In response to the report “A Review of the Role of Fossil Fuel Based Carbon Capture and Storage in the Energy System”, which was published on the 11th January by Global Witness and Friends of the Earth Scotland (written by the Tyndall Centre), the CCSA has released the following comments:
“The key Paris climate goal is to deliver a net zero world by the middle of this century, e.g. 2050 – a target which the UK is committed to deliver. All credible analysis shows that Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) will be absolutely critical to meeting this target. Indeed the Climate Change Committee, in their recently published Sixth Carbon Budget advice to Government, emphasised that CCS is essential to any net zero pathway. It is not clear why this study was focussed on emission reductions targets for 2030.
Today CCUS is already contributing to efforts to combat climate change and is preventing many millions of tonnes of CO2 from being released to the atmosphere. The vital role that CCUS plays stems from its ability to significantly reduce emissions from across the economy; including industry (such as steel, cement and refining), power, heating and transport – as well as unlocking a key method of greenhouse gas removal, which will be critical to meet climate goals, particularly in harder to decarbonise sectors such as aviation.
In the fight against climate change, there are no silver bullets. If we are to have any hope of achieving the transition to net zero, we will need all low-carbon technologies at our disposal – we do not have the luxury of being able to pick and choose.”
Dr Luke Warren, Chief Executive, Carbon Capture and Storage Association