The country’s vice chancellor announced on Monday that Germany intends to implement the practice of underground carbon storage at offshore locations, recognizing the urgency to address climate change. This technology has been widely debated but is now being pursued as a necessary step.

Europe’s biggest economy is making good progress with expanding renewable energy sources and usage, but a solution is needed for the carbon dioxide emitted by some sectors such as the cement industry that are “hard to abate,” said Robert Habeck, who is also the economy and climate minister.

The country of Germany, which houses numerous energy-consuming industries, has set a goal to reduce its emissions to “net zero” by the year 2045.

Habeck’s suggested plan for managing carbon, which requires further development into specific laws, involves the potential for transporting and storing carbon dioxide beneath the sea within Germany’s exclusive economic zone. This would not be allowed in marine conservation areas. The plan does not currently include the possibility of storage on land, but Habeck stated that this could be revisited if state governments in Germany approve.

Critics argue that the effectiveness of carbon capture and storage, commonly known as CCS, has not been proven on a large scale and is not as efficient as other options like solar and wind in reducing carbon emissions in the energy industry.

Habeck, a representative of the Green party who focuses on environmental issues, mentioned past objections to carbon storage in the 2000s. However, he believes that the technology has since advanced and is now considered both reliable and secure. He also noted that it is now being implemented in various places, not just in research studies.

Last year, Denmark embarked on an ambitious project to store large quantities of carbon dioxide under the North Sea.

“At a press conference in Berlin, Habeck announced that time has expired. In the early 2000s, there was room for speculation and a ‘wait and see’ approach, but now it is clear that there are no technological solutions available for achieving climate neutrality in industries such as cement.”

“We are on track to surpassing 1.5 degrees, indicating that we are no longer in a privileged or comfortable position where we can afford to wait,” stated Habeck. “We must utilize the resources we currently have.”

He mentioned the global objective of attempting to restrict future temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-industrial levels.

Scientists have discovered in numerous reports that limiting global warming to 1.5 C can prevent or reduce some of the most severe consequences of climate change in the future. For certain individuals, this is a matter of life and death.

According to Habeck, it will take “several years” for Germany to be able to store CO2 beneath the ocean. He also suggested that it would be beneficial to coordinate efforts with other European countries, such as Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Greenpeace expressed concern about the German plans, stating that they heavily favor the energy and heavy industries and allow them to continue operating as they have in the past, even though there are alternative, more environmentally friendly options available.

“The cost is exorbitant, not feasible, and poses additional long-term obligations on future generations,” stated Karsten Smid, a energy specialist from the organization’s German division.

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Source: wral.com