decarbonize

American  

[dee-kahr-buh-nahyz] / diˈkɑr bəˌnaɪz /

especially British, decarbonise

verb (used with object)

decarbonized, decarbonizing

1. to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide or other carbon compounds emitted into the atmosphere by the activities of (a household, industry, country, etc.).

   Our expertise is in designing new ways to decarbonize our economy, using solar energy and renewable carbon to replace fossil fuels.

2. decarburize.

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verb (used without object)

1. to reduce the carbon output of the activities of a household, industry, country, etc..

   The world is not decarbonizing fast enough to reach global climate targets.

decarbonize British  

/ diːˈkɑːbəˌnaɪz /

verb

1. Also: decoke.   decarburize.  (tr) to remove carbon from (the walls of the combustion chamber of an internal-combustion engine)

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Other Word Forms

• decarbonization noun
• decarbonizer noun

Etymology

Origin of decarbonize

First recorded in 1815–25; de- + carbonize

Example Sentences

In most cases, a PPA adds renewable energy to the grid at large, helping to decarbonize a country’s energy system overall.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

Clean hydrogen, a fuel that was expected to become a big part of America’s push to decarbonize, appears to be dead for now.

From Barron's • Dec. 10, 2025

“But there’s a good chance that by then, demand for gas in South Korea will have fallen alongside the broader push to decarbonize, which will lead to oversupply and depressed prices,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2025

Mann said humanity needs to rapidly decarbonize our economy.

From Salon • Dec. 30, 2024

The lungs will not decarbonize and purify the blood with foul air, that has been breathed over and over and lost its oxygen.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 10, No. 60, October, 1862 by Various