Olivia Powis, CEO of the CCSA said,
“The 2050 net zero target is firmly rooted in science and based on the impact to the climate of unabated greenhouse gases. Research by the IPCC—the global authority on climate science – shows net zero by mid-century is essential to limit warming to 1.5°C and inaction will result in catastrophic economic, social and environmental costs.
The claim that climate action harms growth is false: studies prove decarbonisation drives prosperity. The CCSA’s own research shows that the Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) sector alone will add £94bn to the UK economy by 2050, create over 50,000 skilled jobs and unlock £26bn in private investment. And recent analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit and the CBI shows the UK’s net zero economy is already growing significantly faster than the economy as a whole—three times faster—demonstrating that clean growth is not just possible, but already underway.
By transitioning to a low-carbon economy, the UK will foster innovation, enhance competitiveness and increase productivity. For critical foundational industries such as cement to build homes and chemicals to make fertilisers for food production, net zero represents an opportunity to compete in the low-carbon products market and keep operations in the UK.
The Government must now build on recent progress by progressing Track-1 expansion, advancing Track-2 selections and supporting all other viable clusters on a similar timeline.
Net zero isn’t a cost—it’s an opportunity. It’s how we secure clean growth, resilient jobs and long-term competitiveness.
Notes to Editor
About the CCSA
CCUS, or Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage, is a key low carbon solution – vital to meeting the UK’s statutory Net Zero target at least cost. CCUS enables industrial decarbonisation as well as the production of clean power, clean products (such as cement and chemicals) and clean hydrogen – which can also be used to decarbonise industry. In addition, CCUS also enables greenhouse gas removal from the atmosphere through Direct Air Capture with Storage (DACS) or Bioenergy with CCS (BECCS).
The CCSA is the trade association accelerating the commercial deployment of CCUS, with offices in the UK and Belgium. We work with members, governments and other organisations to ensure CCUS is developed and deployed at the pace and scale necessary to meet net zero goals and deliver sustainable growth across regions and nations.
The CCSA currently has over 120 member companies who are active in exploring and developing different applications of carbon capture and removals, CO2 transportation by pipeline and ship, utilisation, geological storage, and other permanent storage solutions, end-users in the power, industry, waste management, fuels, and hydrogen production sectors, plus supply chain, engineering, construction and management, legal and financial consulting sectors.