Path to climate neutrality - Goldschmidt: CCS must not prolong fossil technology
According to Schleswig-Holstein's Environment Minister Tobias Goldschmidt, CCS (Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage) should not be a life-extending measure for fossil technologies. The use of CCS should be limited to long-term, heavy, and unavoidable emissions such as those from the cement industry or waste incineration plants, the Green politician told the German Press Agency.
CCS refers to the capture and storage of the greenhouse gas Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in industrial processes and its transportation and injection into an underground storage site.
Minister Warns of Environmental Risks
Moreover, Goldschmidt considers the technology to be associated with environmental risks, so high safety standards are required. "Therefore, I believe it is appropriate to limit potential storage sites under the sea in the exclusive economic zone and on the continental shelf," he said. In addition, strict environmental regulatory guidelines should apply, and users should bear the financing costs for CCS infrastructure.
Furthermore, natural sinks should be explored and restored more quickly. Planning acceleration is required for wetlands, forests, seagrass meadows, and wetlands. "Natural solutions are cheaper, safer, and above all more beautiful than technical CO2 end-stages," the Environment Minister said.
At the same time, the federal states should also be allowed to make exceptions. This so-called state opening clause is considered appropriate by Goldschmidt, as it prevents coastal residents and the marine environment from becoming the "CO2 deposit of the nation," while also avoiding high costs through local storage.
The Land Welcomes Legislation on CCS
"We have now come so far on the way to climate neutrality that we can start thinking about the last mile," the Minister explained. Since at the current state of knowledge, CCS is likely to be an unavoidable measure, Schleswig-Holstein welcomes the legislative proposal.
Background is the federal government's plans to enable underground storage of climate-damaging CO2 in Germany. The corresponding draft of the Carbon Dioxide Storage Act was adopted by the cabinet at the end of May. According to this, CO2 storage is primarily planned in the North Sea.
- Tobias Goldschmitt, the Environment Minister of Schleswig-Holstein, expressed concern about the potential environmental risks associated with Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) technology, which is a focus of the federal government's plans for climate-damaging CO2 storage in Germany.
- Goldschmitt suggested that the technology's use should be restricted to heavy and unavoidable emissions, such as those from the cement industry or waste incineration plants, and that strict environmental regulatory guidelines should be implemented to minimize potential harm.
- The Minister also advocated for the exploration and restoration of natural sinks like wetlands, forests, and seagrass meadows, arguing that these solutions are cheaper, safer, and more beautiful than technical CO2 end-stages.
- Goldschmitt supported the legislative proposal to enable CCS under certain conditions, such as allowing exceptions for federal states and ensuring that local communities and the marine environment are not burdened unduly by the costs of CO2 storage.
