Challenges facing the use of reactive absorption as a technology for CO2 capture on a global basis have been discussed. Special emphasis is placed on the reduction of energy requirement and environmental concerns. The relationships between fundamental properties of the absorbent system and the design, operation and performance of the absorption process are discussed on a fundamental basis, and pathways for searching new absorbent systems are identified. In particular, the use of new phase change systems is emphasized as a possibility for reducing the energy demand of these processes. Further, the need for an early investigation of the environmental properties of new absorbents is focused. Emissions of both absorbent and volatile degradation products must be below regulated norms, and methodologies for reducing these emissions to very low levels are suggested. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.