Engaging communities on CO2 storage
Successful deployment of CCS will require improved efforts to ensure local communities and the general public understand and accept the technology. Permanent geological storage of CO2 is a relatively new and unknown concept for many people and will raise legitimate concerns about safety and risks. Are such projects safe for people and ecosystems? Will the CO2 remain safely underground? Scientific and practical experience demonstrates that well-chosen and appropriately managed storage sites can permanently and safely retain CO2, and it is important that this is effectively communicated.
Project proponents must also consult with local communities at the earliest possible opportunity, ensuring that those near the storage site are well-informed about the localised impacts, risks and benefits of the project. There are many examples where these communications have been managed successfully, for example in North America where local populations have accepted projects that inject CO2 for either EOR or permanent storage. In other cases, such as in Germany and the Netherlands, local populations have effectively stopped CO2 injection activities.
Governments, NGOs and the scientific community will also have an important role to play in communicating the role of CCS as part of an effective global or national response to climate change. This includes ensuring that CCS is included in national energy policy frameworks, alongside other “mainstream” low-carbon technologies.