What role for CCS in delivering just transitions? An evaluation in the North Sea region.

Swennenhuis, Floris; Mabon, Leslie; Flach, Todd Allyn; de Coninck, Heleen

Abstract

This paper assesses the role of carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) in addressing challenges in the energy transition, in regions reliant on carbon-intensive industries for employment and as an economic base. The assessment is based on semi-structured interviews with relevant stakeholders and experts in the Aberdeen area in Scotland, the Rotterdam harbour (or Rijnmond) area in the Netherlands, and in Norway. The interviews explored challenges around the role of CCS in regional 'just transitions', or how to make the transformation of regions relying on carbon-intensive industries to a low-carbon society fair. While significant differences in responses between the Aberdeen area, the Rijnmond area and Norway were found, a common understanding showed that for CCS to contribute to a just transition it has to: (a) make a contribution to climate change imperatives; (b) help to mitigate the economic and employment effects arising from declining or maturing industries; and (c) be undertaken in a manner that helps to redress (or at least does not increase) uneven vulnerabilities and inequalities in society. Five key themes that characterise the opportunities and challenges for CCS from a just transition perspective were drawn from the interviews: skills for a just transition, transition as an opportunity, responsibility, scale of action and viability. We recommend that these are added to earlier work on barriers and enablers of CCS in areas relying on fossil industry.

Citation

SWENNENHUIS, F., MABON, L., FLACH, T.A. and DE CONINCK, H. 2020. What role for CCS in delivering just transitions? An evaluation in the North Sea region. International journal of greenhouse gas control [online], 94: special section on the proceedings of the 14th international conference on greenhouse gas control technologies (GHGT-14), 21-25 October 2018, Melbourne, Australia, article number 102903. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2019.102903

• Journal Article Type: Conference Paper
• Conference Name: 14th international conference on greenhouse gas control technologies (GHGT-14)
• Conference Location: Melbourne, Australia
• Acceptance Date: Nov 13, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Dec 6, 2019
• Publication Date: Mar 31, 2020
• Deposit Date: Dec 19, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 7, 2020
• Journal: International journal of greenhouse gas control
• Print ISSN: 1750-5836
• Electronic ISSN: 1878-0148
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 94
• Article Number: 102903
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijggc.2019.102903
• Keywords: ACORN project: Carbon Dioxide capture and storage; Just transition; Regional policy; Stakeholder understanding; Greenhouse gases; Transitioning economies; Transitioning societies; Regional development
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/817071