Understanding public acceptance amidst controversy and ignorance: The case of industrial Carbon Capture and Storage in Germany

Abstract

Carbon capture and storage technologies (CCS) are being discussed and tested in different countries to reduce industrial emissions. Public opinion about industrial CCS (iCCS) can be a key factor in whether it will be implemented. Yet, measuring public acceptance of CCS is a challenge: on the one hand, the use of CCS is the subject of intense and controversial political debate. On the other hand, a majority of people is still not aware of it. Thus, prior research has used informed choice questionnaires or experimental study designs to measure ad-hoc informed or spontaneous opinions. In this paper, we propose a new approach to measure public opinion, including only respondents with stated prior knowledge about iCCS. Based on a quantitative survey in Germany (n = 1845), three questions are examined: do the results support our new approach to measure public opinion about iCCS? To what extent is there acceptance of iCCS and what factors influence acceptance in Germany? And what are implications for both the national political level and for the local deployment of iCCS? Results from the regression analysis show that five attitudes influence the general acceptance of iCCS in Germany: perceived local risks of climate change, advantages outweigh disadvantages, arguments about unavoidable emissions and about iCCS as a bridge technology, and the acceptance of local storage. Furthermore, descriptive results show high levels of associated risks with the transportation of CO₂ and lacking trust in relevant stakeholders for iCCS deployment (industry and energy utilities).