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Calamos Investments®* announced today the raising of the monthly distribution rate of Calamos Convertible Opportunities and Income Fund (Nasdaq: CHI) from 8.00 cents per share to 9.50 cents per share payable on February 19, 2021. Representing an approximate 19% increase from the prior distribution, the new distribution rate reflects on an annualized basis a current distribution rate of 8.13% based upon the Fund's market price of $14.03 per share on January 20, 2021.
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Jan. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ: BJRI) today announced that it is filing a prospectus supplement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), under which the Company may, from time to time, offer and sell shares of its common stock (the “Shares”) having an aggregate offering price of up to $25,000,000 through an “at-the-market” equity offering program (the “ATM Program”). The Company currently intends to use the net proceeds from sales of Shares under the ATM Program for working capital and other general corporate purposes, including capital expenditures and new restaurant expansion, as well as to strengthen our balance sheet. The timing of any sales under the ATM Program will depend on a variety of factors to be determined by the Company. The Shares will be offered through J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (“J.P. Morgan”), as sales agent. J.P. Morgan may sell Shares by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at-the-market offering” as defined in Rule 415 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including without limitation sales made directly on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, on any other existing trading market for the Shares, to or through a market maker or in negotiated transactions. Sales may be made at market prices prevailing at the time of the sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices and, as a result, sales prices may vary. The prospectus supplement adds to, updates or otherwise changes information contained in the accompanying prospectus contained in a shelf registration statement on Form S-3ASR (File No. 333-237813) for the offering of Shares. Prospective investors should read the prospectus, the prospectus supplement and other documents the Company filed with the SEC (some of which are incorporated by reference into the prospectus and prospectus supplement) for more complete information about the Company, the ATM Program and the risks the Company currently is facing, including those relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. You will be able to obtain copies of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering without charge by visiting the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any Shares of the Company, which is made only by means of a prospectus supplement and related prospectus. There will be no sale of Shares in any jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation of an offer to buy or sale would be unlawful. About BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (“BJ’s”) is a national brand with brewhouse roots and a menu where craft matters. BJ’s broad menu has something for everyone: slow-roasted entrees, like prime rib, BJ’s EnLIGHTened Entrees® including Cherry Chipotle Glazed Salmon, signature deep dish pizza and the often imitated, but never replicated world-famous Pizookie® dessert. BJ’s has been a pioneer in the craft brewing world since 1996, and takes pride in serving BJ’s award-winning proprietary handcrafted beers, brewed at its brewing operations in five states and by independent third party craft brewers. The BJ’s experience offers high-quality ingredients, bold flavors, moderate prices, sincere service and a cool, contemporary atmosphere. Founded in 1978, BJ’s owns and operates 210 casual dining restaurants in 29 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington. All restaurants offer dine-in, take-out, delivery and large party catering. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one of our 210 restaurants remains temporarily closed, 133 of our restaurants are serving guests in our dining rooms in a limited capacity, 16 of our restaurants are serving guests only on the patio or in other outdoor seating, and 60 of our restaurants are operating in a take-out and delivery only capacity, all while adhering to social distancing protocols, and hours are limited. For more BJ’s information, visit http://www.bjsrestaurants.com. Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer Certain statements in the preceding paragraphs and all other statements that are not purely historical constitute “forward-looking” statements for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Such statements include, but are not limited to, those regarding expected comparable restaurant sales and margins, total potential domestic capacity, the success of various sales-building and productivity initiatives, future guest traffic trends, on and off-premise sales trends, the percentage of restaurants open and the timing of the re-opening of our restaurants for on premise dining, construction cost savings initiatives and the number and timing of new restaurants expected to be opened in future periods. These “forward-looking” statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results to be materially different from those projected or anticipated. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (i) the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our restaurant sales and operations, labor and staffing, customer traffic, our supply chain and the ability of our suppliers to continue to timely deliver food and other supplies necessary for the operation of our restaurants, the ability to manage costs and reduce expenditures and the availability of additional financing, (ii) our ability to manage new restaurant openings, (iii) construction delays, (iv) labor shortages, (v) increases in minimum wage and other employment related costs, including compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and minimum salary requirements for exempt team members, (vi) the effect of credit and equity market disruptions on our ability to finance our continued expansion on acceptable terms, (vii) food quality and health concerns and the effect of negative publicity about us, our restaurants, other restaurants, or others across the food supply chain, due to food borne illness or other reasons, whether or not accurate, (viii) factors that impact California, Texas and Florida, where a substantial number of our restaurants are located, (ix) restaurant and brewery industry competition, (x) impact of certain brewing business considerations, including without limitation, dependence upon suppliers, third party contractors and distributors, and related hazards, (xi) consumer spending trends in general for casual dining occasions, (xii) potential uninsured losses and liabilities due to limitations on insurance coverage, (xiii) fluctuating commodity costs and availability of food in general and certain raw materials related to the brewing of our craft beers and energy requirements, (xiv) trademark and service-mark risks, (xv) government regulations and licensing costs, (xvi) beer and liquor regulations, (xvii) loss of key personnel, (xviii) inability to secure acceptable sites, (xix) legal proceedings, (xx) other general economic and regulatory conditions and requirements, (xxi) the success of our key sales-building and related operational initiatives, (xxii) any failure of our information technology or security breaches with respect to our electronic systems and data, and (xxiii) numerous other matters discussed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its recent reports on Forms 10-K, as amended, 10-Q and 8-K. The “forward-looking” statements contained in this press release are based on current assumptions and expectations, and BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update or alter its “forward-looking” statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information, please contact Greg Levin of BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. at (714) 500-2400 or JCIR at (212) 835-8500 or at bjri@jcir.com.
Westport, CT, Jan. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Virtuoso Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”) announced today that it priced its initial public offering of 20,000,000 units, at $10.00 per unit. The units will be listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) and will begin trading tomorrow, Friday, January 22, 2021, under the ticker symbol “VOSOU.” Each unit consists of one share of the Company’s Class A common stock and one-half of one redeemable warrant, each whole warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase one share of Class A common stock at a price of $11.50 per share. Only whole warrants are exercisable. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, shares of the Class A common stock and warrants are expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “VOSO” and “VOSOW,” respectively. The offering is expected to close on January 26, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. The Company is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. While the Company may pursue an initial business combination target in any business or industry, it intends to focus its search on media companies, within the Digital Marketing, Digital Platforms, Subscription, and Ad Tech sectors. The Company is led by Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey D. Warshaw and Chief Financial Officer Michael O. Driscoll. BTIG, LLC and Moelis & Company LLC are acting as joint book-running managers of the offering. I-Bankers Securities, Inc. is acting as co-manager of the offering. The Company has granted the Underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,000,000 units at the initial public offering price to cover over-allotments, if any. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the preliminary prospectus relating to the offering and final prospectus, when available, may be obtained from BTIG, LLC, at 65 E. 55th Street, New York, NY, 10022, by email at equitycapitalmarkets@btig.com or by telephone at (212) 593-7555. A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with, and declared effective by, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on January 21, 2021. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements,” including with respect to the initial public offering and the anticipated use of the net proceeds. No assurance can be given that the offering discussed above will be completed on the terms described, or at all, or that the net proceeds of the offering will be used as indicated. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s registration statement and preliminary prospectus for the offering filed with the SEC. Copies are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law. Contact Jeffrey D. WarshawChief Executive Officer jeff@virtuosoacquisition.com203 571-6161
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Jan. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ: BJRI) today provided a business update and reported preliminary unaudited financial results for its 2020 fourth quarter ended December 29, 2020. “BJ’s fourth quarter results were impressive in light of the increasing restrictions on our dining room capacity,” commented Greg Trojan, Chief Executive Officer. “October results were strong with weekly sales per restaurant averaging over $83,000 and comparable restaurant sales of -20.6%, despite being limited to only outdoor seating and off-premise sales at 34 of our 62 California restaurants for at least part of the month and dining room capacity limitations at our remaining 175 restaurants. Beginning in November, rising COVID-19 cases caused numerous states to rollback dine-in re-openings, while in December, California closed all outdoor patio seating, limiting our sales in the state to only delivery and take-out. As such, sales in November and December averaged $77,600 and $60,300 per restaurant week, respectively, which equated to comparable restaurant sales of -27.0% in November and -45.3% in December. Despite these challenges, the productivity and efficiency initiatives implemented at the start of the pandemic allowed us to generate positive cash flow from operations for the quarter. “Sales have been improving in the new year, which we believe reflects both high levels of pent-up guest demand and the easing of certain capacity restrictions,” continued Trojan. “Comparable restaurant sales improved significantly to -37.2% for the first three weeks of January from -45.3% in December. Notably, excluding California where most restaurants remain limited to only delivery and take-out, comparable restaurant sales improved to -22.5% for the first three weeks of January. In Texas, Florida and Ohio, our three largest markets after California, comparable restaurant sales improved to -14.3% in aggregate during this same period. Colorado and Pennsylvania, where we have 10 total restaurants, re-opened their dining rooms for limited seating starting in the first week of January and outdoor seating resumed last week at five of our California restaurants. Our teams are excited to continue re-opening dining rooms when conditions permit. As we experienced in 2020 when our dining rooms re-opened for a limited time, our guests are eager to return to the differentiated, high quality and high energy BJ’s dining experience. “As we manage near-term challenges and demonstrate continuous sales growth in markets that have remained open, we are confident in our ability to outperform the casual dining sector and generate long-term growth through a differentiated dining experience. We have several exciting sales building initiatives underway, including a subscription-based beer club and a virtual brand focused on our slow roast and other protein centric products. Both of these sales driving initiatives are performing well in early test. We also plan to continue leveraging the strong quality and value of the BJ’s brand through our catering business, which we believe offers significant upside for our off-premise sales channel. The contraction in casual dining supply resulting from the pandemic, coupled with our sales driving initiatives and long-term opportunity to expand our concept to at least 425 restaurants nationally, positions us to continue taking market share as the vaccine becomes more widely available and the pandemic eases,” concluded Trojan. Business Update Recent sales performance and open dining rooms by period for the fourth quarter of 2020 and by fiscal week for the first three weeks of fiscal 2021 were as follows: Period Ended Week Ended 10/27/2011/24/2012/29/20 01/5/2101/12/2101/19/21Weekly Sales Average$83,467 $77,587 $60,347 $67,626 $63,724 $70,005 Off Premise Weekly Sales Average$23,442 $23,547 $24,582 $30,914 $27,977 $29,123 Comparable Restaurant Sales -20.6% -27.0% -45.3% -36.2% -38.4% -36.9%% of Dining Rooms Open 88% 64% 59% 64% 64% 64% Comparable restaurant sales by key geography by period for the fourth quarter of 2020 and by fiscal week for the first three weeks of fiscal 2021 were as follows: Restaurant Period Ended Week Ended Count (1) 10/27/2011/24/2012/29/20 01/5/2101/12/2101/19/21California62 -21.7%-28.9%-62.0% -60.2%-64.2%-61.7%Texas34 -19.7%-21.8%-24.3% -10.7%-15.7%-13.2%Florida22 -20.6%-24.7%-25.7% -16.5%-15.2%-18.3%Ohio14 -18.3%-26.3%-31.3% -12.5%-14.9%-11.4%Other States (2)77 -20.3%-28.1%-44.8% -30.6%-30.6%-30.2%Total209 -20.6%-27.0%-45.3% -36.2%-38.4%-36.9%Total (excl. California)147 -20.0%-25.8%-35.5% -21.9%-23.2%-22.5% (1)Does not include our temporarily closed restaurant. (2)Dining room closures in other states that impacted the fourth quarter of 2020 and recent results include: Colorado (5 restaurants) on various dates from 11/11/20 to 01/03/21Pennsylvania (4 restaurants) from 12/12/20 to 01/03/21Washington (4 restaurants) since 11/18/20Oregon (3 restaurants) since 11/18/20Michigan (3 restaurants) since 11/18/20Kentucky (3 restaurants) from 11/20/20 to 12/13/20New Mexico (2 restaurants) since 11/16/20Maryland (2 restaurants) since 12/16/20 In calculating comparable restaurant sales, we include a restaurant in the comparable base once it has been open for 18 months.Weekly sales averages for the period ended December 29, 2020 included two holidays (Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day) on which our restaurants were closed.Off-premise sales continue at more than 2.5 times pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.At the current weekly sales average of $70,000 for the week ending January 19, 2021, we generate modest positive weekly adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, stock based compensation, other income, gains from lease transactions and loss on disposal and impairment of assets) and weekly cash flow of approximately -$0.3 million after interest expense and maintenance capital expenditures. We expect positive weekly cash flow once average weekly sales return to the upper $70,000s.As of January 21, 2021, we have cash and cash equivalents of approximately $40.8 million and $79.0 million available on our line of credit.We have made capital expenditure investments in recent months across the majority of our restaurants, including upgrading outdoor patios and installing glass dividers to increase safety and to enhance our guest’s dining experience. Preliminary Unaudited Sales and Key Operating Results for the 2020 Fourth Quarter Total revenues of $197.0 million.Comparable restaurant sales declined 32.3%.Restaurant level operating profit (including stock based compensation) in the range of $12.5 million to $13.5 million.Operating loss, excluding any disposal and impairment charges and gains from lease transactions, in the range of $18.0 million to $20.0 million.The Company anticipates impairment charges for the fourth quarter between $2.5 million and $4.5 million related primarily to handheld tablets disposal costs and an impairment charge related to one or two restaurants.Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, stock based compensation, other income, gains from lease transactions and loss on disposal and impairment of assets) in the range of $2.0 million and $3.0 million. The preliminary information and estimates with respect to the Company’s 2020 fourth quarter performance and financial position set forth herein constitute forward-looking statements, upon which investors should not place undue reliance because they may prove to be materially inaccurate. The preliminary information and estimates have not been compiled or examined by the Company’s independent auditors and they are subject to revision as the Company prepares its quarterly financial statements, and as the Company’s auditors conduct their annual audit thereof. While the Company believes that such preliminary information and estimates are based on reasonable assumptions, actual results may vary, and such variations may be material. Factors that could cause our preliminary information and estimates to differ from the information and estimates presented above include, but are not limited to: (i) additional adjustments in the calculation of, or application of accounting principles for, the financial results for the fourth quarter of 2020, and (ii) discovery of new information that impacts these results. About BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. (“BJ’s”) is a national brand with brewhouse roots and a menu where craft matters. BJ’s broad menu has something for everyone: slow-roasted entrees, like prime rib, BJ’s EnLIGHTened Entrees® including Cherry Chipotle Glazed Salmon, signature deep dish pizza and the often imitated, but never replicated world-famous Pizookie® dessert. BJ’s has been a pioneer in the craft brewing world since 1996, and takes pride in serving BJ’s award-winning proprietary handcrafted beers, brewed at its brewing operations in five states and by independent third party craft brewers. The BJ’s experience offers high-quality ingredients, bold flavors, moderate prices, sincere service and a cool, contemporary atmosphere. Founded in 1978, BJ’s owns and operates 210 casual dining restaurants in 29 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington. All restaurants offer dine-in, take-out, delivery and large party catering. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one of our 210 restaurants remains temporarily closed, 133 of our restaurants are serving guests in our dining rooms in a limited capacity, 16 of our restaurants are serving guests only on the patio or in other outdoor seating, and 60 of our restaurants are operating in a take-out and delivery only capacity, all while adhering to social distancing protocols, and hours are limited. For more BJ’s information, visit http://www.bjsrestaurants.com. Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer Certain statements in the preceding paragraphs and all other statements that are not purely historical constitute “forward-looking” statements for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are intended to be covered by the safe harbors created thereby. Such statements include, but are not limited to, those regarding expected comparable restaurant sales and margins, total potential domestic capacity, the success of various sales-building and productivity initiatives, future guest traffic trends, on and off-premise sales trends, the percentage of restaurants open and the timing of the re-opening of our restaurants for on premise dining, construction cost savings initiatives and the number and timing of new restaurants expected to be opened in future periods. These “forward-looking” statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results to be materially different from those projected or anticipated. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (i) the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our restaurant sales and operations, labor and staffing, customer traffic, our supply chain and the ability of our suppliers to continue to timely deliver food and other supplies necessary for the operation of our restaurants, the ability to manage costs and reduce expenditures and the availability of additional financing, (ii) our ability to manage new restaurant openings, (iii) construction delays, (iv) labor shortages, (v) increases in minimum wage and other employment related costs, including compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and minimum salary requirements for exempt team members, (vi) the effect of credit and equity market disruptions on our ability to finance our continued expansion on acceptable terms, (vii) food quality and health concerns and the effect of negative publicity about us, our restaurants, other restaurants, or others across the food supply chain, due to food borne illness or other reasons, whether or not accurate, (viii) factors that impact California, Texas and Florida, where a substantial number of our restaurants are located, (ix) restaurant and brewery industry competition, (x) impact of certain brewing business considerations, including without limitation, dependence upon suppliers, third party contractors and distributors, and related hazards, (xi) consumer spending trends in general for casual dining occasions, (xii) potential uninsured losses and liabilities due to limitations on insurance coverage, (xiii) fluctuating commodity costs and availability of food in general and certain raw materials related to the brewing of our craft beers and energy requirements, (xiv) trademark and service-mark risks, (xv) government regulations and licensing costs, (xvi) beer and liquor regulations, (xvii) loss of key personnel, (xviii) inability to secure acceptable sites, (xix) legal proceedings, (xx) other general economic and regulatory conditions and requirements, (xxi) the success of our key sales-building and related operational initiatives, (xxii) any failure of our information technology or security breaches with respect to our electronic systems and data, and (xxiii) numerous other matters discussed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its recent reports on Forms 10-K, as amended, 10-Q and 8-K. The “forward-looking” statements contained in this press release are based on current assumptions and expectations, and BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update or alter its “forward-looking” statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information, please contact Greg Levin of BJ’s Restaurants, Inc. at (714) 500-2400 or JCIR at (212) 835-8500 or at bjri@jcir.com.
Columbus Short will soon be back on your big or small screen. The former Scandal actor is playing Martin Luther King, Jr., in the upcoming biopic Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story. Read More: 7 inconvenient truths white people must understand about Martin Luther King Jr.
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Capturing planet-warming emissions is becoming a critical part of many plans to keep climate change in check, but very little progress has been made on the technology to date, with efforts focused on cutting emissions rather than taking carbon out of the air. The International Energy Agency said late last year that a sharp rise in the deployment of carbon capture technology was needed if countries are to meet net-zero emissions targets.
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The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution Thursday condemning damage and destruction of religious sites and asking the secretary-general to convene a global conference to spearhead public support for safeguarding places of religious heritage. The resolution condemns the increasing targeting of “cultural property, including religious sites and ritual objects ... by terrorist attacks and outlawed militias,” often resulting in destruction as well as theft and illicit trafficking of stolen items. It strongly deplores “all attacks on and in religious places, sites and shrines ... including any deliberate destruction of relics and monuments” which violate international law.
British challenger INEOS Team UK stands one win away from a direct path to the final of the America’s Cup challenger series, unsure whether that prize will be a blessing or a curse. Team UK and Italian challenger Luna Rossa will race each other once on Saturday and again on Sunday in the last round-robin stage of the Prada Cup challengers series at Auckland, New Zealand. If Team UK wins the first race Saturday or the second on Sunday it will qualify for the final; if Luna Rossa wins both races, the second will count as a tiebreak and the Italian team will progress to the final.
The ABC7 I-Team has obtained a recording of what federal authorities call explicit threats to kill Democrats including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and others at the White House, allegedly made by a Chicago Heights man now in custody.
The stock market rally hit new highs Thursday on big techs like Apple, AMD and Intel, but an increasingly extended Nasdaq raises risks.
A Houston area health department doctor accused by prosecutors of stealing nine doses of coronavirus vaccine from a damaged vial and administering them to family and friends insists he did nothing wrong and was only trying to ensure the vaccine was not wasted, his attorney said Thursday. Authorities allege that Hasan Gokal, who worked for Harris County Public Health, stole a vial of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine while working at a vaccination site at a suburban Houston park on Dec. 29. Gokal told a health department employee earlier this month that “he had taken a punctured vial of the Moderna vaccine ... at the end of operations and that he took the vial offsite and vaccinated his friends and family,” according to a probable cause complaint.
Tesla Inc chief and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk on Thursday took to Twitter to promise a $100 million prize for development of the "best" technology to capture carbon dioxide emissions. Capturing planet-warming emissions is becoming a critical part of many plans to keep climate change in check, but very little progress has been made on the technology to date, with efforts focused on cutting emissions rather than taking carbon out of the air. The International Energy Agency said late last year that a sharp rise in the deployment of carbon capture technology was needed if countries are to meet net-zero emissions targets.