UN support for carbon capture & storage

MONTREAL–The United Nations’ top scientific body has given its support to carbon capture and storage (CCS) as a positive step in meeting the challenge of climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change formally accepted the IPCC Special Report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage at its 24th session, in Montreal in September.

Through acceptance of the report, the members of the IPCC recognize the vital role of carbon capture and storage in reducing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, as one of a range of policy and technical mitigation options.

The report notes:

* CCS can provide up to 55% of the cumulative mitigation effort needed worldwide over this century to achieve atmospheric stabilization of greenhouse gases between 450 and 750 ppmv.

* The role of CCS in mitigation portfolios is likely to increase over the course of the century.

* Including CCS in a mitigation portfolio is found to reduce the costs of stabilizing CO2 concentrations by 30% or more.

Milton Catelin, chief executive of the London, U.K.-based World Coal Institute, commented: “Stabilization of atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases is a key challenge for the 21st century. Energy demand is growing and experts recognize that fossil fuels will continue to meet that demand for many years to come. Technological responses, such as clean coal technologies and carbon capture and storage, are vital tools in addressing global environmental challenges.”

For more, visit the World Coal Institute website at www.worldcoal.org.