The case for global regulation of carbon capture and storage and artificial intelligence for climate change

Abstract

This article investigates the trends in the global law-making process as it relates to carbon capture and storage (CCS) and associated technology. It detects regulatory deficiencies and makes a case favouring robust global regulation of such technology in realizing climate aspirations. CCS is recognized as an indispensable ally in the worldwide enterprise that seeks to limit carbon dioxide emissions. This article probes the relatively new and developing area of international regulation of the process of CCS and related technology, in particular Artificial Intelligence (AI), a dimension that promises noteworthy results on the climate change front. It presents a case for the broader deployment of the CCS technology – including more advanced AI options – to enhance in a more radical fashion the prospect of meeting global climate goals and thus stabilising global temperature (that is, achieving net zero CO2 emissions globally in the early 2050s), identifies the need for new and revised sets of rules to govern the development, design and deployment of such technology, and argues in favour of the applicability of existing general sustainable development principles.