INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) Carbon dioxide capture and storage in a climate change perspective The current state of insights from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Heleen de Coninck Technical Support Unit IPCC WG III (Mitigation) Trondheim, October 26th, 2004 OSPAR Workshop: The Environmental Impact of Placement of Carbon Dioxide in Geological Structures in the Maritime Area

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) About IPCC Established by WMO and UNEP 1988: Assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information on climate change, impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation Publication of reports No research, no monitoring, no recommendations Policy relevant but not policy prescriptive Extensive review processes of its reports Support to UNFCCC

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) About IPCC: organisation Co-ordination SR on CO 2 capture and storage Co-chairs WGIII: Ogunlade Davidson (Sierra Leone) & Bert Metz (Netherlands)

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) Why are IPCC publications so influential? World-wide effort to gather and combine all views and information on climate change Broad involvement of scientists Extensive review process Based on consensus - if no consensus reached, all opinions to be reflected in report Report: owned by authors Summary for Policymakers (SPM): owned by governments

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) Convincing evidence… Source: IPCC TAR, 2001

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) …that the climate is changing… temperature rise (°C) Source: IPCC TAR, 2001

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) … and impacts seem inevitable Source: IPCC TAR, 2001 I: Unique and threatened systems II: Extreme climate events III: Distribution IV: Aggregate impacts V: Large-scale discontinuities

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) Impacts of CO 2 emissions and climate change Temperature rise Changing precipitation patterns; flooding; landslides Sea level rise Melting of glaciers Ecological consequences Consequence for farming, especially in developing countries Slow acidification of the oceans by take-up of atmospheric CO 2

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) What can be done? Stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations at levels of 450 ppmv (or 550, 650, 750?) Reduction of emissions of CO 2 and other greenhouse gases Fossil fuel combustion main cause of CO 2 emissions World energy supply likely to remain dominated by fossil fuels until at least 2050

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) What can be done? Source: IPCC TAR, 2001

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) What can be done? Energy efficiency Decarbonisation –energy sources –CO 2 capture and storage Biological carbon sequestration Reducing other greenhouse gases from industry, agriculture, waste management

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) What does IPCC tell us on capture and storage of CO 2 ? IPCC Third Assessment Report (2001): a new mitigation technology Serious mitigation option Capacity not restraining (~ 5700 GtCO 2 ) Costs are estimated competitive with other mitigation options at ca. 40 – 60 US$/tCO 2 Safety and verification noted as problems Significant cost reductions for achieving stabilisation scenarios

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) What does IPCC tell us on capture and storage of CO 2 ? Dooley, 2002 Energy and economic models seem to agree on a number of broad principles: –Relatively small niche market for CCS technologies in the absence of a CO 2 emissions mandate –CCS technologies deployment accelerates as carbon permit prices rise – Ultimate deployment of this class of technologies could be massive, depending on the stabilisation scenario assumptions

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) What does IPCC tell us on capture and storage of CO 2 ? Conclusions IPCC Workshop on carbon dioxide capture and storage (November 2002): Environmental impacts of geological storage likely small, but not well characterised Progress expected in the near future

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) What does IPCC tell us on capture and storage of CO 2 ? Conclusions IPCC Workshop on carbon dioxide capture and storage (November 2002): Literature basis growing rapidly CCS important enough to deserve good assessment More attention needed for barriers and uncertainties

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) Contents IPCC SRCCS

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) Legal framework in the SRCCS? Assessment requested by the IPCC Plenary Interpretation still uncertain: legal literature not unambiguous Giving one interpretation would be policy prescriptive Legal section will be highlighting the difficulties, not providing a solution

INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) Timing of the SRCCS January – March 2005: Government and Expert Review End of April: last Lead Author meeting July: Final Draft finished August: Government Review of the Summary for Policymakers End of September: IPCC Approval session Presentation to UNFCCC at COP-11 (November 2005)

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