TED Tech Tech Solutions (#3): How one of China’s biggest tech companies is tackling carbon removal (with Xu Hao)
Nov 21, 2025
Dr. Xu Hao, the Vice President of Sustainable Social Value at Tencent, shares insights on climate innovation. He discusses the need to lower carbon removal costs and the innovative funding approach of CarbonX to support scalable startups. Xu highlights how Tencent is leveraging AI and digital tools for decarbonization while integrating environmental themes into their popular games, educating millions. He emphasizes the importance of diverse pathways in the fight against climate change and calls for collective action to achieve sustainability.
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Cost Is The Central Barrier
- Current carbon removal technologies are held back mainly by high costs that prevent scaling.
- Reducing cost and moving technologies from lab to industry is crucial to avoid long-term emissions lock-in.
Startups Compete With Fossil Alternatives
- Tencent's CarbonX cohort revealed many startups using carbon utilization to make cement, chemicals, and fuels competitively.
- Some firms already match or beat fossil-fuel alternatives on cost, showing commercial viability without a carbon price.
Digitize Operations For Efficiency
- Use digital tools like AI and machine learning to run industrial plants with greater granularity and efficiency.
- Optimize operations to produce the same output with less energy and resources, lowering emissions and costs.