Geoscience and carbon neutralization: Current status and development direction

Carbon neutralization is a hot topic in the world, and geoscience can play an important role in this field. Internationally, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the International Energy Agency, the Energy Transition Commission, and policy advisory groups at the national level have proposed a series of models and scenarios for possible ways to reduce CO₂ emissions, indicating that to achieve carbon neutrality, electricity will replace fossil fuels as the main carrier of global energy. In the context of global urgent need for CO₂ emission reduction, it is very important for geosciences to provide geological solutions to achieve the climate objectives of the Paris Agreement. Carbon dioxide emission reduction involves many scientific issues, including heat storage and geothermal, dry hot rock, hydropower energy storage, compressed air energy storage, nuclear energy, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen economy and mineral raw materials for energy transformation. Earth science can help reducing carbon dioxide emissions through the following ways: first, to describe the rock mechanics characteristics of geological body, so as to store CO₂ and establish green energy system in the decarbonization area; secondly, to further reveal the origin and genesis of the mineral resources needed for electric vehicle batteries and wind turbines; thirdly, to expand the scale from small laboratory to pilot, industrialization and commercialization; and fourthly, to understand the public's attitude towards underground decarbonization technology to ensure the safety of the project. The goal of carbon neutralization provides new opportunities for geoscience research, and the future development needs support from various aspects. Achieving carbon neutrality requires improving awareness of the key role of geoscience in achieving decarbonization, developing technologies, building industrial chains, and achieving sustainable development.