CERT Systems Wins Tencent CarbonX 2.0 Award for CO2-to-Ethylene Technology
LONDON, UK / TORONTO, Canada — CERT Systems, a pioneer in carbon transformation technology, has been selected as one of 16 global winners — and the only Canadian team — for Tencent’s CarbonX 2.0 initiative. The winners were chosen from a pool of 660 applications spanning 54 countries and regions.
The announcement was made during London Climate Action Week 2026 at a flagship event co-hosted by Tencent and TED at the London Science Museum.
Catalytic Funding for Hard-to-Abate Chemistry
CarbonX 2.0 is a global initiative dedicated to supporting emerging, breakthrough low-carbon innovations with substantial catalytic funding, expert networks, and real-world pilot deployment opportunities. As a winner in the Carbon Utilization (CCU / CarbonXmade) stream, CERT Systems will share in a pool of nearly USD 30 million in funding designed to help promising climate solutions transition from pilot phases to commercial-scale deployment.
Single-Step CO2-to-Ethylene Breakthrough
CERT Systems is addressing one of the chemical industry’s most significant challenges: the decarbonization of ethylene production. Ethylene is the foundational chemical building block for many everyday materials, textiles, and plastics, but its traditional manufacturing via fossil-fuel-powered steam cracking is highly carbon-intensive.
CERT’s Direct CO2 Electrolysis technology uses an integrated proprietary CO2 electrolyzer to convert captured CO2 emissions directly into sustainable, high-value ethylene using only water and electricity. This single-step process delivers a direct, drop-in replacement for traditional ethylene, completely bypassing the need for fossil fuel feedstocks.
“We are deeply honoured to be recognized by Tencent and the CarbonX 2.0 committee among some of the world’s most visionary climate innovators,” said Alex Ip, Co-founder & CEO, CERT Systems. “Representing Canada on this global stage is an incredible milestone for our team, and it underscores the world-class calibre of cleantech innovation coming out of our country. Scaling electrochemical carbon utilization requires not just capital, but strong ecosystem partnerships and real-world industrial validation — the catalytic funding and resource network provided through CarbonX 2.0 will be pivotal as we accelerate the deployment of our industrial-scale electrolyzers.”
Technology Highlights
- Integrated, single-step conversion of CO2 to ethylene — no costly intermediate feedstocks (hydrogen, ethanol, syngas) required
- Every tonne of ethylene produced sequesters over 3 tonnes of CO2 — molecules are chemically identical to fossil-derived ethylene
- Modular and scalable — electrochemical process deployable anywhere, at any scale, enabling resilient, sovereign supply chains
- Drop-in compatibility — CERT’s ethylene substitutes over 200 million tonnes/year of fossil ethylene without modification to downstream manufacturing
CarbonX 2.0 Context
The CarbonX program was initiated in 2023 by Tencent together with industry, investment, and ecosystem partners. Now in its second phase, CarbonX 2.0 focuses on cutting-edge CCUS, carbon removal, and long-duration energy storage technologies, soliciting proposals from early-stage teams worldwide. The program aims to build first-of-their-kind pilot projects in real industrial settings, incubate high-potential startups, and support capacity-building projects.
Ten of the 16 winning teams span four critical technology areas:
- Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) — technologies removing CO2 directly from atmosphere
- CCUS for Steel — solutions for one of the hardest-to-abate industrial sectors
- Carbon Utilization (CCU / CarbonXmade) — converting captured CO2 into useful materials (CERT Systems)
- Long-Duration Energy Storage (LDES) — enabling stable 24/7 renewable energy systems
Resources
Company Boilerplate
CERT Systems (Toronto, Canada) transforms CO2, water, and renewable electricity into drop-in eChemicals and eFuels for a secure and sustainable future. The company’s mission is to sustainably and reliably produce the essential molecules the world needs — without fossil fuels. CERT was the first to demonstrate ethylene production from industrial CO2 emissions and the first to demonstrate integrated Air-to-Ethylene technology. The technology has been validated by world-leading organizations including Breakthrough Energy, Third Derivative, and the XPRIZE Foundation.
Source: Tencent press release via PRNewswire, June 24, 2026 (announced at London Climate Action Week)