The Global CCS Institute’s 2026 Europe Forum on Carbon Capture and Storage took place on 4 March in Brussels, Belgium, bringing together a full room of policymakers, industry leaders, financial institutions, researchers, academics, NGOs, members of the Institute, and wider climate stakeholders for a dynamic day of discussion on CCS developments across Europe.
This annual Forum serves as an important platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and dialogue, exploring the latest advancements in CCS technologies and policy frameworks throughout the region.
Programme Highlights
The 2026 Europe Forum featured a diverse programme of regionally relevant conversations and expert insights.
Welcome and Housekeeping
The Forum opened with welcome remarks and housekeeping from the Institute’s Head of Europe, Dr. Richard Leese, who set the scene for the day and outlined the objectives of the Forum.
Institute Presentation
Jarad Daniels, CEO of the Global CCS Institute, delivered an overview of CCS progress in Europe and globally, highlighting recent developments, emerging trends, and the critical role of CCS in achieving net‑zero targets.
Mediterranean Regional Panel
Speakers shared emerging opportunities, national priorities, and regional cooperation efforts.
A focused discussion on CCS developments across the Mediterranean region, with contributions from:
- EnEarth | Dr Pantelis Vogiatzis, EnEarth Commercial Lead
- Snam | Paolo Testini, Director CCS and Carbon Removal
- SpotLight Earth | Elodie Morgan, CTO & Co Founder
- Tecnicas Reunidas | Miguel Angel Hernando Garcia, Head of Carbon Management
Moderated by : Global CCS Institute | Carlo Maccherini, Senior Regional Manager Europe
CCS Progress in the Netherlands
Lies van Kessel, Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth, provided insights into how Dutch policy design and project development are supporting the scale‑up of CCS deployment.
Financing CCS Across Europe
Financing remained central to conversations, with experts from:
- BloombergNEF | Anastasia Tomasidou, Carbon Capture Associate
- BNP Paribas CIB | Fabienne Moimaux, Managing Director
- Carbon Clean | Laura Gillions, Vice President Marketing and Public Affairs
- Santander | Vanessa Lowe, Vice President
Moderated by Global CCS Institute | Angus Gillespie, Strategic Adviser
Fireside Chat on Policy & Business Models
A discussion with Dr Michael Brown, Deputy Director, CCUS Strategy and Policy at the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, provided perspectives on CCS business models and how policy frameworks can support long‑term investment and project development.
Moderated by: Noora Al Amer, Global Advocacy Lead, Global CCS Institute.
Breakout Sessions
The afternoon breakout programme encouraged smaller‑group dialogue on key topics, co‑facilitated with partners including:
- Baringa | Chris Thackeray, Director and Global CCUS Lead
- Carbon Capture and Storage Association | Thierry Grauwels, EU Director
- DNB Bank | Jan Erik Berre, Senior Vice President in the Energy Division
- IEAGHG | Dr Nicola Clarke, Senior Geologist
- DNV | Simon Holm, Regional Segment Lead CCUS
- International Energy Agency (IEA) | Carl Greenfield, Carbon Management Lead
- CL4Change | Claude Lorea, CEO & Founder
- OMEC | Sohbet Karbuz, Director, Natural Resources and Energy Security Division
Topics explored included:
- Financing mechanisms | Led by Angus Gillespie, Strategic Adviser & Dr Hannah Galbraith-Olive
- CO₂ transportation | Led by Dr. Richard Leese, Head of Europe, Global CCS Institute
- International policy and tracking | Led by Noora AlAmer, Global Advocacy Lead, Global CCS Institute
- sub‑regional collaboration | Led by Carlo Maccherini, Senior Regional Manager & Luc Gorrie, Policy Analyst, Global CCS Institute
These sessions offered practical insights, open discussion, and meaningful knowledge sharing across the CCS community.
Fireside Chat on CCS and Northern Lights
As the Northern Lights project continues to advance, Luc Haustermans, Vice President Corporate Affairs at Yara International, discussed the importance of cross‑border CO₂ transport and storage in enabling large‑scale carbon management across Europe.
The session highlighted how shared infrastructure, international cooperation, and clear regulatory frameworks are essential to supporting the development of cross‑border CCS value chains and accelerating deployment across the region.
Moderated by: Ian Havercroft, General Manager, Global CCS Institute.
Featured Insights
The day also included a presentation titled Scaling Investment in the CCS Sector, delivered by Chris Thackeray, Director and Global CCUS Lead at Baringa, which explored how to mobilise capital at scale for CCS deployment, drawing on insights from the Sustainable Markets Initiative.
Breakout Sessions Report Back
The Forum concluded with a report‑back from the breakout sessions, led by the Institute’s Head of Europe, Dr. Richard Leese. A representative from each group shared key takeaways, common themes, and priority actions identified during the discussions.
The report‑back highlighted the importance of coordinated policy frameworks, scalable financing solutions, cross‑border collaboration, and continued engagement between governments, industry, and financial institutions to accelerate CCS deployment across Europe.
Closing Remarks
The Forum concluded with closing reflections from Jarad Daniels, CEO of the Global CCS Institute, who drew together key themes from the day’s discussions and breakout session report‑backs.
In his remarks, Jarad emphasised the importance of sustained collaboration across government, industry, finance, and civil society to accelerate CCS deployment across Europe. He highlighted the momentum building across policy, project development, and investment, while underscoring the need for continued coordination, confidence‑building, and long‑term commitment to deliver CCS at scale.
Jarad closed by thanking speakers, moderators, partners, sponsors, and attendees for their active engagement and contributions, reinforcing the Institute’s commitment to supporting knowledge‑sharing, collaboration, and progress across the European CCS community.
Event Materials
The following resources are now available:
Acknowledgements
We extend our sincere thanks to our 2026 Forum sponsors:
- Carbon Clean (Gold Sponsor)
- Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) (Evening Reception Sponsor)
Their support and continued commitment to advancing CCS were instrumental to the success of this year’s event.
