The tech industry's reliance on carbon removal technologies to combat climate change may be misplaced, according to a recent study published in Nature. The research warns that even if these technologies succeed in cooling the planet, the damage already done to the environment may be irreversible.

The study's lead author, Carl-Friedrich Schleussner, emphasized that "climate change comes with irreversible consequences," including rising sea levels, lost homes, and devastating natural disasters. This means that even if tech companies achieve their net zero or net negative emissions goals, the planet may still suffer from the effects of climate change.

Tech giants like Microsoft and Google have been investing heavily in carbon removal technologies, but experts argue that these solutions are no substitute for preventing greenhouse gas emissions in the first place. The cost of carbon removal is also a significant concern, with current facilities only able to capture a tiny fraction of global CO2 emissions at a high price tag.

The study's findings underscore the urgency for governments and companies to prioritize reducing pollution from fossil fuels now, rather than relying on carbon removal technologies to fix the problem later. As the planet rapidly approaches the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold, the consequences of inaction will only continue to worsen.