A Review of Green Chemistry Integration with Carbon Capture and Utilization: Opportunities for Sustainable Circular Pathways

Green chemistry integrated with Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) offers a clear pathway toward a low-carbon and sustainable future. It does so by combining advanced CO₂ capture methods such as chemical looping, direct air capture, and bio-energy with carbon capture and storage - with environmentally benign processes that convert CO₂ into useful fuels, chemicals, and materials. Drawing from peer‑reviewed literature, industrial case studies, and reports, this study synthesizes recent developments in CCU technologies with emphasis on sustainable process design. Studies were selected based on relevance to CCU–green chemistry integration, with priority given to sources from the past five years and those reporting lifecycle performance metrics. This synthesis identifies key gaps in deployment scalability and proposes a framework linking CO₂ purity, energy input, and feedstock compatibility to priority CCU pathways. Comparisons of CCU systems are presented in terms of lifetime performance, scalability, and alignment with green chemistry principles, including waste minimization, energy efficiency, use of non‑toxic solvents, and renewable feedstocks. Novel catalytic and biotechnological approaches are highlighted for their potential to improve both environmental and economic outcomes. The study also underscores scale‑up challenges and the need for multidisciplinary collaboration to accelerate deployment. Among emerging pathways, CO₂‑to‑methanol via catalytic hydrogenation and industrial waste mineralisation show the greatest promise under conditions of high CO₂ purity, renewable energy availability, and accessible feedstocks. These approaches demonstrate up to 70% lifecycle emission reductions, competitive abatement costs, and scalability potential. Integrating CCU with green chemistry thus provides actionable strategies for designing low‑carbon solutions that advance circular economy objectives and deliver quantifiable climate benefits.