- A carbon sink is a natural or artificial reservoir that accumulates and stores some carbon-containing chemical compound for an indefinite period.
- The concept has become more widely known because of its role in Kyoto Protocol
- The process by which carbon sinks remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere is known as carbon sequestration.
- The major natural sinks are the oceans and plants and other organisms that use photosynthesis to remove carbon from the atmosphere by incorporating it into biomass.
- To help mitigate global warming, a variety of means of artificially capturing and storing carbon, as well as of enhancing natural sequestration processes, are being explored.