In a new statement, the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC), which represents the national science academies of the EU Member States, Norway, and Switzerland, says its latest analysis reveals that technologies and techniques for removing CO2 from the atmosphere are becoming even more significant with the failure to reverse the growth in global emissions.
In a new statement, the European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC), which represents the national science academies of the EU Member States, Norway, and Switzerland, says its latest analysis reveals that technologies and techniques for removing CO2 from the atmosphere are becoming even more significant with the failure to reverse the growth in global emissions. However, the huge risks of relying on future deployment of as yet unproven technologies means that EASAC re-emphasises – in line with its 2018 report - that mitigation must remain the highest priority, including the rapid development of viable CCS technology and business models. These negative emission technologies cannot make up for a lack of effort to mitigate CO2, but the size of the gap between current emission trends and those needed to meet Paris Agreement targets makes such technologies appear increasingly necessary. EASAC thus concludes it is time to include these in the EU’s future climate strategy. At present, a single technology has not emerged as the best choice and a suite of technologies will likely be necessary.
“As mitigation remains inadequate to keep warming within Paris Agreement Targets, applying negative emissions technologies at a potentially huge scale is increasingly likely to be necessary. Applying such technologies at the scale required would require the development of a new industry close to the same size as the current fossil fuel industry – a huge diversion of economic resources within the economy. To avoid dangerous climate change and bolster its economy, therefore, the EU should be examining the most likely technologies to be relevant to Europe’s future industries,” said Professor Michael Norton, Director of Environment at EASAC.
Read more at European Academies' Science Advisory Council
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