Climate activists pan carbon capture plans

Climate activists pan carbon capture plans

'There are still no projects operating anywhere in the world that have delivered on time, on budget, or in the quantities promised.'

More than 500 environmental and community groups – from the Nassau Hiking & Outdoor Club to Greenpeace USA – have called on United States and Canadian leaders to abandon efforts to capture carbon emissions from fossil fuels and work harder to curb fossil fuel use in the first place.


The technology, known as "carbon capture and storage," or CCS, attempts to collect carbon dioxide generated by coal- or gas-fired power production or plastics manufacturing. Those "captured" emissions then get pumped to sites where they are used for industrial processes or stored underground.

But a campaign, coordinated by Center for International Environmental Law, counters that "at best" CCS prevents some emissions from reaching the atmosphere – provided the captured gases are not later released.

At worst, the coalition claims, CCS masks emissions, increases pipeline infrastructure, and prolongs the fossil fuel era.

No climate change solution

The coalition of 500 international, US, and Canadian organizations sent an open letter to policymakers Monday, calling on them to reject carbon capture and storage schemes as they are "unnecessary, ineffective, exceptionally risky, and at odds with a just energy transition and the principles of environmental justice.

The letter was accompanied by full-page ads in The Washington Post and The (Ottawa) Hill Times.

"Simply put, technological carbon capture is a dangerous distraction," the coalition said. "We don't need to fix fossil fuels, we need to ditch them."

Proponents: Critical for the Paris Agreement

Proponents of the technology counter that developing CCS is critical if the United States and other countries are to meet the emissions-reduction goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.

"It's one of the few proven technologies with the potential to significantly lower emissions from certain hard-to-decarbonize sectors, such as manufacturing and heavy industry," said Joe Blommaert, president of ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions in a statement.

The technology has long been part of efforts to trim emissions – or at least meet climate goals. The Obama administration spent at least $2.4 billion on carbon capture and storage efforts. Last month President Biden's White House Council on Environmental Quality delivered a report to Congress outlining steps for a "responsible, orderly, and efficient" development of the technology.

Few climate successes

But the field has seen few successes.

The FutureGen Alliance attempted to demonstrate capture of carbon dioxide from an Illinois coal-fired power plant. The waste emissions were to be pumped and sequestered 30 miles away in underground saline formations.

First announced by President George W. Bush in 2003, construction on FutureGen started in 2014 after delays, cancelations, reinstatements and relocations. After spending $1.65 billion, the Department of Energy suspended the project in 2015.

More recently, Chevron on Monday conceded that it fell short of its carbon capture targets after spending $3 billion to bury emissions under an island off Western Australia.

"This result is no surprise," said senior researcher Tim Baxter of the Climate Council. "After decades of CCS research and billions of dollars of investment, there is little to show for it."

"Over the past decade, the costs of renewable energy like wind and solar have plummeted. Over the same period, CCS has remained extremely expensive. There are still no projects operating anywhere in the world that have delivered CCS on time, on budget, or in the quantities promised."

Top photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy

White light bulb against black background.

Trump plans to roll back Biden’s energy efficiency rules

Former President Donald Trump vowed to reverse Biden-era energy efficiency standards for household products like light bulbs, showerheads and washing machines, arguing they limit consumer choice.

Kelsey Tamborrino reports for POLITICO.

Keep reading...Show less
Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
Industrial plant silhouette at night

Consumer culture fuels chemical pollution and slows climate progress

The growing demand for fossil fuel-based chemicals in everyday products is undermining climate goals, increasing pollution and threatening biodiversity, scientists warn.

Liza Gross reports for Inside Climate News.

Keep reading...Show less
Image of the USAID web page.

Trump administration’s push to shut down USAID threatens university research funding

The Trump administration’s effort to dismantle USAID could cost state universities hundreds of millions in research grants, affecting projects in agriculture, education and public health worldwide.

Shalina Chatlani reports for Stateline.

Keep reading...Show less
EPA website with information about affordable clean energy.

EPA cuts raise concerns about clean air and water protections

President Donald Trump’s administration is rapidly downsizing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, raising questions about whether it can still enforce key environmental protections.

Lylla Younes reports for Grist.

Keep reading...Show less
The letters SEC and an image of a columned building above it.

SEC moves to halt climate disclosure rule, signaling potential rollback

The Securities and Exchange Commission is pausing its legal defense of a rule requiring public companies to disclose climate-related risks, a move that could lead to its repeal.

Matthew Goldstein reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
U.S. Capitol building illuminated at night, reflected in a pool of water in the foreground.

Funding freeze stalls climate projects for tribes and nonprofits

Tribal and community organizations awarded federal climate grants remain unable to access funds due to the Trump administration’s freeze, despite court orders requiring their release.

Naveena Sadasivam reports for Grist.

Keep reading...Show less
oil pipeline stretching into the distance with mountains in the background.

Greenpeace challenges U.S. pipeline company’s lawsuit in Dutch court

Greenpeace has filed a case in the Netherlands against U.S. energy company Energy Transfer, arguing its $300 million lawsuit over the 2016 Dakota Access Pipeline protests is an attempt to silence activism.

Molly Quell reports for The Associated Press.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

People  sitting in an outdoors table working on a big sign.

Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

joe biden

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

Responses to the new rules have been mixed, and environmental advocates worry that Trump could undermine them.

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Prisons, jails and detention centers are placed in locations where environmental hazards such as toxic landfills, floods and extreme heat are the norm.

Agents of Change in Environmental Justice logo

LISTEN: Reflections on the first five years of the Agents of Change program

The leadership team talks about what they’ve learned — and what lies ahead.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.