Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) and Direct Air Capture (DAC) are both technologies related to carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and mitigation, but they serve slightly different purposes and operate in distinct ways. CCUS is a technology that involves capturing CO2 emissions from industrial processes or power plants, then either utilizing the captured CO2 for various purposes or storing it underground to prevent its release into the atmosphere. DAC is a technology that involves capturing CO2 directly from the ambient air, regardless of its source, and then concentrating it for storage or utilization. Unlike CCUS, which captures emissions from specific point sources, DAC targets CO2 present in the general atmosphere. In summary, the main difference between CCUS and DAC lies in their primary focus and application. CCUS primarily targets emissions from specific industrial processes or power plants and involves capturing CO2 before it is released into the atmosphere. The captured CO2 can be utilized or stored. DAC, on the other hand, captures CO2 from the ambient air and can be applied more broadly to capture carbon dioxide from any location. It is particularly useful for scenarios where point-source capture (like in CCUS) is not feasible or sufficient to address CO2 emissions. Both CCUS and DAC are part of the toolkit for reducing our emissions. While CarbonKerma believes that, ultimately, the scale of the decarbonization we will need must rely on the wide scale deployment of CCUS, we also understand the role DAC can play in removing legacy carbon from the ambient air. Both technologies reduce atmospheric carbon, which is positive. CCUS is more scalable because it removes CO2 from source, in vastly higher concentrations than it exists in the ambient air. Direct Air Capture can often involve the use of a great deal of energy to separate less than 0.05% of the CO2 found in our atmosphere and then store it, while releasing the balance back into the atmosphere.  Furthermore, CCUS is essential for the underdeveloped world to have a path towards industrial development–development which will be reliant on fossil fuels for the foreseeable future. It is incumbent on rich nations that have achieved a higher standard of living while being responsible for the overwhelming majority of historic emissions, to encourage and enable carbon capture, otherwise this growth will take place unmitigated.  Our marketplace welcomes both CCUS and DAC-derived carbon credits, provided the CO2 is sequestered under appropriate regulatory or ISO standards. Do be mindful, however, that DAC-derived credits are likely to cost more, as the technology is more expensive.