Carbon dioxide acts as a sort of gatekeeper: it allows visible light to pass right by but will absorb infrared (heat) energy.

Does Carbon retain heat?

Does carbon dioxide trap and retain heat? No, although it cools more slowly than some other gases, it absorbs some amount of heat and quickly cools the same amount when the heat source is removed. ... The affect of carbon dioxide on the temperature of our atmosphere is fleeting and inconsequential.

Does carbon absorb energy?

Carbon dioxide, for example, absorbs energy at a variety of wavelengths between 2,000 and 15,000 nanometers — a range that overlaps with that of infrared energy. As CO2 soaks up this infrared energy, it vibrates and re-emits the infrared energy back in all directions.