Carbon sequestration

noun (uncountable)

/ˈkɑːbən ˌsiːkwɪˈstreɪʃ(ə)n/

The long-term removal and storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) through biological, chemical, or geological processes, thereby reducing its concentration and mitigating climate change. Biological sequestration includes forests, wetlands, soil, and oceans; geological sequestration involves injecting captured CO₂ into depleted reservoirs or saline aquifers. In UPSC context, India's NDC target (updated 2022) includes creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5–3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent through forest and tree cover by 2030; India's National Mission for a Green India (GIM) and REDD+ framework are key policy instruments.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

India's updated Nationally Determined Contribution, submitted under the Paris Agreement, commits to creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent through enhanced forest and tree cover, making carbon sequestration a cornerstone of the nation's climate strategy.

Synonyms

carbon capturecarbon storagecarbon sink formationCO₂ removalcarbon fixation

Antonyms

carbon emissioncarbon releaseoutgassingdeforestation

🌱 Word Family

sequestration (n), sequester (v), sequestered (adj), carbon sink (n phrase), sequestrant (n)

🔡 Root

Latin sequestrare = to put in the hands of a trustee for safekeeping (sequester = mediator, trustee); carbon from Latin carbo = coal, charcoal

📜 Etymology

The legal term sequestration derives from Late Latin sequestratio, from sequestrare ('to deposit with a trustee'). Applied to carbon in the context of climate science from the 1970s, becoming prominent in IPCC reports from the 1990s as a mitigation strategy. The biological and geological senses are both well-established in the UNFCCC lexicon.

🧠 Memory Hook

SEQUEST-RATION from the Latin sequester (trustee who holds assets safely): carbon sequestration is like putting CO₂ in a 'safe deposit box' — locking it away so it cannot warm the atmosphere. The word 'sequester' also means to isolate, as in a sequestered jury — CO₂ isolated from the sky.

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