NOAH´s position
NOAH Friends of the Earth Denmark´s position on CCS as a climate tool
NOAH sees a wide range of problems in CO2 capture and storage that all point to a rejection of the technology as a viable method of reducing CO2 emissions.
NOAH finds that CCS violates basic principles of environmental policy eg. the principle of preventive action, the principle of dealing with environmental problems at the source and the polluter pays principle.
In addition, CCS poses a large number of practical problems that make the technology an inadequate answer to climate problems:
· CCS is unable to deliver sufficient reductions.
· The reductions, CCS can provide will occur far too late.
· CCS increases energy consumption at power plants with some 40%.
· CCS binds us to a centralized and inflexible energy supply based on coal.
· CCS is an unreasonably expensive way to reduce CO2 emissions.
· CCS can only be realized with massive subsidies from taxpayers.
· Cheaper and better alternatives exist.
· CCS has a number of harmful environmental impacts.
· The public and future generations will have to pay if something goes wrong.
· CCS will increase our dependence on coal and block the development of 100% renewable energy systems.
· No public debate on CCS as an alternative to renewable energy and energy efficiency has taken place.
NOAH's overall conclusion regarding CCS is that it is a technology that the world is best served by leaving behind - the sooner the better. CCS will be a gigantic misinvestment which will only lead us closer to a climate catastrophe.
NOAH's position on CCS can be downloaded from the links below.