Carbon Upcycling wins prestigious Keeling Curve prize
The Keeling Curve Prize is named after the iconic chart that has tracked rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels since the late 1950s.
Key Takeaways:
- Carbon Upcycling Technologies, a Calgary-based cleantech firm, has won the 2025 Keeling Curve Prize for its work turning CO₂ emissions and industrial waste into low-carbon building materials.
- The company’s technology mineralizes captured CO₂ into cement alternatives, helping decarbonize the concrete industry while promoting circular use of waste materials like steel slag and fly ash.
- The Keeling Curve Prize, awarded by the Global Warming Mitigation Project, recognizes impactful climate solutions that help lower global greenhouse gas levels; winners receive US$50,000 to support their work.
The Whole Story:
A Canadian carbon capture company that turns emissions into building materials has been named a winner of the 2025 Keeling Curve Prize, an international award recognizing high-impact efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Carbon Upcycling Technologies, based in Calgary, was selected for its work transforming CO₂ emissions and industrial waste—such as steel slag and fly ash—into low-carbon cement alternatives.
“This recognition reflects the dedication of our team to tackling climate change through bold, forward-thinking solutions,” the company said in a statement Tuesday.
The Keeling Curve Prize, awarded annually by the Global Warming Mitigation Project, is named after the iconic chart that has tracked rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels since the late 1950s. The prize honours initiatives helping to “bend the curve” of CO₂ emissions downward through innovative, scalable approaches.
Carbon Upcycling’s technology captures CO₂ from industrial sources and mineralizes it into cementitious materials that can be used in concrete. The company says its process not only helps decarbonize one of the world’s most emissions-intensive industries but also promotes circularity by incorporating waste streams from heavy industry.
“Every tonne of carbon we capture and utilize in cement is a step toward reversing the arc of that curve—and reimagining what’s possible in the built environment,” the company said. “From steel slag to fly ash to CO₂ itself, we are enabling circular solutions for a climate-resilient future.”
The company joins a global cohort of 2025 Keeling Curve Prize winners working across sectors such as energy, finance, land use and transportation to mitigate global warming. Each recipient receives US$50,000 to further their efforts.
Founded in 2014, Carbon Upcycling has expanded its operations into multiple countries and has partnered with major cement producers and industrial players to integrate its technology into large-scale infrastructure projects. The company is among a growing number of Canadian climate tech firms attracting global attention for decarbonization strategies that blend innovation with real-world implementation.
