Professor Myles Allen CBE FRS

Abstract:

Achieving net-zero global emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), with declining emissions of other greenhouse gases, is widely expected to halt global warming. CO₂ emissions will continue to drive warming until fully balanced by active anthropogenic CO₂ removals. For practical reasons, however, many greenhouse gas accounting systems allow some ‘passive’ CO₂ uptake, such as enhanced vegetation growth owing to CO₂ fertilization, to be included as removals in the definition of net anthropogenic emissions. By including passive CO₂ uptake, nominal net-zero emissions would not halt global warming, undermining the Paris Agreement. Here we discuss measures to address this problem, to ensure residual fossil fuel use does not cause further global warming: land management categories should be disaggregated in emissions reporting and targets to better separate the role of passive CO₂ uptake; where possible, claimed removals should be additional to passive uptake; and targets should acknowledge the need for Geological Net Zero, meaning one tonne of CO₂ permanently restored to the solid Earth for every tonne still generated from fossil sources. We also argue that scientific understanding of Net Zero provides a basis for allocating responsibility for the protection of passive carbon sinks during and after the transition to Geological Net Zero.

Abstract:

The Agile Initiative at the Oxford Martin School (funded by the Natural Environment Research Council) aims to transform how research responds to the needs of policymakers through timely, policy-oriented research Sprints that focus on critical environmental issues. This report is the final output of an Agile Initiative Sprint, addressing the question, “What do we need to know to safely store CO2 beneath our shelf seas?” The writers aim to improve understanding of the environmental risks and opportunities associated with CO2 storage in offshore reservoirs, to deliver new research, and to integrate existing knowledge from across research and policy areas, identifying gaps and areas requiring further research. This Sprint concluded in June 2024.

Abstract:

This brief focuses on the U.K. policy and regulatory framework and reforms available to the UK as it looks to scale-up the CCS industry effectively and begin safe geological CO2 storage (GCS) on the UK offshore continental shelf (UKCS). The brief covers the current state of offshore CCS regulation and discusses opportunities available to streamline legislation, regulation and policy surrounding access to CO2 storage on the UKCS, based on insights from diverse stakeholders regarding this regulation. We discuss the consequences of these findings for policy, industrial scale-up of geological storage, and the future direction of UK CCS policy and legislation. The UK has a developed regulatory environment for offshore GCS, but regulatory challenges remain. This is the central gap that this brief aims to address.