Artificial photosynthesis as a frontier technology for energy sustainability

Abstract

Humanity is on the threshold of a technological revolution that will allow all human structures across the earth to undertake photosynthesis more efficiently than plants; making zero carbon fuels by using solar energy to split water (as a cheap and abundant source of hydrogen) or other products from reduced atmospheric carbon dioxide. The development and global deployment of such artificial photosynthesis (AP) technology addresses three of humanity's most urgent public policy challenges: to reduce anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, to increase fuel security and to provide a sustainable global economy and ecosystem. Yet, despite the considerable research being undertaken in this field and the incipient thrust to commercialisation, AP remains largely unknown in energy and climate change public policy debates. Here we explore mechanisms for enhancing the policy and governance profile of this frontier technology for energy sustainability, even in the absence of a global project on artificial photosynthesis.