Carbon capture and sequestration: Identifying and managing risks

While risk is a fact of life, managing risk is complex. This is particularly true today in considering how to address climate change. We know that we must act, and act quickly, to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to avoid dangerous climate change. Failure to act risks catastrophic climate impacts. We also know, however, that deploying technologies to significantly cut greenhouse gases will fundamentally change the way society produces and uses energy. Carbon capture and geologic sequestration (CCS) technology promises to provide deep emissions cuts, particularly from coal power generation, but deploying CCS creates risks of its own. This article first considers the risks associated with CCS, which involves capturing CO2 emissions from industrial sources and power plants, transporting the CO2 by pipeline, and injecting it underground for permanent sequestration. This article then suggests ways in which these risks can be minimized and managed and considers more broadly when or if CCS should be deployed or whether its use should be limited or rejected in favor of other solutions.