Algae Based Biofuels as a Closed-Loop Strategy for Atmospheric CO2 Sequestration

ABSTRACT Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), trap heat in the troposphere. CO2 levels in our atmosphere have already exceeded 1°C globally since the industrial age in 1760. While the temperature of Earth’s surface does fluctuate over a long temporal scale, the primary concern during this century is the alarming rate at which temperatures are rising from anthropogenic interference. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2021 report estimates that we will likely cross the global warming threshold of a 1.5°C increase in the next few decades which could drastically increase the chances of extreme flooding, drought, wildfires and food shortages (IPCC, 2021). Solutions must be implemented to isolate excess atmospheric carbon. At a United Nations (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity in 2022, countries reached an international agreement to protect 30% of land and oceans by 2030 labeled as the 30x30 Initiative. As of 2025, less than 3% of our oceans are protected (Attenborough & Butfield, 2025). Incorporating high algae growth zones as a fraction of the 30% of UN’s protected areas, specifically as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), would provide an efficient, biological method of capturing and storing carbon. Strategically chosen MPAs have the potential to diminish the damaging effects of climate change as expressed by the IPCC. This assessment aims to evaluate existing literature and secondary data analysis as the methodology to discuss the feasibility of using algae to sequester carbon on a large scale, storing algae and repurposing it as a biofuel forming a closed loop process.