Uncertainties around the global energy system have complicated the near-term prospects for carbon capture and storage (CCS), which was already under pressure from rising project and energy costs. But the face of CCS is changing from large-scale megaprojects to more focused and modular approaches as analysts question how durable fossil fuel‑linked decarbonization pathways really are in a world of heightened geopolitical risk and volatile commodity prices. Indeed, the business case for CCS and direct air capture (DAC) has changed dramatically over the last few years, with a policy-driven push for decarbonization projects replaced by energy security fears and broad cost inflation. Higher input and operating costs, and the lack of strong "forcing mechanisms" such as robust regulations or guaranteed premium markets for low‑carbon products, are making CCS projects easier to defer in some regions, according to Jack Cavanaugh, head of the Carbon Management Research Initiative at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy.