Environmental group says CCS short-changed by policy framework

A recent report named “Moving CCS Forward In Europe” has been published by ENGO Network on CCS, to look at the current progress of climate change technologies in Europe. It analyses why efforts have slowed and makes recommendations for improving integration.

The report was prepared together with E3G, Bellona Foundation and ZERO. Other network members include Clean Air Task Force, Natural Resources Defence Council, the Climate Institute, World Resources Institute and Green Alliance.

It highlights key areas that need to be addressed:

1. A greater focus being placed on CCS and its value in respect of job retention for industrial emitters, CCS plants to play a key role in balancing renewable and additional revenues through CO2 use.

2. Concentrating on early investment in CO2 storage and transport infrastructures to ensure cost effective reductions and deployments at scale.

3. Details of the financing and regulation of the deployment of CCS. This will be needed to advance the demonstration stages into practice.

4. An awareness that unbated fossil fuels are reaching their limits and acknowledgement that new investments pushing towards CCS deployment would be a threat to credibility.

Lead author of the report, Chris Littlecott said:

“To move CCS forward in Europe, we need to look beyond the limits of the current bureaucratic imagination. Politicians and policymakers need to realise that CCS on industrial emitters and gas power plants is essential as we move to a low-carbon economy.” “CCS can provide enduring value to Europe through boosting low-carbon competitiveness and enabling job retention. To make that vision a reality we need to see new policy instruments brought forward and investment in an enabling infrastructure for CO2 transport and storage.” Global CCS Institute CEO, Brad Page continued:

“This report from the ENGO Network is an important contribution to the European debate on reinvigorating CCS. As well as examining the difficulties European projects have faced, it explores the European Commission’s ideas for invigorating CCS in the region.” “The report makes it clear that the deployment of CCS in Europe is at a crossroads. New measures and new approaches are needed to ensure that CCS projects move past Final Investment Decision to enable widespread deployment in the coming years if Europe’s emission ambitions are to be achieved.”