Space and Sustainability: The Transition from Fossil–Based to Air Capture Co2
A Conversation Between Christopher P. Skroupa, Skytop Editor-in-Chief, and Camille Hanna, VP, Carbon Solutions Sales Global, Skytree / August 1, 2025
Chris: Camille, tell me about Skytree and what it does.
Camille: Sure! I lead the Global Carbon Solutions team at Skytree. Many industries rely on carbon dioxide for things like greenhouse productivity, beverage carbonation, and water treatment. Our role is to transition these users from fossil fuel-based CO₂ to circular direct air capture CO₂, which is much more sustainable.
Chris: That’s interesting. CO₂ is usually talked about negatively. Isn’t it just a contributor to global warming?
Camille: You're right. CO₂ drives global warming, and we have too much of it in the atmosphere. But it's also incredibly useful. It's essential for plant growth in greenhouses, helps balance pH in water treatment, and yes, it’s what gives drinks their fizz. It's a critical molecule that people often misunderstand.
Chris: So, is there such a thing as good carbon and bad carbon?
Camille: Absolutely. Most CO₂ today comes from burning fossil fuels. When large emitters like oil refineries produce CO₂, it’s captured, purified, liquefied, and transported—adding emissions along the way. What Skytree does is capture CO₂ directly from the air, where it already exists in excess, creating a circular and cleaner supply. The result is more carbon neutrality without amplifying emissions.
Chris: Capturing CO₂ for greenhouses—that must affect how plants grow, right?
Camille: Definitely. CO₂ is a key input for photosynthesis and adding it to greenhouses speeds up plant growth. Productivity can go up by 30% to 40%. In the Netherlands, for example, tomato growers depend on CO₂, but supply disruptions from fossil fuel sources—like factory shutdowns or emission sequestration projects—can really hurt their business.
Chris: I’m curious—CO₂ seems so integral. Is it treated like a commodity? Can it be traded?
Camille: That's a great question. I’m not certain whether CO₂ itself is traded like oil or ethanol, but when companies permanently capture and store CO₂—say, by mineralizing it or embedding it into concrete, it creates value. That’s where carbon credits come in. They represent verified emissions reduction, and businesses can purchase them to offset their own footprint. Skytree doesn’t trade these credits; we build modular machines to enable others to capture and use CO₂ locally, whether for sustainability or operational needs.
Chris: It sounds like sustainability is often pushed more by policy than by personal conviction. Do you see that changing anytime soon?
Camille: Not dramatically, at least not yet. Most of the uptake we see in sustainable tech comes from regulatory demand, especially in Europe. Farmers are being told to phase out gas usage, so they're actively looking for alternatives. In America, without that same level of mandate, change tends to be slower. There are pioneers who lead by passion, but they’re not the majority.
Chris: You mentioned greenwashing earlier. Are there any indicators you use to spot when a company is just putting on a show?
Camille: One key flag is the absence of CO₂ in sustainability reports. When a company talks about emissions reduction but ignores the fossil-derived CO₂ they purchase and use daily, that’s a glaring omission. Direct air capture offers an auditable way to decarbonize. If it's not part of the discussion, it’s worth asking why.
Chris: I imagine that must make investor confidence a bit complicated. Are investors catching on to these gaps?
Camille: More are, yes. Especially those focused on ESG criteria. They're looking not just at operational metrics but how transparent companies are in addressing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. Our modular units make it easy to demonstrate CO₂ impact, so customers using our tech often gain credibility with sustainability-focused investors.
Chris: You’ve said your units are modular and scalable, does that mean you could one day see networks of these units in city infrastructure?
Camille: Absolutely. That's part of our long-term vision. Think about urban centers with high CO₂ demand—like beverage bottling, vertical farms, or even data centers for cooling purposes. Deploying capture units locally means sustainable sourcing without the emissions from transport or external suppliers.
Chris: Last one—I know Skytree’s roots are in space tech. Do you ever imagine applying your capture technology back in aerospace or orbital ecosystems?
Camille: We do, and it’s a full-circle moment. In confined environments like spacecraft, scrubbing CO₂ isn't just sustainable—it’s lifesaving. We started with that challenge and brought it down to earth. There’s potential to refine our system for orbital habitats, and conversations in that domain are definitely happening. The dual-use promise of our tech—space and sustainability—is part of what makes Skytree exciting.