Gaurav Sant: Innovating Carbon Management for a Sustainable Future

Snapshot

Gaurav Sant is a distinguished engineer and sustainability advocate, serving as the Pritzker Professor of Sustainability at UCLA’s Samueli School of Engineering. As the director of UCLA’s Institute for Carbon Management, he leads pioneering efforts in carbon capture and utilization, notably through the development of CO₂Concrete and ocean-based carbon removal technologies. His innovative work has earned him recognition as one of Time’s 100 most influential climate leaders in 2024.

Early Life and Education

Sant’s early life details are not extensively documented. He pursued higher education at Purdue University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 2006, a Master of Science in Civil Engineering in 2007, and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering in 2009.

Career

After completing his doctoral studies, Sant joined the faculty at UCLA, where he holds joint appointments in the departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering. He is also a member of the California NanoSystems Institute.

As director of the Institute for Carbon Management, Sant has led interdisciplinary teams to develop scalable solutions for carbon removal and utilization. In 2021, his team won the $7.5 million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE for creating CO₂Concrete, a technology that transforms carbon dioxide emissions into concrete products.

In 2024, Sant founded Equatic, a startup focused on ocean-based carbon removal. The company enhances the ocean’s natural ability to sequester carbon by running electrical currents through seawater, a process that also produces green hydrogen. Equatic’s first commercial-scale facility in Canada is projected to remove 109,500 metric tons of CO₂ and produce 3,600 metric tons of green hydrogen annually.

Sustainability Highlights and Focus

CO₂Concrete: Sant’s development of CO₂Concrete offers a sustainable alternative to traditional concrete by utilizing captured carbon dioxide, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with construction materials.

Equatic’s Ocean-Based Carbon Removal: Through Equatic, Sant is advancing technologies that leverage seawater to capture and store atmospheric CO₂ while producing green hydrogen, addressing both carbon sequestration and clean energy production.

Policy Advocacy: Sant emphasizes the necessity of a carbon tax and broad-based mitigation incentives to drive the adoption of low-carbon technologies, advocating for policies that support sustainable industrial practices.

Gaurav Sant’s contributions to sustainability are marked by innovative technological solutions and a commitment to integrating scientific research with practical applications, positioning him as a leading figure in the global effort to combat climate change.