Beyond Carbon Capture: Systemic Decarbonisation Needs Energy Justice, Demand Reduction, and Global Governance
Original framing: “Q&A: Does the world need ‘carbon capture and storage’ to reach net-zero?” — Carbon Brief
Scientific assessments indicate that CCS can contribute at most 10‑20 % of the emissions reductions needed for 2050 pathways, contingent on massive infrastructure, energy input, and long‑term monitoring. Life‑cycle analyses also expose leakage risks and the high carbon intensity of capture processes. While the technology is scientifically viable, its scalability is limited without parallel systemic decarbonisation.
The CCS narrative, while scientifically plausible, functions as a partial stopgap that risks entrenching fossil‑fuel power structures unless paired with systemic demand reductions, just‑transition policies, and community‑driven renewables.
Historical precedents show that technological fixes alone have delayed necessary societal shifts, a pattern echoed across cultures where local stewardship offers resilient alternatives. Incorporating Indigenous land rights, marginalised voices, and cross‑cultural wisdom reframes carbon management from a storage problem to a relational one, demanding governance that distributes benefits and responsibilities equitably. Future modelling confirms that only an integrated portfolio—combining modest CCS with aggressive decarbonisation, circular economies, and robust justice mechanisms—can meet net‑zero targets without compromising climate justice.