Environmental NGOs join call for more action on CCS

The Australian-based Cooperative Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Technologies (CO2CRC) has commended the latest report by the international ENGO Network on carbon capture and storage (CCS), calling for more governmental support for CCS development.

The report ‘Perspectives on Carbon Capture and Storage’, released yesterday at COP18 in Doha, Qatar, is an important contribution to discussions of the role of CCS technology in the fight against uncontrolled climate change.

“It is gratifying to see environmental NGOs, including Australia’s Climate Institute, acknowledge the importance of CCS in a low-cost emissions reduction strategy,” said Dr Richard Aldous, Chief Executive of CO2CRC.

“As the report sets out, we will need a wide range of emissions reduction strategies in the future and CCS must be an essential part of that portfolio. Managing emissions from fossil-fuel use is a sensible and pragmatic approach.

“As the science becomes stronger and we track at the upper levels of the modelling predictions on climate change, the great challenge of our times is managing our emissions. We are very likely to see substantially greater calls for action in Australia and around the world over the next five to 10 years.”

The network joins a wide range of organisations, including the International Energy Agency and the IPCC, in recommending international deployment of full-scale CCS projects as soon as possible.

“With growing pressure on electricity prices, it is important that we secure the lowest cost pathway to emissions abatement; CCS is part of that pathway,” said Dr Aldous.

“Without CCS, meeting global targets under a delayed action scenario could be more than twice as expensive (US Department of Energy). With consumers concerned about rising electricity prices, it is vital that essential climate mitigation costs are kept to a minimum.

“The report also makes it clear that this is not unproven technology and agrees that CCS can be safe and effective for our climate, health and the environment.”

The report commends Australia for its substantial investment in CCS R&D and world-leading demonstration projects, including the CO2CRC Otway Project, Australia’s only carbon storage field research facility, but calls for more support to implement the technology as soon as possible.

The ENGO Network on CCS includes: Clean Air Task Force, E3G, Natural Resources Defense Council, The Climate Institute, The Pembina Institute, World Resources Institute and Zero Emission Resource Organisation.

The report is available at www.engonetwork.org.