Exploring the characteristics and shortcomings of China’s current carbon capture, utilization, and storage policies can provide reference for future policy formulation and system optimization in China. A three-dimensional analytical framework model based on “policy tools - target areas - policy subjects” was constructed using 143 effective policy texts released by the central and local governments from February 2006 to December 2022 as the research object. By combining research methods such as statistical analysis, structural analysis, and content analysis, this study explores the evolution process, policy tools, policy target areas, policy subjects, and policy intensity of carbon capture, utilization, and storage policies. The results indicate that under the guidance of the “dual carbon” target, China’s carbon capture, utilization, and storage policies are being laid out, and strategic goals are gradually becoming clearer. However, there are still issues such as the absence of specialized policies, uneven distribution of policy tool structures, low density of cooperation among policy entities, and incomplete technical standards for the entire process of carbon capture, utilization, and storage. Based on this, in the future, policy efforts should be strengthened to build special policies for carbon capture, utilization, and storage aimed at carbon neutrality goals. And diverse policy tools should be efficiently allocated and a comprehensive application model of policy tools should be constructed. In addition, the carbon capture, utilization, and storage industry chain should be improved, and the industrial layout should be optimized.