Climate Change and CCS Technologies: Managerial and Political Issues

Abstract

Emissions of carbon dioxide appears to have risen to levels that have negative effects on the climate. These levels will continue to rise, taking the world’s average temperature over the Kyoto 1997 agreed 1.5^oC temperature. To date, only 20Mn tonnes of CO₂ has been permanently sequestered. This is a research paper that is focused on assessing issues relating to CO₂ sequestration through Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies and its impacts on managerial developments.

An interpretive methodology was utilised in order to help understand the senior research management perceptions of leading research groups underpinning CCS developments and climate change implications. The scope for this research was CO₂ sequestration leading research teams/groups articulated across the spectrum of major Western and Eastern countries. Consequently, the population of interest was made up of 17 leading global, climate change research group principal scientist/engineers as managers, located at multiple research sites within Europe, US and Asia, with a mandated research directive to assess/investigate climate change impacts of CO₂ and other gas emissions for governments.

The research outcomes consisted of Four (4) main themes: Emissions, Socio-Political Will/Government Strategy, Technical Development and Underground Strategies, Marketing and Costs; and Fifteen (15) sub-themes underpinned by 309 conversation targets.

The paper addresses raised issues and determines outcomes and implications for managing the scope and application of CCS technologies. These indications are synthesised from major research actors in the field that show that socio-political strategies, economics and market development should be made clearer and a paradigm shift made to strengthen strategies to engage wider utilisation of CCS technologies.