Carbon Capture and Storage

Fossil fuels such as coal and oil are expected to remain the dominant source of energy globally until 2030 and beyond.[1] The slow process of capital stock turnover and infrastructure change means that although the use of alternative, low emission energy sources is expected to increase substantially, we will continue to rely on fossil fuels to meet our energy needs for decades to come. Consequently, technologies that help reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels are needed to help the international community bridge the gap between our current energy profile and a low carbon energy pathway of the future.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is one such technology. Through CCS, carbon dioxide can be captured from large point sources—such as coal-fired power plants—and stored either in deep geological formations, the ocean or as mineral carbonates. By preventing carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere in the short-term, CCS could help developed and developing countries mitigate climate change while new, low emission technologies and energy sources are being developed. As such, between now and 2100, CCS could serve as an interim step on the path to a low carbon future.

Given the potential for carbon capture and storage to help Canada and other countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in the short-term, IISD is initiating efforts to communicate the risks and benefits associated with this technology. For example, IISD, Climate Change Central (C3) and the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy (ISEEE) are planning to host two linked Canadian-based workshops. The first workshop will be designed to establish a basis of understanding for communicating the risks and benefits of CCS. The intent is to develop a way forward on the role for CCS in Canada's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Outputs from the first workshop will be fed into a second workshop focused on developing the strategic components and tools needed by a variety of stakeholders to enhance discussion of this greenhouse gas mitigation option in Canada. A communications strategy typically addresses the objectives of a single stakeholder. IISD and its partners though, will aim to develop tools or other components that can be employed by all stakeholders independent of their perspectives on CCS.

[1] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2007. "Summary for Policy Makers." IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, Working Group III.