Carbon capture is not a climate solution

The document argues that carbon capture and storage (CCS) is not a viable climate solution and urges the Canadian government to reject its funding and integration into national energy strategies.

• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is described as a "dangerous distraction" that delays the transition from fossil fuels and creates new environmental, health, and safety risks, particularly for Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities.
• The buildout of CCS infrastructure involves risks such as pipeline leaks or ruptures, which can cause human and animal asphyxiation, as well as underground storage risks including drinking water contamination and seismic activity.
• A significant portion of captured carbon is used for "enhanced oil recovery" (EOR), a process that increases oil production and subsequent carbon emissions when that oil is burned.
• CCS is characterized as economically unsound because it makes power plants more expensive and energy-intensive, while the costs of renewable energy like wind and solar continue to drop.
• The document asserts that CCS does not remove CO2 from the atmosphere and that claims regarding bioenergy with CCS (BECCS) as a negative emissions technology are based on a "scientifically discredited premise" that burning biomass is carbon neutral.
• Current U.S. federal regulations for CO2 storage are criticized for only requiring storage for 50 years, which is insufficient given that CO2 persists on a geological time scale of hundreds or thousands of years.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2021). Carbon capture is not a climate solution. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/CCS-Letter_FINAL_CAN-1.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Carbon capture is not a climate solution. 2021. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/CCS-Letter_FINAL_CAN-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Carbon capture is not a climate solution |date=19 July 2021 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/CCS-Letter_FINAL_CAN-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2021carbon, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Carbon capture is not a climate solution}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2021}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/CCS-Letter_FINAL_CAN-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }