The Future Is Green: Our Top Strategies for a Cleaner Planet

This article first appeared in Authority Magazine Nov 15 2024

As we face an unprecedented environmental crisis, the need for sustainable solutions has never been more urgent. This series seeks to spotlight the innovative minds and passionate advocates who are leading the charge in environmental conservation and sustainable practices. We aim to explore the most effective strategies, breakthrough technologies, and transformative policies that are shaping a more sustainable future for our planet. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Samir Adams.

Samir Adams is the Managing Director at Carbon Capture & Commercialization, focusing on driving innovation in carbon capture technology. He has extensive experience in leading teams to develop sustainable energy solutions and advancing emissions reduction technologies. Sam holds an Executive MBA from the University of Tampa and a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Florida.

Thank you so much for joining us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?

Thank you for having me! My journey into sustainability began in 2019 when my business partner, Fernando Sanchez, and I started looking closer at the climate change story and potential solutions, and we noticed something was amiss. We were spending far too much capital for far too little return — despite all the alarms being sounded, the needle just wasn’t moving enough. We saw this as an opportunity to innovate, disrupt, and create a commodity out of a problem — CO₂. For a few years, we were two minorities working out of a makeshift garage, talking to research scientists from Georgia Tech, MIT, and others worldwide, making a bit of a nuisance of ourselves. Eventually, our persistence paid off with a great engineering relationship with Haydale UK, which led to a TRL7 demonstration unit, and a patent awarded in a record six weeks.

Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘takeaways’ you learned from that?

Honestly, my entire career has been marked by disruptive innovation and driving culture change for results. I’ve become quite familiar with resistance, particularly from rigid corporate cultures and entrenched stakeholders. People tend to be more comfortable with the status quo, but I welcome the challenge of pushing for meaningful change. One of the key lessons I’ve learned is that intentional persistence and clear communication are vital. By engaging leadership and individual contributors alike, and demonstrating tangible benefits, I’ve been able to rally everyone toward a common goal. Initially, progress may come slowly, but with resilience and alignment, success begins to multiply. Without that perseverance, it’s easy to fall into complacency and risk becoming irrelevant in an evolving world.

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Absolutely. The three character traits that have been instrumental to my success are adaptability, empathy, and vision. Adaptability was especially crucial during the pandemic, when we had to pivot our operations quickly to adjust to new realities of our customers’ expectations and needs. Empathy helps me understand the concerns of my team and stakeholders, especially when it comes to making sustainable changes that may not be easy for everyone. Lastly, vision is what drives everything — having a clear idea of where you want to go makes all the difference, especially when navigating uncharted waters like we do in the sustainability sector.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that might help people?

We’ve just emerged from stealth mode after five years of intensive development, and it’s incredibly gratifying to see the positive response from the marketplace. Our focus has shifted to becoming a point source solution for CO₂ capture, which allows us to directly address emissions at their source. This strategic pivot has not only strengthened our position in the market but also enabled us to craft a compelling narrative about transforming CO₂ from a greenhouse gas into a valuable feedstock for energy, agriculture, cement, and steel production. This approach turns a significant environmental problem into an economic opportunity, helping industries reduce their carbon footprints while creating new revenue streams. The interest and traction we’re gaining globally validate our belief that this solution can truly make an impact on a wide scale.

Ok, thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of our interview. What pivotal moment led you to dedicate your career to sustainability, and how has that shaped your approach to environmental challenges?

The pivotal moment for me came when I realized the magnitude of the opportunity that lay within CO₂ itself. Most people think of carbon dioxide as just a harmful byproduct that needs to be reduced or eliminated, but we saw it as an undervalued resource with significant potential. This realization drove us to innovate and find ways to turn CO₂ into a valuable commodity — something that could support industries and create economic value while also addressing climate concerns. This dual approach — solving environmental problems while making the solution economically viable — has shaped everything we do at Carbon Capture & Commercialization (CC&C). It’s not just about reducing emissions; it’s about transforming them into something that contributes positively to society.

Could you describe a groundbreaking project or initiative you’ve been involved in that significantly contributed to sustainability?

One of the most groundbreaking projects we’ve undertaken is the development of our direct air carbon capture (DACC) technology using our proprietary adsorptive beads. These beads are designed to efficiently capture CO₂ directly from point source and other environments, especially benefiting when concentrations are often higher. By deploying our DACC systems in urban and industrial areas, we are capturing CO₂ at the source — where it’s most concentrated — and transforming it into a usable feedstock for industries like Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), agriculture, cement, and steel production. We’re continuing to work on our capture efficiency and refining methods to release in-situ into that feedstock pipeline. This project has not only proven that point-source capture can be highly effective, but it also demonstrated that the captured CO₂ can be commercialized, creating a circular carbon economy. We’ve seen tremendous interest from industry leaders, which underscores the scalability and impact potential of our technology

How do you navigate the balance between economic growth and environmental preservation in your sustainability strategies?

It’s definitely a delicate balance, but we approach it by aligning economic incentives with environmental outcomes. For instance, our technology turns CO₂ — a greenhouse gas — into a valuable feedstock for industries. By creating economic value from captured carbon, we provide a strong incentive for businesses to participate in sustainability initiatives. Our DACC systems are designed to be modular and scalable, making it possible for companies to integrate them into existing operations without major disruptions. This way, we help industries grow sustainably by lowering their carbon footprints while also creating new revenue opportunities. In the end, economic growth and environmental preservation don’t have to be at odds; with the right innovations, they can support each other.

What emerging technologies or innovations do you believe hold the most promise for advancing sustainability and why?

I believe that AI and data analytics have tremendous potential in advancing sustainability. With AI, we can optimize energy consumption, reduce waste, and predict maintenance needs before they become issues.

Additionally, our own technology is highly adaptable and holds significant promise. Beyond capturing CO₂, our system can be adapted to capture other greenhouse gases or even other atmospheric gases. This versatility means that in all cases, the captured gases can be transformed into valuable feedstocks for various industries, including energy, agriculture, cement, and steel production. By turning harmful emissions into economically useful commodities, we can further drive sustainability while supporting industrial needs, effectively creating a circular economy not just for carbon, but for any other gas.

Based on your research or experience, can you please share your “5 Top Strategies for a Cleaner Planet”?

1. Promote Circular Economy Practices: At CC&C, we strongly believe in turning waste products into valuable resources for other processes. Our technology captures CO₂ and transforms it into a usable feedstock for industries like agriculture, cement, and steel production, ensuring that nothing goes to waste. By doing so, we contribute significantly to the circular economy and demonstrate that waste can be an asset rather than a burden.
2. Innovate with Sustainable Materials: We are continuously researching and developing materials that have a lower environmental impact. Our proprietary beads are designed to be used for numerous cycles before requiring a refresh and are engineered to operate for up to 25 years at industrial lifecycles. This focus on durability minimizes waste, maximizes efficiency, and ensures cost-effectiveness over the long term, making our technology an ideal sustainable solution for industrial applications.
3. Community Engagement: Empowering communities through education and direct involvement is at the core of our approach to sustainability. For example, we believe outreach programs could raise awareness about the importance of sustainability and foster local initiatives to keep neighborhoods clean. By engaging communities, we cultivate a sense of ownership and collective responsibility, making a positive and lasting impact on the environment.
4. Reduce Waste at the Source: Preventing waste creation is the most effective way to manage it. At CC&C, we rigorously analyze our production processes to identify and eliminate unnecessary materials, resulting in significant reductions in waste. Our technology is designed to maximize efficiency while minimizing resource use, further aligning with our mission to reduce waste at its source and contribute to a cleaner environment.
5. Invest in Renewable Energy: Transitioning to renewable energy is one of the most impactful steps we have taken to reduce emissions and enhance sustainability. Our DACC units are specifically engineered to operate with minimal power requirements, allowing them to run almost entirely on green energy. During the regeneration process, our systems use approximately 1% of the energy needed by existing solutions, making them an ideal fit for integration with renewable energy sources and setting a new standard for energy-efficient carbon capture.

In your view, what are the key steps individuals, communities, and governments need to take to achieve a more sustainable future?

It all starts with awareness and education. Individuals need to understand the impact of their actions, which includes making conscious choices to reduce waste, conserve resources, and adopt sustainable practices. Communities must come together to create local initiatives that promote sustainability, such as community gardens, recycling programs, and renewable energy projects. Governments, on the other hand, need to establish and enforce policies that incentivize green practices, such as subsidies for renewable energy, stricter emissions regulations, and support for sustainable infrastructure development. Collaboration at all levels is crucial — when individuals, communities, and governments align their efforts, we can create a powerful and lasting impact on the environment. People and governments can also work in concert to put pressure on industry to be part of the solution instead of the problem. Accountability is key, and it’s something for all parties — individuals, communities, governments, and industries — to actively participate in, ensuring a more beneficial future for all. Only through a united front can we truly drive the systemic change needed for a sustainable future.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂

If I could start a movement, it would be the “Accountability for All” initiative — aimed at holding industry, government, communities, and individuals accountable for their roles in carbon emissions and environmental impact. This movement would encourage citizens to demand stronger environmental regulations, increased transparency, and commitments from corporations and governments to significantly reduce emissions and invest in sustainable practices. At the same time, individuals and communities would be encouraged to take actionable steps to lower greenhouse gas emissions — such as using mass transit, conserving electricity, and reducing waste. By working together, we can put collective pressure on industries and governments to be part of the solution rather than the problem. Accountability is essential, and everyone — from citizens to leaders — must actively participate to create a beneficial future for all. Imagine the collective impact if millions of people united to demand meaningful action on climate change and took personal responsibility for reducing their own emissions! By working together, we can ensure that environmental stewardship becomes a central focus for all stakeholders, leading to systemic change and a more sustainable world.

What is the best way for our readers to continue to follow your work online?

Our updates usually go up on LinkedIn first — our only real presence on Social Media at the moment. They can also sign up for our Newsletter at https://www.ccandc.ai/.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.

About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com.