Carbon capture and storage in Saskatchewan: An analysis of communicative practices in a contested technology

Abstract

Despite the recognition of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) as a credible technology for reducing emissions, its implementation has been stalled, partly due to the public's perception of the technology. The literature on CCS technology diffusion points to negative public perception of the technology as a barrier to implementation, and the role of media in that framing. Yet, there remains a gap in the knowledge of media framing of a successful CCS project. This study analyzes the Saskatchewan case, the first successful commercial scale CCS technology deployment in the world and finds that the media framing of CCS technology in Saskatchewan applied a narrative/storytelling approach by deploying metaphors that connected to local values, beliefs, and norms. Also, it notes certain conditions in Saskatchewan made it possible for some frames to be advanced while others were minimized, discounted, or absent altogether in the discussion. Applying the Socio-Political Evaluation of Energy Deployment (SPEED) framework, the study highlights the role of authoritative voices, mostly within Saskatchewan's political system in reframing CCS technology from uncertainty and risk into opportunity; minimizing and sometimes discounting or ignoring the negative frames that have been identified in previous studies as a barrier. It concludes that in Saskatchewan there was a trade-off in framing, where opportunities to advance frames that emphasize how CCS technology can support long term low carbon energy transition and climate change mitigation were missed. This study adds to the literature in that it analyzes a successful case of CCS technology deployment.