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Major US climate change forum rallies behind CCS as a key technology to decarbonize the economy
Major US climate change forum rallies behind CCS as a key technology to decarbonize the economy

19th March 2019

Washington, DC, March 19, 2019: Leaders from government, industry and the public sector meeting in Washington, DC have been told that no decarbonization option should be taken off the table given the scale and urgency of climate change.

Speaking at the 8th Annual Forum on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) hosted by the Global CCS Institute, Brad Page, the organisation’s CEO, told the audience of more than 120 delegates that all clean energy technologies must be deployed immediately to meet Paris targets and transition to a new energy economy.

Mr. Page, who heads the international think tank, said the 45-year old technology is proven and backed by science and commercial application. In fact, there are currently 18 large-scale CCS facilities in operation globally. Mr. Page added that CCS must sit alongside renewables and other clean technologies as a mainstream decarbonization option.

“The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) recently released 1.5 °C Report has reaffirmed the essential role CCS has to play in decarbonization. “The reality is, all decarbonization options are needed and all available technologies must be deployed at scale to ensure an emissions-free future by mid-century.”

Mr. Page said CCS can deliver deep emissions cuts in the power, industrial, and transportation sectors.
“Furthermore, as organizations like the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers have attested, CCS can create significant economic opportunities for job creation, new industries and growth.”

“CCS opens up a new set of opportunities for decarbonizing the United States’ economy. Not only will it allow a just transition for workers currently employed in the energy sector but will also prevent the early retirement of productive assets. As such, large-scale CCS deployment, alongside renewable and clean energy and as part of an economy-wide decarbonization strategy, has the opportunity to boost the US to become the manufacturing heart of a zero-emissions future.”

Mr Page said the United States has now joined a growing number of countries which are creating the “policy confidence” necessary to scale-up the deployment of CCS.

“An enabling policy framework is fundamental for large-scale CCS deployment globally, and project developers and investors need the confidence generated through consistent government support.

“In the US, the tradable tax credit incentive known as 45Q which was passed last year has created a climate that is allowing CCS to flourish.

“The 45Q tax credit should be seen as the most progressive CCS-specific incentive globally. At $50 t/CO2 for CO2 stored in geologic storage and $35 t/CO2 for CO2 permanently stored via enhanced oil recovery (EOR), it has already seen new projects announcements. More are expected, especially once the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) clarifies the administrative processes that will apply.”

Mr Page also pointed to the state of California’s recently passed CCS protocol for its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) as an enabler to CCS projects that will reduce emissions from transportation – the state’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.

Additionally, Direct Air Capture, a technology that removes CO2 out of the air, would also benefit from the receipt of credits in the LCFS market.

Speakers at the Forum included representatives from Toyota, Occidental Petroleum, Southern Company, Exelon, LafargeHolcim, the Clean Air Task Force, the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, and the Aspen Institute.

 

European Parliament adopts ambitious resolution on climate change
European Parliament adopts ambitious resolution on climate change

15th March 2019

The Global CCS Institute welcomes the European Parliament’s adoption of the resolution on Europe’s long-term emission reduction strategy. The joint resolution puts forward the European Parliament’s position on the vision proposed by the European Commission for a competitive and prosperous climate neutral Europe. The resolution will help set a clear direction of travel for Europe’s climate and energy policy.

The Institute is pleased that the European Parliament took a positive stance on carbon capture and storage (CCS) acknowledging its important role in decarbonizing the industrial and energy sectors and achieving global climate targets, as highlighted in the IPCC SR15.

In response to the vote, Guloren Turan, General Manager for Advocacy at the Global CCS Institute stated that: “ Today’s vote recognises that Europe is ready to step up and take ambitious action to tackle climate change. This resolution marks an important step forward in the Parliament’s recognition of the role of CCS in achieving Europe’s climate targets. In addition to its important role as a climate mitigation technology, CCS can also deliver significant value to European economies and support a just transition for all. The upcoming European Council meeting and the Sibiu Summit will also be key opportunities to emphasize the need to embrace all climate solutions, including CCS, in Europe’s climate strategy.”

The Institute believes that it will be critical for Europe and its Member States to embrace CCS alongside other climate mitigation actions and technologies to deliver its ambitious climate goals. CCS will be needed to reduce emissions in the scale and timeframe required to deliver net-zero by mid-century. Three out of the four pathways included in the IPCC SR15 include CCS as a necessary solution to reach the 1.5 target.

The Institute stresses that CCS is a proven technology that has the potential to deliver deep emission reductions in energy-intensive industries and the power sector. In light of the European Parliament's resolution, it is important to emphasise that different carbon removal and negative emissions technologies have different stages of technological maturity and are confronted with different scalability challenges.

In the case of CCS, this is a proven and safe technology that has been in commercial use for over 40 years. To date, more than 200 million tons of CO2 have been safely stored. There are currently 18 CCS large-scale projects in operation globally. In Europe, Norway hosts two large-scale CCS projects, Sleipner and Snøhvit.

To deliver Europe’s climate ambition, immediate climate mitigation action is needed and efforts to develop CCS and CO2 transport and storage infrastructure should be a priority to mitigate emissions.

You can read the text of the adopted resolution here.

European Commission announces investment programme supporting low-carbon technologies
European Commission announces investment programme supporting low-carbon technologies

27th February 2019

The Global CCS Institute welcomes the launch of the European Commission’s ETS Innovation Fund.  The Fund will be one of the key funding instruments supporting Europe’s transition to a climate neutral economy. The investment programme of around €10bn, corresponding to the market value of 450 million emission allowances, will support the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and other innovative low-carbon technologies. The fund succeeds the NER300 programme and builds extensively on its learnings. The Fund, said to be one of the world’s largest funding initiatives, aims to finance projects that will have strong value for Europe and achieve significant emission reductions. The first call for proposals is expected in 2020.

In welcoming the funding available for carbon capture and storage, Guloren Turan, General-Manager – Advocacy at the Global CCS Institute said:  “This announcement is a positive sign for the CCS community and shows the EU's commitment to supporting CCS and its deployment. Numerous stakeholders have been involved since the fund’s inception to make sure it has the right criteria and incorporates the lessons learned from the NER300. Following the release of the Commission’s vision for the EU long-term strategy, it is clear that CCS has an important role to play in the decarbonization of Europe’s economy.  The fund will provide vital funding to support CCS projects, this alongside other funding instruments including the Connecting Europe Facility. There are several promising CCS projects across Europe that will be eligible for funding under the Innovation Fund. We hope to see mature CCS projects submitting their applications in 2020 and that the Fund will result in important developments in CCS deployment.”

You can find the European Commission’s press release here. For more information about the Innovation Fund, visit the European Commission’s website here.

Innovation Fund Delegated Regulation - Frequently Asked Questions

Pioneering Climate Scientist Professor Wallace Broecker has passed away
Pioneering Climate Scientist Professor Wallace Broecker has passed away

19th February 2019

The Global CCS Institute is saddened by the news that Professor Wallace S. Broecker, one of the world’s leading climate scientists, has passed away. Professor Broecker was a geo scientist and professor at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University. The world-renowned climate scientist coined the term “global warming” in 1975. He spent an important part of his academic career researching the ocean’s role in climate change.

During an interview with BBC Hardtalk, he spoke realistically about the pressing need to decarbonise the global economy with the deployment of carbon capture and storage. He said: “I think we have an option and the option is to let them [industrializing nations] industrialize but take care of the problem by capturing and storing the CO2. We’re going to have to learn to capture the CO2 and bury it – just like we learned to collect and put away garbage [and] sewage… We’ve taken over stewardship of the planet and with that we have the responsibility to take care of it.”

Professor Broecker was a strong advocate for climate action and carbon capture and storage. He will leave behind an important legacy with his remarkable contributions to the climate field.

You can read more about Professor Broecker’s achievements here.

Drax power plant becomes first of its kind BECCS pilot
Drax power plant becomes first of its kind BECCS pilot

8th February 2019 - London

Statement on Drax's announcement

Global CCS Institute’s member Drax has announced that a tonne of carbon dioxide a day is now being captured at the company’s power station in North Yorkshire. The biomass power generation project aims to become the world’s first carbon negative power station.  The project also features a new form of post combustion carbon capture on biomass feedstock, instead of coal. In the IPCC 1.5 report, BECCS plays an important role in delivery of global climate targets. In fact, it is present in three of the four scenarios put forward by the IPCC report.

Responding to the announcement, Guloren Turan, General-Manager, Advocacy, for the Global CCS Institute said:  “It is exciting to see Drax’s innovative project taking form. It shows the power of industry leadership on climate action. The project has the potential to kickstart BECCS in the UK and globally. It will also help demonstrate the potential of the technology to decarbonise our energy system.”

For further information about the project and the latest announcement, you can find Drax’s press release here.  

Global CCS Institute welcomes new board members
Global CCS Institute welcomes new board members

1st February 2019

Melbourne, 1 February 2019: The world’s leading authority on carbon capture and storage (CCS), the Global CCS Institute, has today welcomed three new appointments to its Board of Directors.

They are:

  • Philip Bainbridge – non-executive Chairman of the Papua New Guinea SustainableDevelopment Program and non-executive director of Beach Energy (Australia);
  • Cynthia Wang – Client Advisor, Bridgewater Associates (China);
  • Sumie Nakayama – Senior Advisor, Climate Change, J-POWER (Japan).

Welcoming the appointments, Global CCS Institute Chairman, Claude Mandil, said:

“As carbon capture and storage becomes more widely deployed as an essential climate change solution, we are delighted to welcome three new highly credentialled directors to our Board. Their business backgrounds and commitment to address the climate change challenge adds still more depth to an already impressive set of capabilities.”

The appointments bring the total number of Global CCS Institute directors to seven. In addition to today’s three appointments, they include:

  • Board Chairman, Claude Mandil (France);
  • Shell International, Group Climate Change Adviser, David Hone (United Kingdom);
  • BHP Vice President, Sustainability and Climate Change, Dr Fiona Wild (Australia);
  • Thunderbolt Clean Energy CEO, Eric Redman (United States of America).

Currently, there are forty-three (43) large-scale CCS facilities globally– 18 operational, five under construction and 20 in various stages of development.

Biographies

Philip Bainbridge
Mr Phil Bainbridge is currently the non-executive Chairman of the Papua New Guinea Sustainable Development Program and a non-executive director of Beach Energy, and was formally Chairman of Sino Gas and Energy Holdings Ltd.

Mr Bainbridge worked for the BP Group for 23 years in a range of petroleum engineering, development, commercial and senior management roles in the UK, USA, Australia and around the world. From 2006, Mr Bainbridge worked at Oil Search initially as the Chief Operating Officer and then as Executive General Manager LNG, responsible for all aspects of Oil Search’s interests in the US$19 billion PNG LNG project.

Mr Bainbridge has a BSc (Hons) in Mechanical Engineering and is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Cynthia Wang
Ms Wang is currently a Client Adviser at Bridgewater Associates and previously held positions as the Managing Director at Rothschild & Co and also the Managing Director at China International Capital Corporation (CICC), covering Energy, Infrastructure and Technology sectors.

Ms Wang has advised many clean energy companies on IPOs, debt and equity financing and Mergers and Acquisition transactions and has more than 20 years of experience in global capital markets and corporate finance.

Ms Wang is a Trustee of the International School of Beijing, holds an MBA degree and an MS in Computational Finance from Carnegie Mellon University.

Sumie Nakayama
Ms Sumie Nakayama is currently the Senior Advisor on Climate Change with the Corporate Planning and Administration Department / Thermal Power Department at J-POWER.

Ms Nakayama has established her expertise in research of global energy and climate policy, including the development of low carbon technologies incorporating CCS, and is a specialist inmodel-based energy demand/supply analysis. She worked as a visiting researcher at theCenter for Energy and Environment Policy Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Ms Nakayama holds a Bachelor of Science in applied physics from Tokyo Institute of Technology and Master of Engineering in Energy Science from Graduate School of Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Ends

 

Antonios Papaspiropoulos (Melbourne): +61 401 944 478  antonios.papaspiropoulos@globalccsinstitute.com

Lucy Temple-Smith (Melbourne): +61 466 982 068  lucy.temple-smith@globalccsinstitute.com

Annya Schneider (Brussels): +32 (0) 25503972  annya.schneider@globalccsinstitute.com

Lee Beck (Washington DC): +1 202-677-9053 lee.beck@globalccsinstitute.com

About the Global CCS Institute: Our mission is to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS), a vital technology to tackle climate change and provide energy security. Working with and on behalf of our Members, we drive the adoption of CCS as quickly and cost effectively as possible by sharing expertise, building capacity and providing advice and support so that this vital technology can play its part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For more information, visit globalccsinstitute.com

California CCS Protocol takes effect under low carbon fuel standard
California CCS Protocol takes effect under low carbon fuel standard

8th January 2019

Sacramento, California – The Global CCS Institute welcomes California’s Air Resources Board’s (ARB) decision to include a protocol for carbon capture and storage (CCS) in its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), a rule which became effective on January 1, 2019. “The inclusion of the CCS protocol in the LCFS signals that California – arguably one of the most active states when it comes to combatting climate change – recognizes that CCS has a role in its energy transition to deliver emissions reductions”, says Guloren Turan, General Manager, Advocacy and Communications, at the Global CCS Institute.

The protocol allows transportation fuels whose lifecycle emissions have been reduced through CCS to become eligible for credits under the LCFS. Currently, the credits are trading at roughly $180 per ton, and can be combined with the federal tax credit for CCS projects. Also known as 45Q, the federal tax credit provides $50/t for CO2 stored geologically, and $35/t for CO2 stored permanently via enhanced oil recovery. “In the medium term, the establishment of a CCS protocol also paves the way for CCS to become eligible in the state’s Cap-and-Trade Program”, says Turan.

CARB’s decision comes on the heels of two other landmark climate commitments in California, which the Global CCS Institute applauds. In September, the California State Legislature passed SB100, which requires the state to generate 100% of electricity from carbon-free sources with a renewable portfolio standard of 60% built in. The same month, former Governor Jerry Brown also signed Executive Order B-55-18, requiring the entire economy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045.

COP24 marks constructive progress in global climate action
COP24 marks constructive progress in global climate action

18th December 2018

Brussels, Monday 17 December 2018:  The Global CCS Institute welcomes the successful conclusion of COP24 in Katowice which resulted in the adoption of the rulebook to the Paris Agreement. The common rulebook is designed to provide the guidelines and framework to operationalise and implement the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement.

Negotiators from nearly 200 countries and the European Union worked for two weeks on the Katowice Climate Package to address issues ranging from finance, transparency, mitigation and adaptation. The talks resulted on a set of strong monitoring, verification and accounting rules for climate protection.

Welcoming the adoption of the Katowice Climate Package, Executive Adviser to the Global CCS Institute John Scowcroft said: “We welcome the successful conclusion of the negotiations to produce a rulebook that will implement the 2015 Paris Agreement. This gives a strong signal to business and society as a whole that action on climate change is moving forward.”

The UN climate talks were framed by the scientific findings presented in the latest IPCC 1.5 Report. The role of CCS in meeting climate targets was repeatedly underlined in Katowice, as it became clear that the recent IPCC 1.5 report is becoming the key reference for governments, businesses and NGOs in setting out climate strategies. The IPCC report, which features significant CCS deployment in 3 of the 4 pathways in the report, confirmed that CCS is the only technology capable of decarbonising major industry, particularly the high emitting cement, steel and petrochemical sectors.

The European Union along with 13 other countries mention CCS in their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Those countries are Bahrain, China, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Malawi, Mexico, Montenegro, Norway, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.

Ahead of 2020, Parties to the Paris Agreement must continue their work to step up their climate ambition while preparing to deliver strengthened and enhanced NDCs. The Institute looks forward to more countries including CCS in their plans as they review their NDCs and submit their mid-century, long-term low greenhouse gas emissions strategies.

Antonios Papaspiropoulos (Melbourne): +61 401 944 478  antonios.papaspiropoulos@globalccsinstitute.com

Lucy Temple-Smith (Melbourne): +61 466 982 068 lucy.temple-smith@globalccsinstitute.com

Annya Schneider (Brussels): +32 25503972  annya.schneider@globalccsinstitute.com

Lee Beck (Washington DC): +1 202-677-9053 lee.beck@globalccsinstitute.com

CCS vital lifeline to beat climate change “because our lives depend on it”
CCS vital lifeline to beat climate change “because our lives depend on it”

11th December 2018

Katowice, Poland, Tuesday 11 December 2018: Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a vital lifeline to beat climate change, a raft of international ambassadors say in a major report released today at the United Nation’s 24th Conference of Parties (COP24).

Speaking at the launch of its flagship report, the Global Status of CCS: 2018, in Katowice, Poland, the Global CCS Institute says the most recent and reputable information confirms that the world is way-off in meeting Paris targets and CCS must be deployed alongside other clean technologies if continued meteorological uncertainty is to be avoided.

This fact is supported in the report by 18 diverse proponents of CCS including 17-year old polar explorer Jade Hameister, the youngest person to ski to the North Pole (14), the South Pole (16) and traverse the Greenland icecap (15).

Says Ms Hameister: “Carbon capture and storage is one of the stand-out technologies that exists today. It will form part of the solution and must be pursued as if our lives depend on it – because they do.”

Ms Hameister says she is very likely the only person of her generation to have first-hand experience in witnessing the tragic damage that global warming is doing.

“I now feel a deep emotional connection with our planet Earth and a responsibility to play my part in addressing climate change before it’s too late.”

Speaking at the report launch, Grantham Institute Chair, Lord Nicholas Stern, says more and more people are seeing the practicality and importance in deploying CCS as the one technology proven to decarbonize “difficult” sectors such as cement and steel and “locked-in” fossil fuel-based infrastructure.

“Another refreshing development has been the capacity for the private sector, mayors, multinationals, even the media, to start putting their weight behind the technology.”

Global CCS Institute Chief Executive Officer, Brad Page, said there is now a wealth of evidence to support the need for CCS – from the IEA to the IPCC.

“The IPCC’S 1.5°C report reinforces the role which carbon capture and technology must play in beating climate change. Significantly, it references CCS in three of the four pathways used to reach 1.5°C and is singled out for its ability to play a major role in decarbonizing the high emitting industrial sector.”

Mr Page said it was important that everyone working across the climate and energy spheres acknowledged - as the IPCC does - that all clean technologies are necessary.

“It is now irrefutable that Paris targets can only be achieved by embracing a complete cache of clean solutions – of which CCS must be one.”

Some key quotes from the Global Status of CCS: 2018:

  • Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency: “The IEA has highlighted that as much as 450 Mt of CO2 could be captured, utilised and stored globally with a commercial incentive as low as US$40 per tonne of CO2.”
  • Professor Wallace Smith Broecker, father of the phrase “global warming”: “The no-brainer is to funnel CO2 to a place where the sun doesn’t shine, deep below ground; the simple, proven process of carbon capture and storage.”
  • Senator John William Warner, former Secretary of the US Navy (former sponsor of the Lieberman-Warner climate bill): “Climate change is one of the most dangerous security threats of our time. Carbon capture and storage certainly plays an important role in delivering deep emissions cuts to prevent global warming.”
  • Archbishop Serafim Kykotis, Greek Orthodox Patriarch and head of the Department of Climate Crisis and Sustainable Development Goals of the UN: “Proven by science, commercial application and common sense, CCS must form a vital part in our climate change response. We need to look at every solution. All beliefs are legitimate.”
  • Paul Atkins, Award Winning Cinematographer (Master and Commander, The Tree of Life): “Carbon can be re-imagined as resource, mined from the sky or industrial sources and sequestered or turned into carbon products.”
  • Newton B Jones International President of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers: “The opportunities for CO2 mitigation, job creation and economic growth surrounding CCS globally are staggering.”
  • US Senator for North Dakota, Heidi Heitkamp: “2018 has become the year of actions on Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage.”
  • Dr Niall Mac Dowell, Leader of the Clean Fossil and Bioenergy Research Group, Imperial College, London: “CCS doesn’t so much cost money as make money!”
  • Barney Swan, International Director, ClimateForce: “Connecting both the corporate world and everyday people to projects like CCS will spread awareness to investors, managers and the public.”
  • Ben Houchen, Mayor of Tees Valley, UK: “The delivery of CCS can facilitate a revolution in clean transport and in the way many people heat their homes without significant changes to existing road, rail and gas infrastructure.”

View the Global Status of CCS: 2018 Report

Antonios Papaspiropoulos (Melbourne): +61 401 944 478  antonios.papaspiropoulos@globalccsinstitute.com

Lucy Temple-Smith (Melbourne): +61 466 982 068  lucy.temple-smith@globalccsinstitute.com

Annya Schneider (Brussels): +32 (0) 25503972  annya.schneider@globalccsinstitute.com

Lee Beck (Washington DC): +1 202-677-9053 lee.beck@globalccsinstitute.com

About the Global CCS Institute: Our mission is to accelerate the deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS), a vital technology to tackle climate change and provide energy security. Working with and on behalf of our Members, we drive the adoption of CCS as quickly and cost effectively as possible by sharing expertise, building capacity and providing advice and support so that this vital technology can play its part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For more information, visit globalccsinstitute.com

“Expect a climate disaster unless…”, Edinburgh conference told
“Expect a climate disaster unless…”, Edinburgh conference told

29th November 2018

Edinburgh, 29 November 2018: International climate change leaders meeting in Edinburgh have heard that any exclusion of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) amongst key climate change remedies will spell disaster for Paris targets - and any hope of a fully decarbonised future.

An international conference organised by the UK Government and the Global CCS Institute following on from the UK Government - International Energy Agency (IEA) International CCUS Summit, has called on all sectors – government, financial, environmental and industrial -  to collaborate on the acceleration of CCS/CCUS technologies.

Opening the event, UK Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, Rt Hon Claire Perry said:

“At this seminal summit and conference, the UK is setting a world-leading ambition for developing and deploying carbon capture and storage technology to cut emissions.”

“It shows how determined all countries are to unlock the potential of this game-changing technology that representatives from across the globe are gathered in Edinburgh. The time is now to seize this challenge to tackle climate change while kick starting an entirely new industry.”

Supporting these points, Global CCS Institute CEO, Brad Page, said the UK has a genuine opportunity to become a global technology leader for CCUS, securing the economic and climate benefits it can deliver.

Under the theme “Accelerating CCUS”, the international conference highlighted the full potential and the multifaceted value of CCUS for national and global economies. The deployment of CCS could:

  • preserve jobs and generate new employment;
  • build new industries, especially in the manufacture of CCS-related componentry;
  • create new energy economies including hydrogen, and CO2 re-use applications;
  • support industrial competitiveness and new innovation.

At the event, Global CCS Institute CEO, Brad Page also emphasised that the time to pick favourite clean technologies was over.

“As the recently released IPCC 1.5 report acknowledges, CCS technologies are indispensable to a net zero future. There is simply no other technology that can address emissions from sectors such as steel, cement and fertilisers which remain indispensable to our future.

“The debate needs to shift and it must shift if anyone is truly serious about targets and timeframes. Expect a climate disaster if CCS is not on the table.”

Mr Page said that over the past year, CCUS progress had been made in the UK, USA, China, Japan, Norway and the Netherlands, where supportive CCS mechanisms were being put in place.

Mr Page, a UK CCUS Council Member, said the UK especially, had recognised the full potential that CCUS can bring to industry, employment and the long-term economy.

In his opening remarks to the conference, IEA Executive Director, Dr Fatih Birol, said: “CCUS is critically important for reaching global climate targets while meeting the planet’s energy needs. We’ve seen slow and steady progress on CCUS in the past decade, but this is far from enough. The task of deploying CCUS must be approached with a real sense of urgency.”

“But, as we saw yesterday during the UK-IEA hosted International CCUS Summit, the technology is attracting renewed interest from governments and industry, thanks in part to the UK Government’s leadership. As our recent analysis from the World Energy Outlook demonstrated, CCUS is one of the few technologies that can create room for manoeuvre by allowing critical energy infrastructure to operate without carbon emissions,” Dr Birol said.

The conference has brought together more than 350 international experts to explore avenues for collaboration and investment in CCUS projects.

There are currently 23 commercial large-scale global CCS facilities in operation or construction and a further 28 pilot and demonstration scale facilities in operation or under construction.

You can find out more about the conference, speakers and agenda on the event’s website: https://www.ccusglobalconference.com/

CCS part of an ambitious climate neutral future for Europe
CCS part of an ambitious climate neutral future for Europe

28th November 2018

Brussels, 28 November 2018: Ahead of the UN climate talks COP24 in Katowice, the European Commission released its new Strategy for long-term greenhouse gas emission reductions. The new long-term climate strategy sets the tone for Europe’s climate ambition and presents carbon capture and storage (CCS) as part of the solution in the efforts to decarbonise Europe’s economy and energy system.

The Global CCS Institute applauds the vision of the European Commission’s commitment to climate neutrality by 2050. In the newly released strategy, CCS is presented as one of the seven strategic areas in Europe’s pathway to a climate neutral economy.

The strategy recognises the full potential of CCS to deliver deep emissions cuts from energy-intensive industries and as an enabler of negative emissions. It also clearly demonstrates the need to consider all available climate mitigation solutions to achieve the ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement.

CCS can bring significant and sustained value to Europe and its Member States. It will be key to support a just transition and guarantee that European industries remain competitive in a low-carbon economy. CCS technologies can also offer new employment opportunities, reskill and retain workers and be an important cornerstone of a new energy economy with the production of hydrogen and CO2 utilisation.

The landmark IPCC 1.5 report has emphasised the importance of CCS in a net-zero future underlining that climate inaction will have severe consequences for our societies. The IPCC Fifth Assessment Report also concluded that mitigation costs will increase by 138% without the inclusion of CCS in the mix.

In light of the publication of the long-term strategy, Guloren Turan, Global CCS Institute’s General Manager, Advocacy, said: “The strategy is an opportunity for Europe to position itself as a leader in the climate space as well as in CCS. This is the start of a realistic conversation on how we are to achieve the Paris goals. To deliver net-zero, Europe needs to embrace CCS alongside all other climate actions. There are many exciting and innovative CCS projects in the region that will play an important role in achieving Europe’s climate targets. This is an opportunity for Europe build a long-term climate vision and the policy confidence needed to help scale-up the commercial deployment of CCS.”

There is a pipeline of pioneering European CCS projects with the potential to bring significant social and economic value for local industries and communities. In Europe, there are currently two operating CCS facilities in Norway and nine CCS facilities in advanced development or early construction. In the last year, there have also been important developments in decarbonised hydrogen. Globally, there are 23 commercial large-scale CCS facilities in operation or construction.

In the next months, the Global CCS Institute hopes to continue to be part of this important discussion towards the development of a formal European Strategy by 2020 and as Member States finalise their national climate plans.

Global CCS Institute response to the European Parliament vote on COP24 resolution
Global CCS Institute response to the European Parliament vote on COP24 resolution

26th October 2018

Today, the European Parliament voted on its position on the COP24 climate summit. MEPs rejected Recital R in a proposed amendment to the COP24 resolution. The suggested text included misleading and scientifically unsupported information about the role and value of carbon capture and storage.

In reaction to today’s vote, John Scowcroft, Executive Adviser for Europe for the Global CCS Institute said:

“Today’s vote recognizes that CCS has a role to play in Europe’s long-term climate strategy and in its ambition to achieve a net-zero emissions future. The decision to reject Recital R acknowledges that all mitigation actions will need to be deployed to deliver net-zero emissions by the middle of the century. There is strong scientific evidence supporting the technology and its role in achieving climate targets. CCS is the only technology able to deliver deep emissions reductions quickly and cost-effectively. CCS also has the potential to create significant value for Europe and its industries and will be key to ensure a just transition for all. ”

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