CCC report shows Ministers must accelerate CCUS and GGR delivery

[London, 25 June] The Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA) has called on the UK Government to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and greenhouse gas removal (GGR) technologies following the publication of the Climate Change Committee’s Progress in Reducing Emissions: 2026 Report to Parliament.

The CCC’s latest assessment underlines the vital role that CCUS and GGR technologies will play in delivering the UK’s climate targets while supporting economic growth and industrial competitiveness. While recognising recent policy progress, the CCC warns that delivery must accelerate significantly if the UK is to meet its emissions reduction commitments for 2030 and beyond.

The Report highlights the growing importance of engineered greenhouse gas removals in meeting the Sixth Carbon Budget during the 2030s. However, it also identifies substantial delivery risks and stresses the need for stronger policy frameworks and faster deployment.

Olivia Powis, CEO of the CCSA, said:

“The CCC’s report is a clear reminder that meeting the UK’s climate targets requires action, not ambition alone. We cannot decarbonise by exporting emissions and industry overseas. CCUS provides a practical route for sectors such as cement, chemicals and refining to cut emissions while continuing to operate, invest and create jobs in the UK.”

“If the Government is serious about delivering clean growth, strengthening energy security and building globally competitive low-carbon industries, then CCUS and GGR deployment must accelerate. The CCC is right to highlight the need for clear, consistent and long-term policy support to ensure carbon budgets are met and the infrastructure needed for future economic growth is delivered.”

The CCSA said the Report reinforces the urgent need for long-term funding certainty for future CCUS deployment beyond the first projects; a clear and credible strategy for scaling engineered greenhouse gas removals; and rapid development of CO₂ transport and storage infrastructure to support both industrial capture and removals projects.

With billions of pounds of investment, thousands of skilled jobs and significant emissions reductions at stake, the CCSA is calling on Ministers to move at pace to turn policy commitments into CCUS delivery.