Should governments put money into developing carbon capture and storage technology?
No. Relying on carbon capture and storage (CCS) to deliver us from climate change is a dangerous gamble. There are clean energy technologies and smart energy use initiatives that we can implement now. Governments have a responsibility to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to safe levels and no matter how much money is thrown at CCS, the opportunity to avoid catastrophic climate change will have passed long before we will even know if CCS is workable. Governments should catalyse a shift to renewable energy and smart energy use. We can begin replacing fossil fuels with emission-free renewable energy right now and this is what governments should be working towards. The IPCC estimates that upwards of 70 per cent of electricity sector emissions may not be suited for CCS by 2050. Alternative solutions are needed. Industry can worry about making this end-of-pipe technology work if they want to, but they will be accountable to their shareholders.
