Here’s the Commission’s plan for carbon capture

The European Union is committed to reaching ‘net zero’ CO₂ emissions by 2050. While the major part of this effort will come from reducing current emissions levels in the coming years, we will also need technologies that can capture CO₂ or remove it directly from the atmosphere and then store or utilise it.

The Commission has therefore adopted an Industrial Carbon Management Communication, which provides details on how these technologies could contribute to reducing emissions by 90% by 2040 and reaching climate neutrality by 2050.

A European approach to industrial carbon management

The Commission  identifies a set of actions to be taken at EU and national level to enable the deployment of these technologies and the necessary infrastructure to establish a single market for CO₂ in Europe. 

The Commission will start preparatory work on a possible future CO2 transport and storage regulatory package, which would consider issues such as market and cost structure, third-party access, CO₂ quality standards or investment incentives for new infrastructure.

To help scale up the market for capture and permanent storage of CO₂ emissions, the Commission will establish guidance for project permitting processes and set up an atlas of potential storage sites.

“With the strategy we present today, we want to establish a European market for CO2. With the right support and coordination on projects and the right legal framework for CO2 infrastructure and standards, we can support the development of these technologies in the EU.” Kadri Simson, Commissioner for Energy

Factsheet Carbon Management