hershey, PA, USA. pp. 37–66.

[4] Chen, J.M., 2021. Carbon Neutrality: Toward a Sustainable Future. The Innovation. 2(3), 100127.

[5] Laine, J., Heinonen, J., Junnila, S., 2020. Pathways to Carbon-Neutral Cities Prior to a National Policy. Sustainability. 12(6), 2445.

[6] Buettner, S.M., Wang, D., 2022. An Approach to Reducing the Greenhouse Gas Footprint in the Manufacturing Industry: Determinants for an Economic Assessment of Industrial Decarbonisation Measures. Institut für Energieeffizienz in der Produktion: Stuttgart, Germany. Available from: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:93-opus-ds-126348

[7] Patt, A.G., 2015. Transforming Energy: Solving Climate Change with Technology Policy. Cambridge University Press: New York, NY, USA.

[8] Puthalpet, J.R., 2024. Carbon Capture-Utilization and Storage: Climate Change Mitigation. BSP Books: Jaipur, India.

[9] Zou, C., Xiong, B., Xue, H., et al., 2021. The Role of New Energy in Carbon Neutral. Petroleum Exploration and Development. 48(2), 480–491.

[10] Ng, W., Low, C., Putra, Z., et al., 2020. Ranking Negative Emissions Technologies under Uncertainty. Heliyon. 6(12), e05730.

[11] Yang, S., Yang, D., Shi, W., et al., 2023. Global Evaluation of Carbon Neutrality and Peak Carbon Dioxide Emissions: Current Challenges and Future Outlook. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 30(34), 81725–81744.

[12] Zeng, N., Jiang, K., Han, P., et al., 2022. The Chinese Carbon-Neutral Goal: Challenges and Prospects. Advances in Atmospheric Sciences. 39(8), 1229–1238.

[13] Aziz, S., Ahmed, I., Khan, K., et al., 2024. Emerging Trends and Approaches for Designing Net-Zero Low-Carbon Integrated Energy Networks: A Review of Current Practices. Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering. 49(5), 6163–6185.

[14] Feng, H., 2022. The Impact of Renewable Energy on Carbon Neutrality for the Sustainable Environment: Role of Green Finance and Technology Innovations. Frontiers in Environmental Science. 10, 924857.

[15] Wang, F., Harindintwali, J.D., Yuan, Z., et al., 2021. Technologies and Perspectives for Achieving Carbon Neutrality. The Innovation. 2(4), 100180.

[16] Al Khaffaf, I., Tamimi, A., Ahmed, V., 2024. Pathways to Carbon Neutrality: A Review of Strategies and Technologies across Sectors. Energies. 17(23), 6129.

[17] Mathur, M., Awasthi, S., 2016. Carbon Neutral Village/Cluster: A Conceptual Framework for Envisioning. Current Science. 110(7), 1208–1215.

[18] He, B., Yuan, X., Qian, S., et al., 2023. Carbon Neutrality: A Review. Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering. 23(6), 060809.

[19] Tan, Q., Li, X., Liang, Y., 2023. Risks, Challenges and Strategies of Power Systems against the Background of Carbon Neutrality. Clean Energy. 7(4), 767–782.

[20] Daehn, K., Basuhi, R., Gregory, J., et al., 2022. Innovations to Decarbonize Materials Industries. Nature Reviews Materials. 7(4), 275–294.

[21] Habert, G., Miller, S.A., John, V.M., et al., 2020. Environmental Impacts and Decarbonization Strategies in the Cement and Concrete Industries. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. 1(11), 559–573.

[22] Allen, M.R., de Coninck, H., Dube, O.P., et al., 2019. Technical Summary. In: Masson-Delmotte, V., Zhai, P., Pörtner, H.-O., et al. (Eds.). Global Warming of 1.5 ℃: An IPCC Special Report on the Impacts of Global Warming of 1.5 °C above Pre-Industrial Levels and Related Global Greenhouse Gas Emission Pathways, in the Context of Strengthening the Global Response to the Threat of Climate Change, Sustainable Development, and Efforts to Eradicate Poverty. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): Geneva, Switzerland. Available from: https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2019/05/SR15_TS_High_Res.pdf

[23] Warren, R., Andrews, O., Brown, S., et al., 2022. Quantifying Risks Avoided by Limiting Global Warming to 1.5 or 2 ℃ above Pre-Industrial Levels. Climatic Change. 172(3), 39.

[24] Ekardt, F., Wieding, J., Zorn, A., 2018. Paris Agreement, Precautionary Principle and Human Rights: Zero Emissions in Two Decades? Sustainability. 10(8), 2812.

[25] Rogelj, J., den Elzen, M., Höhne, N., et al., 2016. Paris Agreement Climate Proposals Need a Boost to Keep Warming Well below 2 ℃. Nature. 534(7609), 631–639.

[26] Seneviratne, S.I., Rogelj, J., Séférian, R., et al., 2018. The Many Possible Climates from the Paris Agreement’s Aim of 1.5 ℃ Warming. Nature. 558(7708), 41–49.

[27] Rockström, J., Gaffney, O., Rogelj, J., et al., 2017. A Roadmap for Rapid Decarbonization. Science. 355(6331), 1269–1271.

[28] Thiel, G.P., Stark, A.K., 2021. To Decarbonize Industry, We Must Decarbonize Heat. Joule. 5(3), 531–550.

[29] Tian, X., An, C., Chen, Z., 2023. The Role of Clean Energy in Achieving Decarbonization of Electricity Generation, Transportation, and Heating Sectors by 2050: A Meta-Analysis Review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 182, 113404.

[30] Zou, C., Xue, H., Xiong, B., et al., 2021. Connotation, Innovation and Vision of “Carbon Neutrality”. Natural Gas Industry B. 8(5), 523–537.

[31] Almena-Ruiz, A., Sparks, J., Thornley, P., et al., 2021. Opportunities and Challenges for Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) Systems Supporting Net-Zero Emission Targets. Available from: https://publications.aston.ac.uk/id/eprint/43231/1/BECCS_Briefing_note_final_clean.pdf (cited 14 December 2025).

[32] Filonchyk, M., Peterson, M.P., Zhang, L., et al., 2024. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Global Climate Change: Examining the Influence of CO2, CH4, and N2O. Science of the Total Environment. 935, 173359.

[33] Ishaq, H., Crawford, C., 2025. Negative Emission Technologies: A Way Forward? RSC Sustainability. 3(9), 3652–3680.

[34] Yao, L., Tan, S., Xu, Z., 2023. Towards Carbon Neutrality: What Has Been Done and What Needs to Be Done for Carbon Emission Reduction? Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 30(8), 20570–20589.

[35] Lund, H., Mathiesen, B.V., 2012. The Role of Carbon Capture and Storage in a Future Sustainable Energy System. Energy. 44(1), 469–476.

[36] Sayed, E.T., Olabi, A.G., Alami, A.H., et al., 2023. Renewable Energy and Energy Storage Systems. Energies. 16(3), 1415.

[37] Viebahn, P., Nitsch, J., Fischedick, M., et al., 2007. Comparison of Carbon Capture and Storage with Renewable Energy Technologies Regarding Structural, Economic, and Ecological Aspects in Germany. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. 1(1), 121–133.

[38] Ashraf, A., Sagheer, M., 2025. Renewable Energy Capacity and Technological Innovations: A Review of Global Trends and Future Directions. Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy. 44(6), e70071.

[39] Izunwa, M.O., Michael, O.D., Ovwoshokpite, O.D., et al., 2025. Climate Change and Energy Transition in the Global Economy: A Legal Examination of the Shift from Oil Dependency in Nigeria to a Diversified Energy Mix. African Journal of Law and Human Rights. 9(2). Available from: https://journals.ezenwaohaetorc.org/index.php/AJLHR/article/view/3415/0

[40] Lopez, A., Zuckerman, G.R., Pinchuk, P., et al., 2025. Renewable Energy Technical Potential and Supply Curves for the Contiguous United States: 2024 Edition. National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Golden, CO, USA.

[41] Valavanidis, A., 2024. Global Electricity Generation from Renewable Sources. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378078144_Global_Electricity_Generation_from_Renewable_Sources_Renewables_are_expected_to_account_for_almost_half_of_the_world's_electricity_generation_by_2026 (cited 14 December 2025).

[42] Hasanuzzaman, M., Zubir, U.S., Ilham, N.I., et al., 2017. Global Electricity Demand, Generation, Grid System, and Renewable Energy Policies: A Review. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment. 6(3), e222.

[43] Jacobson, M.Z., Delucchi, M.A., Bazouin, G., et al., 2015. 100% Clean and Renewable Wind, Water, and Sunlight (WWS) All-Sector Energy Roadmaps for the 50 United States. Energy & Environmental Science. 8(7), 2093–2117.

[44] Nazar, A., Anwer, N., 2025. Global Penetration and Recent Developments in Semiconductor Devices for Solar Harvesting: A Review. In: Kuchhal, P., Kumar, D., Pachauri, R.K. (Eds.). Revolutionizing Solar Energy Harvesting: Advanced Semiconductor Devices and Technology with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Integration. CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, USA. pp. 63–92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003515784-3

[45] Pavlović, T., Milosavljević, D., Radonjić, I., et al., 2013. Possibility of Electricity Generation Using PV Solar Plants in Serbia. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 20, 201–218.

[46] Hayat, M.B., Ali, D., Monyake, K.C., et al., 2019. Solar Energy—A Look into Power Generation, Challenges, and a Solar-Powered Future. International Journal of Energy Research. 43(3), 1049–1067.

[47] Ramakrishna, Y., 2024. Future Innovations in Photovoltaic Technology: Shaping Solar Energy. Indian Journal of Renewable Energy. 1(3), 17–20.

[48] Solangi, K., Islam, M., Saidur, R., et al., 2011. A Review on Global Solar Energy Policy. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 15(4), 2149–2163.

[49] Aswal, D., Chandra, A., 2024. Key Drivers for Achieving India’s 100 GW Nuclear Power Ambition. Current Science. 127(4), 393.

[50] Nassar, Y., Khaleel, M., 2024. Sustainable Development and the Surge in Electricity Demand across Emerging Economies. International Journal of Electrical Engineering and Sustainability. 2(1), 51–60.

[51] Vinay, M.L., 2025. Realizing Rooftop Photovoltaics for China’s Carbon Neutrality Goals. Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering. 2, 519.

[52] Fernández-Arias, P., Antón-Sancho, Á., Lampropoulos, G., et al., 2024. On Green Hydrogen Generation Technologies: A Bibliometric Review. Applied Sciences. 14(6), 2524.

[53] Jung, C., Schindler, D., 2025. Global Future Onshore Wind Energy Droughts Intensify under Climate Change. Journal of Cleaner Production. 523, 146391.

[54] Palm, S.A., 2025. Managing Renewable Energy Production across the African-European Continents [Master’s Thesis]. Royal Institute of Technology (KTH): Stockholm, Sweden. Available from: https://kth.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1949027&dswid=-8112

[55] Motola, V., Rejtharova, J., Scarlat, N., et al., 2023. Clean Energy Technology Observatory: Advanced Biofuels in the European Union—2024 Status Report on Technology Development, Trends, Value Chains and Markets. Publications Office of the European Union: Luxembourg, Luxembourg. Available from: https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC139335

[56] Song, M., Wang, S., 2025. Biomass Power Generation. In: Feng, Y., Li, Q., Song, M., et al. (Eds.). Overview of China’s Non-Fossil Fuel Power Generation. Springer: Singapore. pp. 271–310.

[57] Field, C.B., Campbell, J.E., Lobell, D.B., 2008. Biomass Energy: The Scale of the Potential Resource. Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 23(2), 65–72.

[58] Gutiérrez-Negrín, L.C., 2024. Evolution of Worldwide Geothermal Power 2020–2023. Geothermal Energy. 12(1), 14.

[59] Yüksel, I., 2010. Hydropower for Sustainable Water and Energy Development. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 14(1), 462–469.

[60] Vechkinzova, E., Steblyakova, L.P., Roslyakova, N., et al., 2022. Prospects for the Development of Hydrogen Energy: Overview of Global Trends and the Russian Market State. Energies. 15(22), 8503.

[61] Ammar, M., Oyewale, B.O., Elseragy, A., et al., 2025. A Global Review of Blue and Green Hydrogen Fuel Production Technologies, Trends and Future Outlook to 2050. Fuels. 6(4), 88.

[62] Benbouzid, M., Bouhachlaf, L., Labjar, N., et al., 2025. Global Journey of Green Hydrogen: Opportunities and Challenges. In: Labjar, N., EL Hajjaji, S., Verma, C., et al. (Eds.). Green Hydrogen. Scrivener Publishing LLC: Beverly, MA, USA. pp. 337–371.

[63] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2019. Negative Emissions Technologies and Reliable Sequestration: A Research Agenda 2019. The National Academies Press: Washington, DC, USA.

[64] Dziejarski, B., Krzyżyńska, R., Andersson, K., 2023. Current Status of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Technologies in the Global Economy: A Survey of Technical Assessment. Fuel. 342, 127776.

[65] International Renewable Energy Agency, 2019. Global Energy Transformation: A Roadmap to 2050. International Renewable Energy Agency: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Available from: https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2019/Apr/IRENA_Global_Energy_Transformation_2019.pdf

[66] Cavanagh, A.J., Lockwood, T., 2025. Carbon Capture & Storage 2030: As the Market Takes Shape, Can Europe’s CO2 Storage Projects Meet Growing Demand? International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. 148, 104505.

[67] Parisi, P., Arca, S., Ciulla, M., et al., 2024. Toward 2050: Critical Analysis of Energy and Economic Requirements of Carbon Capture and Storage in Post-Combustion Capture. In Proceedings of the SPE Europe Energy Conference and Exhibition, Turin, Italy, 26–28 June 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2118/220020-MS

[68] Storrs, K.D.P., Lyhne, I., Drustrup, R., 2023. A Comprehensive Framework for Feasibility of CCUS Deployment: A Meta-Review of Literature on Factors Impacting CCUS Deployment. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. 125, 103878.

[69] Chan, S., Pauw, P., 2014. A Global Framework for Climate Action (GFCA): Orchestrating Non-State and Subnational Initiatives for More Effective Global Climate Governance. Available from: https://www.idos-research.de/uploads/media/DP_34.2014.pdf (cited 14 December 2025).

[70] Sedjo, R.A., Solomon, A.M., 2016. Climate and Forests. In: Rosenberg, N.J., Easterling, W.E., Crosson, P.R., et al. (Eds.). Greenhouse Warming. Routledge: London, UK. pp. 105–118.

[71] He, K., Huo, H., Zhang, Q., et al., 2005. Oil Consumption and CO2 Emissions in China’s Road Transport: Current Status, Future Trends, and Policy Implications. Energy Policy. 33(12), 1499–1507.

[72] Srivastava, P., Kumar, A., Behera, S.K., et al., 2012. Soil Carbon Sequestration: An Innovative Strategy for Reducing Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentration. Biodiversity and Conservation. 21(5), 1343–1358.

[73] De Pryck, K., Boettcher, M., 2024. The Rise, Fall and Rebirth of Ocean Carbon Sequestration as a Climate “Solution”. Global Environmental Change. 85, 102820.

[74] Quintana-Alcantara, C.E., 2014. Carbon Sequestration in Tidal Salt Marshes and Mangrove Ecosystems [Master’s Thesis]. University of San Francisco: San Francisco, CA, USA. Available from: https://repository.usfca.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1016&context=capstone

[75] Hartmann, J., West, A.J., Renforth, P., et al., 2013. Enhanced Chemical Weathering as a Geoengineering Strategy to Reduce Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide, Supply Nutrients, and Mitigate Ocean Acidification. Reviews of Geophysics. 51(2), 113–149.

[76] Kelemen, P., Benson, S.M., Pilorgé, H., et al., 2019. An Overview of the Status and Challenges of CO2 Storage in Minerals and Geological Formations. Frontiers in Climate. 1, 9.

[77] Prabhakar, S., Bandyopadhyay, S., 2023. Optimum Integration of Negative Emission Technologies for Carbon-Constrained Energy Sector Planning. Journal of Cleaner Production. 411, 137302.

[78] Ehlig-Economides, C., de Guzman, N., 2020. Cost Comparison between Carbon Neutral Fuel and Alternative Low Carbon Energy Options. In Proceedings of the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Online, 27–29 October 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2118/201613-MS

[79] Wang, Z., Sun, Y., Kong, H., et al., 2025. An In-Depth Review of Key Technologies and Pathways to Carbon Neutrality: Classification and Assessment of Decarbonization Technologies. Carbon Neutrality. 4(1), 15.

[80] Poullikkas, A., Kourtis, G., Hadjipaschalis, I., 2013. A Review of Net Metering Mechanism for Electricity Renewable Energy Sources. International Journal of Energy and Environment. 4(6), 975–1002.

[81] Yu, Z., Kamran, H.W., Amin, A., et al., 2023. Sustainable Synergy via Clean Energy Technologies and Efficiency Dynamics. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 187, 113744.

[82] Lehmann, P., Söderholm, P., 2018. Can Technology-Specific Deployment Policies Be Cost-Effective? The Case of Renewable Energy Support Schemes. Environmental and Resource Economics. 71(2), 475–505.

[83] Asibor, J.O., Clough, P.T., Nabavi, S.A., et al., 2022. A Country-Level Assessment of the Deployment Potential of Greenhouse Gas Removal Technologies. Journal of Environmental Management. 323, 116211.

[84] Narassimhan, E., Gallagher, K.S., Koester, S., et al., 2018. Carbon Pricing in Practice: A Review of Existing Emissions Trading Systems. Climate Policy. 18(8), 967–991.

[85] Huijts, N.M.A., Molin, E.J.E., Steg, L., 2012. Psychological Factors Influencing Sustainable Energy Technology Acceptance: A Review-Based Comprehensive Framework. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 16(1), 525–531.

[86] Alizadeh, S.M., Khalili, Y., Ahmadi, M., 2024. Comprehensive Review of Carbon Capture and Storage Integration in Hydrogen Production: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Perspectives. Energies. 17(21), 5330.

[87] Gabrielli, P., Gazzani, M., Mazzotti, M., 2020. The Role of Carbon Capture and Utilization, Carbon Capture and Storage, and Biomass to Enable a Net-Zero-CO2 Emissions Chemical Industry. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 59(15), 7033–7045.

[88] Shu, D.Y., Deutz, S., Winter, B.A., et al., 2023. The Role of Carbon Capture and Storage to Achieve Net-Zero Energy Systems: Trade-Offs between Economics and the Environment. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 178, 113246.

Downloads

How to Cite

Zhong, M., Yu, J., & Hong, Q. (2026). Carbon-Neutral Pathways: Evaluating Renewable Technologies and Negative Emission Solutions. Journal of Environmental & Earth Sciences, 8(2), 183–201. https://doi.org/10.30564/jees.v8i2.12881

Issue

Article Type

Review