CCS in China: Toward an Environmental, Health, and Safety Regulatory Framework

The document argues that while China has political support and some adaptable laws for CCS, it lacks a comprehensive regulatory framework for geologic storage. It proposes eight key criteria for such a framework, including site-specific data for selection, adaptive monitoring plans, and clear post-closure stewardship. The brief highlights the role of various Chinese ministries and suggests a pilot regulatory approach to manage technical uncertainties.

• China's heavy reliance on coal, which provided 70 percent of its primary energy in 2009, makes CCS a key element in energy models to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as models suggest emissions would not decline after 2030 without CCS deployment.
• China lacks a comprehensive domestic regulatory framework for CCS oversight, although political institutions and some adaptable laws exist. The document suggests implementing a pilot regulatory framework for initial demonstrations that can be refined before wide-scale commercial use.
• The most significant regulatory gaps in China pertain to carbon dioxide geologic storage, as existing laws for hazardous waste or radioactive pollution do not fully address the dynamic nature of CO2 after injection.
• The document proposes eight key criteria for geologic storage regulation: site selection based on site-specific data, adaptive monitoring plans, required injection modeling and simulation, comprehensive risk assessments, monitoring areas extending beyond the CO2 plume, regular framework reviews, clear post-closure stewardship and responsibility transfer, and mandatory public engagement.
• For CCS to be commercially viable, the Chinese government may need to assume more liability and act as the receiving entity after project transfer, as leaving liability solely with the private sector is seen as a barrier to deployment.
• Regulatory oversight for CCS in China would involve multiple agencies: the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) for pollution and EIAs, the Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR) for mineral rights and siting, the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) for health and safety, and the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) for overall project approval.
• Existing Chinese laws that can serve as models for CCS include the Law on the Prevention and Control of Radioactive Pollution for comprehensive storage regulation, and the Environmental Impact Assessment Law for project governance.

APA

SELIGSOHN, D., LIU, Y., FORBES, S., DONGJIE, Z., & WEST, L. (2010). CCS in China: Toward an Environmental, Health, and Safety Regulatory Framework. World Resources Institute. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/ccs_in_china.pdf

Chicago

SELIGSOHN, DEBORAH, YUE LIU, SARAH FORBES, ZHANG DONGJIE, and LOGAN WEST. CCS in China: Toward an Environmental, Health, and Safety Regulatory Framework. World Resources Institute, 2010. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/ccs_in_china.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=SELIGSOHN |first1=DEBORAH |last2=LIU |first2=YUE |last3=FORBES |first3=SARAH |last4=DONGJIE |first4=ZHANG |last5=WEST |first5=LOGAN |title=CCS in China: Toward an Environmental, Health, and Safety Regulatory Framework |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=August 2010 |url=https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/ccs_in_china.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{seligsohn2010ccs, author = {SELIGSOHN, DEBORAH and LIU, YUE and FORBES, SARAH and DONGJIE, ZHANG and WEST, LOGAN}, title = {{CCS in China: Toward an Environmental, Health, and Safety Regulatory Framework}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2010}, month = aug, url = {https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/pdf/ccs_in_china.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }